3
Techniques
for Engaging Mulabandha
or Core Lift
1. Begin by either standing
up or lying on your back on the floor. If lying down, bend your
knees and place your feet on the floor, or bring your knees
up toward your chest and on hold onto them with your hands.
Inhale, and as you exhale,
contract your anal and genital region and lift up through your
perineal floor. Connect this lifting movement all the way through
your abdomen, through your diaphragm, and into your soft palate.
Inhale, release a sigh, and smile to yourself. Repeat a few
times.
The next step is to isolate
the perenial left and the lift that extends up through the core
of your body. So, inhale, and as you exhale, again lift the
pelvic floor in and up. Holding this lift, release all contraction
in the anal and genital regions. With the anal and genital regions
relaxed, maintain only the lift in the center of your perineum.
Continue this lift through your abdomen, through your diaphragm,
and into your soft palate. Breathe ujjayi and dirgha pranayama,
lift your sternum, and smile to yourself. Hold at your edge
of comfort.
2. Stand.
Place your thumb on your navel and your hand against your abdomen.
Your pinky should be touching your public bone. Place your other
hand behind you on your sacrum.
First, isolate the pelvis.
Rock it back and forth by first lifting the tail bone up and
tilting the pubic bone down, and then tilting the tail bone
down and pubic bone up. Then, release your hands to your sides.
Squeeze your tailbone and pubic bone together. As you do so,
you will feel a slight lift in the perineal floor and slight
contraction in the abdomen. The lift can be extended up through
the abdomen and to the sternum and soft palette. Relax the genitals
and anus while maintaining the gentle squeeze between the pubic
bone and tailbone. Relax and repeat several times until you
can engage the lift at will.
3.
Stand up and place a block
or small cushion between your thighs. Gently squeeze the cushion
and rotate your thighs outward a fraction of an inch. As you
do so, you will feel a slight lift in the perineal floor and
slight contraction in the abdomen. The lift can be extended
up through the abdomen and to the sternum and soft palette.
Relax the genitals and anus while maintaining the gentle squeeze
on the cushion. Relax a repeat several times until you can engage
the lift at will. Try it without the cushion.
Go
to Developing Core Strength Through Mulabandha
