Healing Practice
Mulabandha
Sanskrit: Mūlabandha
The "Root Lock" — a contraction of the pelvic floor the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes as redirecting the body's downward-moving vital air upward.
- Tradition
- Yogic Tradition
Introduction
Mula means root. Mulabandha is a contraction of the pelvic floor and perineal region. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes it as redirecting apana vayu — the body's downward-moving vital air — upward to unite with prana, supporting the rise of kundalini energy within the text's own subtle-body framework.
Mulabandha is commonly taught today alongside Uddiyana and Jalandhara bandhas as one of the three foundational locks (tri-bandha) used in both classical and contemporary pranayama practice, typically introduced gradually as part of structured breathing instruction.
Sources & References
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika — Svatmarama; trans. Pancham Sinh, The Panini Office (Sacred Books of the Hindus, vol. XV) (1914) · Link
Public domain. Classical c. 15th-century Sanskrit hatha yoga text; this early-20th-century English translation is the standard public-domain edition consulted for these entries.