The Subtle Body by Tias Little

THE PELVIC FLOOR - The House Of The Reptilian Force

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One of the primary aims of practicing yoga is to encourage blood flow into the hips and pelvis,
Alternately saturating, flushing, and rinsing the structures within the pelvic bowl and lower spine.
One of the primary effects of a hip opener is vasodilation, which allows blood, lymph, and cellular fluid to bathe and nourish the tissues.
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The pelvis skull as an house holding an intelligence
Where the pelvis tapers at its base, it forms a partial sphere that in many ways mirrors the shape of the cranium.
So it is possible to imagine that we have two skulls,the cranium at the top of the spine, which is a nearly completely closed orb, and the pelvis at the base, which is enclosed on its sides but open at its superior and inferior ends.
The spiralic shapes in and around the pelvis contribute to the serpentine flow of the kuṇḍalinī force.
In yoga, this intelligence is far below the machinations of the rational brain, concentrated in the instinctual power of the kuṇḍalinī.
It is by unblocking the rigidity and congestion in the first chakra, the mūlādhāra chakra, that the sublime channels within the subtle body can flow without obstruction.
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Mūlādhāra chakra holding the potential for growth
The ancient yogis likened the body to a plant and the stabilizing structures of the tailbone and sacrum to roots.
In the esoteric imagination of kuṇḍalinī yoga, the first chakra (mūlādhāra) is burrowed under the earth and resembles an underground bulb called a kanda. Embedded in darkness, the bioenergetics of the first chakra lie latent and unexpressed.
Thus, the first chakra is of the earth, inseparable from it, and holds potential for growth.
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Awakening the reptilian force
The force of the mūlādhāra get dramatized in dreams as oceans, waterborne reptiles, dark forests, underwater caves, wells, catacombs, basements, and more. Reflexes within the overarching ego attempt to control the power of the unconscious and defend itself from forces within the underworld.
It wishes to keep the force of kuṇḍalinī concealed, inert, and incapacitated.
Yogis look to do just the opposite.They aim to awaken or animate the reptilian force.
This process is extremely difficult since the egoic self tenaciously adheres to its presumed position of authority and control.
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Sublimating the sexual current
One of the classical aims of mūla bandha for yogic practitioners (primarily men) was to sublimate the sexual current and direct its current inward.
This enabled monks and sadhus to convert the potent biological force situated in the pelvis into the breath of spirit located in the heart.
For men, anatomically controlling the anterior perineal triangle is linked to ejaculation control, an ability that is regarded in both Taoist and yoga practice to be the key to overall vitality.
Ojas refers to semen in the male body and the ovum in the female body, and their cyclical movements that are governed by hormonal rhythms within the brain.
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Generating bilateral symmetry into the hips
The hip sockets may assume different personalities, right to left, due to trauma, genetics, repetitive strain, short-legged syndrome, or postural traits whereby one leg assumes the burden of weight more than the other. When the hip joints are uneven,it is comparable to an automobile with poor alignment and can cause the entire physical structure to veer or pull to one side. Need to encourage students to discern which of their hip joints has more or less give.
Standing poses like trikoṇāsana (triangle pose), pārśvakoṇāsana (flank pose), and vīrabhadrāsana I and II (warrior pose I and II) help to generate bilateral symmetry in the hip sockets.
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Building sturdiness and bone density
Building greater bone density by bearing weight through the bones and increasing absorption of calcium into the bones.
One-legged balancing poses such as vṛkṣāsana (tree pose) and ardha chandrāsana (half moon pose) are especially helpful in aligning and building sturdiness in the weight-bearing hip joint.
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Density in the bones equated with the body’s quintessential life spirit.
Physiologically, the marrow of the long bones of the femurs and the marrow of the ilia (hip bones) are critical production sites for red blood cells in the body (especially in the growing years).Over the course of history in certain tantric rituals of India and Tibet, the ancestral femur bone is prized as a relic and is charged with spiritual power.
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Opening the inside of the leg
After stretching and opening the extrinsic musculature along the outer leg and hip
the yogi aims to stretch and strengthen the intrinsic musculature along the inner leg and hip.
building length and strength in the adductor muscles of the legs (the inner groins) and the all-important iliopsoas muscle.
This serves to improve the flow of blood and nerve impulses that travel between the hip and leg.
increase the circulation of blood and lymph and improve neurological flow through the pelvis, down the leg, and into the foot.
