Somewhere between downdog and forearm stand lives Crow Pose, a low - to - the - ground arm balance that requires trust, fearlessness, strongly grounded hands and
an Uddiyana Bandha practice.
For those looking to stoke a greater flame of empowerment;
uddiyana kriya, stretch pose, breath of fire and boat pose (any and all variations) are all wonderful practices that can be added to any asana practice you already have.
If you want to catch up, our 101s on Mula Bandha and
Uddiyana Bandha are here and here.
Or, when practicing
Uddiyana Bandha in a pose like Goddess, you would seal off the throat by bringing the chin and chest to meet.
In Sanskrit
Uddiyana means to fly or rise up.
In that breath the belly contracts in and back with each exhale, a quick and less concentrated version of the abdominal engagement that occurs in
Uddiyana.
If you've ever practiced Breath of Fire you've connected with the third chakra and experienced an element of
Uddiyana bandha.
The next bandha is
Uddiyana, the Navel Lock.
In the chakra system,
Uddiyana bandha corresponds with Manipura, the third chakra; fiery and powerful, Manipura is the seat of our personal will and motivation.
Given all the focus on the gut and its connection to the chakra in charge of digestion, it's no surprise that
Uddiyana bandha is an effective remedy for constipation, indigestion or bloating.
If you're looking to float, fly, lift, twist, or invert in your asana practice with less effort,
Uddiyana bandha is key.
The hollow belly of
Uddiyana Bandha can be approximated in a reclining position.
Because you should always perform Jalandhara Bandha along with
Uddiyana Bandha, come into Jalandhara Bandha at this point.
(oo - dee - YAH - nah BAHN - dah
uddiyana = upward (cf. ud = «up, upwards») bandha = binding, tying a bond, fetter; putting together, uniting, contracting, combining; mundane bondage, attachment to this world (as opposed to emancipation, mukti or moksha).
A wonderful pose to engage
Uddiyana Bandha, the lift of the abdominal muscles that support the spine.
They're called
Uddiyana Bandha to bring the movement up instead of down.
Before breathing again the abdomen should be pushed down and out to release the vacuum
Uddiyana creates.
Uddiyana occurs when the lungs are emptied, breath paused, and the abdomen is pulled upwards.
Nauli Kriya is the final practice in a series which follows from
Uddiyana, which is practiced in the standing position that I mentioned before.
The abdominal pressure from practices like
Uddiyana Bandha and Nauli Kriya can reveal the condition of your intestines.
Uddiyana bandha, or the abdominal lock, is a contraction of the upper abdomen.
Hold the breath and apply all the three bandhas in your body (the chin lock or Jalandhar Bandha, the stomach lock or
Uddiyana Bandha, and the root lock or Mulabandha).
No Maha Bhand or
Uddiyana Bhand (diaphragm lock) or Mul Bhand (contraction of the rectum, sex and navel locks together), or diaphragm lock.
Jalandhara Bandha is one of three important «bonds» for pranayama breath retention, the other two being Mula and
Uddiyana.
Mula Bandha and
Uddiyana Bandha aren't even mentioned until students have reached the most advanced levels of practice.
This breath retention work, or the engagement of
Uddiyana Bandha, should be done with care.
Continue to pause briefly after the exhalations and sense a residual internal lift from
Uddiyana Bandha.
The TA is also directly related to — in fact, synonymous with —
Uddiyana Bandha (Upward Abdominal Lock), which is a form of gentle abdominal contraction held throughout a vinyasa practice.
Uddiyana is translated as «flying up.»
I am sure you've seen videos of yogis on Instagram doing
uddiyana bandha (pulling our abdomen into our rib cage by taking a false inhale), which cleanses our organs, stimulates the brain, and warms up the core for inversions and longer holds.
Uddiyana (flying upward) bandha is connected to toning and slight sucking in and up the area just below the navel, which in turn allows us to stabilize the pelvis.
And
uddiyana bhanda kriya.