UÚÚÌYËNA BANDHA & NAULI KRIYË

U··¢y¡na bandha =d÷ÒªÉÉxÉ ¤ÉÆvÉ

UÚÚÌYËNA BANDHA IS PERFORMED WITH THE BREATH HELD OUTSIDE THE BODY.
WHILE SHUTTING OFF THE AIRWAY, A ‘MOCK INHALATION’ IS PERFORMED. THIS CREATES A
VACUUM AND THE ABDOMINAL WALL IS DRAWN IN AND UPWARDS.
• Stand with the legs hip width apart.
• Exhaling completely, bend the legs and place the hands on the thighs. Take most of the
weight of the body through the arms, keeping the elbows locked
• Take the chin down towards the chest, and close off the glottis so that no air can come into
the lungs
• Keeping the abdominal muscles relaxed, perform a mock inhalation, lifting the ribs as if
you are trying to inhale fully into the chest. This is Uddiyana bandha. Hold uddiyana for Picture taken from Bihar School
as long as you comfortably can. There must be no strain felt, no sense of running out of air. ofMudra
Yoga’s Asana Pranayama
bandha
• To come up, release the lock, allowing the abdominal wall to return to normal. Stand up slowly, lifting the
head last, and then inhale slowly and deeply. The inhalation must be controlled. If it is rushed or gasping,
then the bandha has been held beyond your capacity.
• Wait until the breath has returned to normal before performing the next round.
• Perform a total of seven rounds.

• Common mistakes in performing Uddiyana are: 1. Not exhaling completely. If there is air left in the lungs,
it is difficult to create teh internal vacuum. 2. Trying to engagae the abdominal muscles to draw them in and
up. In many exercises we actively draw the stomach muiscles in. In Uddiyana, they are completely passive.

Nauli kriy¡ xÉÉèÊ™ ÎGªÉÉ

• Only perform Nauli after you have perfected U··¢y¡na For those that have not yet, stay with
Uddiyana bandha. There are four stages to Nauli kriyā: Madhyama nauli, DakÀi¸a nauli,
V¡ma nauli, and ‘churning’.
• To perform Madhyama Nauli , first perform U··¢y¡na bandha.
• While U··¢y¡na is engaged, push the hands directly down into the thighs. This automatically
helps to isolate the two rectus abdominus muscles.
• Hold this position for as long as you feel comfortable. Return to Uddiyana bandha, release
Uddiyana, lift the head, then inhale slowly and smoothly.

• V¡ma means ‘left’ Madhyama nauli

• To perform V¡ma Nauli, first perform Uddiyana bandha.
• While U··¢y¡na is engaged, push the left hand only into the thigh. This will isolate only the
left rectus abdominus muscles.
• Hold this position for as long as you feel comfortable. Return to Uddiyana bandha, release
Uddiyana, lift the head, then inhale slowly and smoothly.

• DakÀi¸a means ‘right’

• To perform DakÀi¸a Nauli , first perform Uddiyana bandha.
• While U··¢y¡na is engaged, push the right hand only into the thigh. This will isolate only the
right rectus abdominus muscles.
• Hold this position for as long as you feel comfortable. Return to Uddiyana bandha, release
V¡ma nauli
 Uddiyana, lift the head, then inhale slowly and smoothly.

• To perform the churning movement, you must first be proficient at Madhyama, DakÀi¸a, and
V¡ma Nauli.
• First perform U··¢y¡na bandha. Then alternately perform first V¡ma then DakÀi¸a Nauli,
switching between the two rectus abdominus muscles.
• As you become used to the movement, start to make the transition more smoothly, rolling from
side to side.
• Return to U··¢y¡na, come up, and inhale.
• To complete one round, perform the movement again, this time starting with the right side, i.e.
DakÀi¸a Nauli.
• Initially, it will be necessary to wiggle the hips to become accustomed to the movement. Over DakÀi¸a nauli
time, muscular control will develop, and the movement can be performed while the body is still.
• Perform 4-6 rounds, according to your capacity. Over weeks and months, the number of rounds can be in-
creased. At no stage should you feel any strain in the breath or body whatsoever.

• For those having difficulty in isolating the rectus abdominus muscles, the following technique can be used to
help locate the muscles
• Lie on the back, bend both legs and place the soles of the feet on the floor. Keep the knees approximately
hip-width apart.
• Let the abdomen be completely passive. Dig the thumbs into the sides of the waist, between the lower ribs
and the top of the hip-bones. Keeping the thumbs in this position, and trying to keep the side muscles at
this point relaxed and soft, lift the head and shoulders just off the floor. The rectus abdominus muscles will
contract to perform this action.
• With the fingers, feel the ‘ridge’ of muscle that has been activated, and how it has protruded out from the
body. This is the action that you are trying to achieve in Madhyama nauli.

• Nauli kriyā is a powerful exercise, increasing abdominopelvic energy, boosting digestion, and improv-
ing overall energy at different levels of the body’s functioning. It should not be attempted by those who
have abdominal ailments such as ulcers or hernia, or anybody who is recovering from abdominal trauma or
surgery (in the last 12 months). When increasing your number of rounds or duration, move gradually. Take
your time, there is a lifetime of benefits awaiting those who practise with patience and care.