Poses that passively restore the inner leg such as supta baddha koṇāsana (reclined bound angle pose),
supta pādāṅguṣṭāsana (reclining big toe pose), and a variation of viparīta karanī (legs-up-the-wall pose) with legs set in baddha koṇāsana, are therapeutic as they open the nāḍīs that transit down the inner thigh.
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Inner legs as rivers of blood, lymph and nerves to abdominal organs
Passive opening of the inner leg also acts as a tonic for the yin meridians in traditional Chinese medicine that course along the inner thigh, namely the liver, kidney, and spleen channels. Inner rivers of blood, lymph, and nerve emerge from deep within the abdomen, course alongside the navel, and dive downward through the interior pelvis. Exiting the pelvis, they transit through the upper groins, and tunnel down the inside channel of the leg as the femoral arteries, veins, and nerves.
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The iliac nerve, artery, and vein are carefully cached and protected
The inside leg and pelvis are much different from the exterior hip and leg.
The iliac nerve, artery, and vein are carefully cached and protected by the walls of the ilia;
they are lifelines, transporting nerve signals and blood to the leg.
If the iliac and femoral arteries were positioned on the lateral hip or leg, they would be vulnerable to rupture—should one of these blood lines be severed, you would bleed to death within minutes.
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The Sitting bones as the Pelvis Heels
The sitting bones are called ischial tuberosities.
It is easy to imagine that the sitting bones are cousins to the heels in terms of form and function.
Just as the heel of the foot supports the weight of the leg, the heel of the sitting bone supports the weight of the spine and pelvis.
Both are spherical, heavy, and rigid. They both make contact with a supporting surface—the heels to the floor in standing, the sitting bones to the cushion or mat when seated—and so are crucial points of reference for assessing how weight gets distributed side to side.
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Sitting evenly between both sitting bones
If one side of the pelvis bears more weight when sitting, then the entire pelvis and spine may pitch to the side
Check your posture now to see whether you are leaning more onto one sitting bone and research whether you chronically tip onto one buttock bone when sitting. It is common when sitting at work or eating dinner for the weight of the body to routinely teeter to one side.
It is key to visualize samasthiti (even standing) in the sitting bones and then to generate equal balance on both sides of the pelvis.
The seated pose daṇḍāsana (staff pose) is the samasthiti of the seated poses as it helps to orient and balance the two sides of the body.
When seated, it is helpful to ask:
Where is the weight on my sitting bones?
Am I resting on the back edge or front edge of the buttock bones?
Am I on the inner or outer edge of my sitting bone?
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The three-dimensional curl of the ilia as a skull
Like a railroad switchyard, where train tracks converge onto a multidirectional hub that pivots, the curve of each ilium enables a broad range of motion in the leg, hip socket, and side waist.
Contributing to this range of motion, muscle fibers on the outside pelvis, such as the gluteus medius muscle, twirl and flare.
The soaring arches of the ilia form a chute that funnels down to the pelvic basin at the tip of the tail bone.
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Anchoring the femur in the hip socket
The design of the uppermost femur is unique to bipeds, for the thighbone achieves virtually a right angle at its proximal end, where it angles into the hip socket. To stabilize and secure the ball and socket complex of the hip, we need to anchor the head of the femur firmly in the hip socket.
This securing of the femoral heads generates stability for the entire pelvis and spine.
Like the way a vice fastens a structure between its jaws, the spherical head of the femur is pinned to the hip joint.
Movement in the hip sockets, tailbone, and pelvic floor allow for muscular and neuro-vascular flow between the legs, trunk, and cranium.
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Piriformis attaching the sacrum with the femur
The word piriformis stems from the Latin pirum, meaning “pear,” and forma, meaning “shape.”
Thus, the muscle is wide, like the belly of a pear and narrow at this end.
It attaches to the sacrum with the trochanter of the femur.
It is an inside-out muscle, for its broad end attaches intrinsically to the anterior sacrum, while its narrower end attaches laterally to the greater trochanter of the femur. When the piriformis muscle is constricted, it may yank the sacrum out of center and thus contribute to sacroiliac dysfunction.
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Stretching the Piriformis muscle to relieve sciatic pain
The piriformis muscle is usually complicit when there is sciatic pain, for the sciatic nerve transits directly underneath the piriformis muscle.
Nerve entrapment of the sciatic nerve is linked to piriformis syndrome,
which can cause pain in the low back, groin, perineum, buttock, hip, posterior thigh and leg, foot, and, during defecation, in the rectum.
