Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha and Shatkarma
Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha and Shatkarma
This domain covers breath regulation and the Hatha cleansing practices that support it: types of pranayama, the bandhas, important mudras, the six shatkarmas, and their rules and contraindications.
Pranayama
- Prana (vital energy) + ayama (extension/regulation); the fourth limb of Ashtanga.
- Nadi Shodhana / Anulom Vilom - alternate nostril, balances the nervous system.
- Bhastrika - forceful bellows breathing, energising. Kapalabhati - sharp active exhalation, passive inhalation; classed as a shatkarma but also used as pranayama.
- Ujjayi - gentle glottal friction, warming and calming. Bhramari - humming, useful before sleep or exams.
- Sheetali / Sheetkari - cooling, taken through the mouth. Surya Bhedana - right nostril, heating.
- Kumbhaka is retention: antar (in) and bahya (out). Classical ratio 1:4:2; beginners avoid retention entirely.
- Rules: nose only (except cooling types), no strain, empty stomach, 5–10 rounds.
Bandhas and mudras
- Jalandhara (chin lock, throat/thyroid), Uddiyana (abdomen drawn in and up, digestion), Mula (pelvic floor). All three together = Maha Bandha.
- Hand mudras: Chin, Jnana, Anjali, Dhyana, Nasagra. Body mudras: Viparita Karani, Yoga Mudra, Maha Mudra, Shambhavi, Khechari, Ashwini.
Shatkarma
Six cleansing acts: Neti (jala, sutra), Dhauti, Nauli, Basti, Kapalabhati, Trataka - from the Hatha texts, taught only under supervision.
Worked example
A nervous student with high blood pressure asks for a pranayama. Reasoning: exclude Kapalabhati, Bhastrika and all retention, which stimulate and raise pressure. Choose slow Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari, about 5 minutes each.
Traps
- Calling Kapalabhati a bandha or a mudra.
- Swapping the Bhastrika and Kapalabhati descriptions.
- Defining pranayama as 'deep breathing' rather than regulation of breath.
- Forgetting contraindications: hypertension, hernia, epilepsy, pregnancy, recent surgery.