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Metaphor. Pressing the nectar out of the hips
We can imagine the flow of an inebriating libation through the body to be like the flow of ambrosia or nectar.
When the hip capsules are both supple and stable and you can revolve your hips in profound hip-opening āsana, the nāḍīs are pressed and a divine nectar, referred to as amṛta, is thought to flow.
In the pelvis, when the ball of the femur in the hip joint swivels and turns, it helps propel the life-sustaining inner fluids.
In the way that winemakers press grapes in order to make wine, poses such as padmāsana (lotus pose), gomukhāsana (cow pose), and kandāsana (pose of the bulbous root) are positions that serve to press the nectar in and around the hips and prompt effervescent pulsations within the spine.
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Hip Joint with too much play or mobility can be problematic
For people who have been athletic—runners, soccer players, and hikers—accumulated compression frequently amasses in their hip joint muscle and ligaments.
The buttock muscles are prone to hypertonicity, so most hip openers in yoga aim to lengthen and broaden the abductor muscles that serve to externally rotate the leg.
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The Perineum Diaphragm
As we have seen, the plantar fascia, the thick fibrous webbing on the sole of the foot, is the first diaphragm;
the pelvic diaphragm is the second. The perineum is shaped like a diamond, with the anterior triangle housing the genitalia and the posterior triangle surrounding the anus.
The perineum is a receptacle for strain and repressed tension
When the body and mind are perceived to be under threat and there is gnawing or acute fear, the soft tissues of the perineum clamp in defensive reflex.
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Toning and strengthening the pelvic diaphgram
A protocol for postnatal yoga includes the harmonious coordination of mūla bandha and uḍḍīyāna bandha,
in order to gently lift the pelvic organs and engage the pelvic floor muscles.
Kegel exercises, which are similar to mūla bandha, are valuable prenatally and postnatally to tone, strengthen, and maintain pliability of the musculature within the pelvic diaphragm.
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To be fully human means to be balanced between heaven and earth
In traditional Chinese medicine there are two central meridians that travel between the pelvic floor and the skull,the Conception Vessel (Ren mai) and the Governing Vessel (Du mai).
The Conception Vessel is the yin channel, oriented on the front body, while the yang channel, the Governing Vessel, extends up the back of the body.
Both of these meridians have their source in the mūlādhāra chakra, the root of the body, within the pelvic floor.
At the top of the spine they come together in the upper palate. The connection of the two meridians, from the center of the pelvic floor to the mid-palate, is known as the Microcosmic Orbit.
In the Taoist tradition, the Conception and Governing Vessels link opposite yet complementary forces—Heaven and Earth, midday and midnight, the dynamic and the receptive, and male and female.
Taoist practice it is essential to descend the breath into the sea of vitality at the depth of the spine (the lower dan tian) between the navel and the pelvic floor. Circulating the prāṇa in and through the pelvis enlivens the meridian pathways that link upward to the skull.
In Taoist practice, to be fully human means to balance between heaven (at the top of the skull) and earth (at the pelvic diaphragm).
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Three main knots or psychic seals to be broken
the body, along the “stalk” of the spine beginning at the base, there are three main knots or psychic seals to be broken or decoded:
the Brahma granthi at the spinal base, the Vishnu granthi at the heart, and the Śiva granthi between the eyebrows.
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Metaphor. The Turtle supporting the world and retracting its limbs
Like the pelvis that supports the spine, the turtle supports the primeval mountain, Mount Meru on its back, the world’s central axis. Thus, the figure of the turtle is integral to the first chakra, the mūlādhāra. Cosmologically, its steadfast presence upholds all of creation.
is interesting to note that in Native American folklore, especially in various Northeastern tribes such as the Iroquois and Algonquin, the turtle plays a similar role in mythology as the bearer of the North American landmass.
The turtle (kūrma) has a unique capacity to retract its limbs and its head.
For the yogi, this remarkable achievement symbolizes a concentration of both mental and physical energies away from worldly endeavors.
Gītā, Kṛṣṇa counsels the warrior Arjuna on the battlefield, “When one completely withdraws the sensory organs from outside stimuli, just as a tortoise pulls its limbs into its shell, one becomes established in wisdom.
Introversion is a means not only to safeguard the precious life-force but to fortify the mind and make it one-pointed.
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Metaphor. “The Churning of the Ocean of Milk,”
The snake and turtle are prominently featured in Hindu creation myths, particularly in the story of “The Churning of the Ocean of Milk,” one of the most provocative and delightful story
The story goes something like this: according to legend, the world is motionless, in a deep sleep (yoga nidrā) and nothing stirs.
There is no life, no pulse, no wind, no prāṇa. At the bottom of this vast sea, the kūrma resides, supporting everything.
It has mounted on its back the first landmass, Mount Meru, rising straight up in the water like a cosmic spinal column, the Śiva linga, the procreative staff of life. A magnificent snake is coiled around the base of the mountain like a giant cord. Yet nothing stirs, there is no movement of life until the gods and demons, oppositional forces of good and evil, life and death, partake in a cosmic tug of war.
The gods take one end of the serpent and the demons take hold of the other end and they pull, with great enduring vigor.
As they compete, the serpent, coiled around the mountain, begins to revolve (conjuring the awakening of kuṇḍalinī), and all of life is generated from the ripples and fluctuations caused by its spin.
This myth is reminiscent of the chore of churning milk into butter via a blender-like apparatus, a daily task in Indian village life for centuries.
This churning represents alchemical shifts, both physiological and spiritual, that take place through yogic tapas.
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As Marcel Proust wrote, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but seeing with new eyes.”
The greatest danger in yoga, that by necessity involves routine, is becoming mechanical and regimented.
endless process of discovery and surprise
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THE BELLY BRAIN-The Third Chakra, the Hidden Power

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The abdomen is the furnace of the body, a source of scintillating energy
The abdomen is the source of tapas, digestive fire and yogic fire.
the plexus of personal power.Source of command, influence, and self-will.
Underneath the hood of the diaphragm, combustion occurs via an admixture of organs and glands.
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The Vulnerable Belly
For animals to expose any part of their front is to make the organism vulnerable to the risk of attack.
With its belly oriented toward the ground, an animal safeguards its guts—its life-sustaining third chakra—at all costs.
In all vertebrates, the processes of the spine jut backward in order to fortify and protect the organs and central life-supporting blood vessels.
The dorsal (back) shields the ventral (front), never the reverse.
Homo sapiens, however, have evolved to an upright and vertical stance. While critical for the evolution of our brain,
the unique and precarious bipedal posture exposes the entire front side of our body rendering us vulnerable to any oncoming
Segments of our ventral side have rigid bony surfaces: the pubis protects the pelvis, the sternum and ribs protect the heart and lungs,
the mandible and facial bones protect the sensory organs, and the frontal bone of the skull protects the brain.
However, the throat and belly are exposed, their spongy surfaces left naked and defenseless.
These two gaps in our structural armor—the belly and the throat—spawn feelings of helplessness, both physically and mentally.
It is ironic that the vulnerable belly is the very source for personal power, a power that is centered in the solar plexus.
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The Palace of Jewels
The word ma?ipura in Sanskrit literally translates as the “place of many riches” or “palace of jewels.”
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The Ram as the animal Totem
Invested with a raw, driving muscular force, the ram is the epitome of core strength.
Willful, stubborn, and equipped with a capacity for relentless exertion, the ram in the abdomen represents the force of the will.
The drive of the human will is equally tenacious, and the force and determination it shows are astounding.
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Newborns coming to standing from the navel
When first learning to stand and waddle around, the toddler begins to express a sense of control and self-mastery.
As the child learns to walk across the floor, powerful kinesthetic urges relating to self-governance in the third chakra are made manifest.
Concurrent with these physiological and structural changes, the egoic self (aha?kara) undergoes an elaborate and complex process of construction.
The word aham refers to “I,” and kara means “to do.” Selfhood, or the “self-doer,” arises in part from impulse-driven, initiating centers in the body located below the diaphragm.
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Manipur chakra governing our libidinal drive
Much of the motivating force within the third chakra is libidinal.
Adrenal glands in the upper abdomen oversee the production of sex hormones in both men and women.
In terms of sexual function, the lower two chakras are the implementers of the libidinal drive,
whereas the third chakra is the biochemical brain that governs sexual behavior.
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The adrenal governing our survival impulses, flight or fight
In the back of the solar plexus are two glands, each no larger than a super ball, that have considerable sway over the body’s biological rhythms.
The adrenal glands, part of the hormonal system, are where instinctual impulses relating to survival get carried out.
They are superconductors of biological energy, relaying high-speed signals throughout the body to take action.
The adrenals are the brain of the lower three chakras, whose intelligence is calibrated to reproduce, defend, and ensure survival.
If you have ever experienced real fear, then you can surely recall the feeling of constriction in your upper solar plexus,just below your respiratory diaphragm. Any experience of fear activated by the adrenal glands can cause this area to clench, for the body’s innate response to threat is to protect its vital organs, including the soft-bodied abdominal viscera.
The glandular secretions of the adrenals accelerate the sympathetic nervous system, a branch of the autonomic nervous system along the thoracic and lumbar spine that governs states of arousal
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The Adrenals and the Spiritual Warrior
Overwhelmed by fear, Arjuna’s nerve endings, his breathing, circulation, and posture are plagued by tension.
A surge of biochemical secretions from the adrenal complex prompts him to lose touch with himself, an experience common in the dissociating stage of trauma, which is why he at last proclaims, “I am unable to remain as I am.”
Like Arjuna confronted with battle, gut-level responses in the body can be ungovernable, overwhelming, or paralyzing.
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Disrupt and redirect the physiological potency of the adrenal pulse
For centuries, one of the primary objectives of a yogi has been to disrupt and redirect the physiological potency of the adrenal pulse that imparts such dramatic changes on the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems.
In traditional yoga practices, numerous disciplines and techniques are used to monitor, arrest, or snuff out the biological spark that initiates from the third chakra.
the yogi does not regulate the adrenal charge through both physical and psychological means and direct it toward altruistic and spiritual activities,
then he or she is at the whim of instinctual and impulsive drives.
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Taming the Adrenals Glands with Tapas
In yoga training, the foremost means to mollify the might of the adrenal surge is to not commit harm, either to oneself or to others.
Abstaining from sexual activity, practicing vegetarianism, chanting the name of God 108 times, retaining the breath, retracting sensory awareness,
and performing rigorous asana are all ways to curb the flames of the adrenal fires.
Along with physical tapas, mindful regulation of thought, action, and behavior helps check levels of arousal leading to states of anger, aggression, animosity, competitiveness, and so on.
Another way to tame the adrenals is through the use of intoxicants.
Fasting is a powerful way to sublimate the surge of adrenaline as it shuts down the body’s process of synthesizing food and thereby alters physical and mental energy.
“There can be no room for selfishness, anger, lack of faith, or impatience in a pure fast,” Gandhi once wrote.
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Fire and…


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The kidneys, which are each approximately the size of your closed fist, are sheltered underneath the floating ribs at the back of the abdominal cavity.
The kidneys are immediately below the…
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Their position in midtrunk suggests their central role in governing the body’s overall…
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While the adrenal glands oversee the body’s capacity for sudden and immediate response in spurts of energy, the kidneys are the storehouse…
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In light of the subtle body and the elements, it is remarkable that the adrenals and the kidneys are paired, for the adrenals are like spark plugs and are related to fire, while…
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The body is perpetually seeking to regulate the effects of…
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This requires reconciling states of exertion needing the production of heat with states of rest…
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Within the yoga tradition, the mixture of fire and water holds an alchemical charge, one that…
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fire (agni) is personified as the deity who has the capacity to…
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Agni is ritual fire, the recipient of sacrifice; through its powers of combustion it alters…
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However, the waters (soma) associated with the kidneys are celebrated for their capacity to heal,…
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Just as agni is heat and correlates with the sun, soma is cool and…
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Soma nourishes and provides longevity in the way that the kidneys fortify and…
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filtering, regulating, and storing blood, the kidneys are reservoirs for the chi…
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Together they yield the very…
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Kidney…
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the kidneys are like reservoirs that store the life-sustaining…
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The fact that they are so deeply recessed and protected speaks to their role as storehouse of the essential fluid in the…
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In traditional Chinese medicine, the kidney and adrenal matrix govern both the body’s active (yang) force…
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In TCM, the kidneys are the transformers of the body. They govern reproductive function, growth, and development while assisting in the…
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Traditional Chinese medicine asserts that the kidneys store the prenatal chi, the fundamental constitutional makeup we inherit from our parents that is…
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We could think of the kidneys as blueprints for…
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In qigong and yoga practice, vitality is first drawn upward through the feet by activating the arches and making…
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the kidney meridian, called the Bubbler or Spring of Life, travels from the Kidney 1 point on the sole of the foot along the sacred channel of the inner ankle, knee, and thigh before…
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the demands of a career, mortgage, money, family, projects, and travel all take from the kidney essence. In America we are the consumer society, and this…
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Stress and depletion of the kidney essence compromise neuroimmunity, digestion, sleep patterns, lymph drainage, muscle…
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yoga poses target the kidneys in unique and specific ways. Generally, a regular yoga practice aids in keeping the lumbar region pliable and hydrated. For instance, suryanamaskara (sun salutation) alternately…
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Revolved poses such as maricyasana III and ardha matsyendrasana (lord of the fishes pose) help to maintain proper circulation of blood…
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Structurally, the kidneys impact respiratory rhythm, as the kidneys directly attach to the subsurface of the diaphragm by a membranous sheathing (fig. 4.1). Should the kidneys and surrounding fascia become constricted,…
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A vinyasa yoga sequence that imparts a pumping effect on the lumbar spine (via spinal undulations or cat-cow movement, for example) helps…
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The Iliopsoas Muscles: Flying Buttresses
Most anatomists and movement specialists agree that the iliopsoas muscles are the most intrinsic muscles in the body.
They are intermediaries between legs and trunk and provide pivotal, core support.
The iliopsoas muscles provide core support not only due to their central location in the body but also due to their critical role in our upright bipedal posture.
The strongest hip flexor in the body, the iliopsoas begins in the inside leg, spans the hip, and fastens to the framework of the lumbar spine.
Without the vertical extension of the iliopsoas muscles and the lumbar vertebrae to which they adhere, we might still be low to the ground sniffing around in search of an evening meal, our hindquarters partially coiled in preparation for fight or flight.
One of the key myofascial connections in the body, the uppermost fibers of psoas major interweave with the fibers of the respiratory diaphragm
This has real importance for breathing, for if the psoas muscles are taut, free motion of the diaphragm may be impaired.
When the psoas muscles are lengthened, especially in backbends that involve spinal extension, the fibers of the diaphragm are stretched and one can breathe more deeply.
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Unilateral psoas can contribute to Scoliotic Curvature
For ideal efficiency and balance, both psoas muscles should be equal in length and strength.
Because the iliopsoas attaches to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae, unilateral psoas strain will often contribute to scoliosis.
In the language of yoga, we could say that the right and left iliopsoas are not typically in samasthiti, meaning the tension in one iliopsoas muscle is typically greater than the other.
One psoas may be shorter, rotated, torqued, twisted, or riddled with adhesions.
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Unilateral psoas mainly coming from leg dominance
Asymmetrical patterns in the psoas may be due to a history of trauma such as a leg break, a blow to the trunk or pelvis,
or a seemingly remote and irrelevant injury such as an ankle sprain or foot injury.
Frequently, lopsided psoas occurs as the result of leg dominance.
In the way that people are dominant with one hand, people typically rely predominantly on one leg for support, stability, and power.
In short, the iliopsoas is susceptible to torsion of all kinds, and unilateral strain in the psoas will impact the position of the shoulder girdle and skull.
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Myofascial connectivity between the pelvis and diapghram
A fascial sleeve runs continuously from the pelvic floor along the front of the lumbar spine and up to the diaphragm.
This sleeve involves the perineum, the anterior longitudinal ligament, and the deep fibers of the psoas muscle.
This is valuable to keep in mind in light of the actions of mula and u??iyana bandhas.
It suggests that these two bandhas and the pelvic and respiratory diaphragms have myofascial continuity.
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Freeing the Bird of Prana ; Uddiyana Bandha or how to “tame” prana.
When the pra?a is yoked, it serves the higher purpose of yoga, the liberation of the human spirit.
The word bandha (etymologically related to the English word bind) suggests the act of capturing, tethering, tying, or harnessing.
It implies a catch that must ultimately include release.
Physiologically the aim of the bandhas is to open and release the breathing mechanism and to promote proper metabolic flow through the adjoining organs, glands, and vessels.
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The Flying Bandha
U??iyana bandha is called the “flying bandha” due to the way the umbilicus area swoops backward against the spine and upward toward the respiratory diaphragm.
U??iyana bandha is exemplified not only by a hovering hawk but by other animals that exhibit the power of upward surge.
In the abdomen, the rush of u??iyana bandha causes the organs, nerves, blood vessels, and glands to be pulled upward toward the underside of the diaphragm.
In a practical sense, why might it be valuable to perform this kind of movement?
Within our sedentary culture, applying a mechanical force that will counter the downward drag of the body’s interior is a good idea.
All bodies are prone to collapse as they age, because gravity causes the structures of the body to slide downward toward the pelvic floor.
In the abdomen, this drag can mean drooping intestines, prolapsed kidneys, and compression of the lumbar spine.
The pull of u??iyana bandha is a direct means to hoist the abdominal organs and vault them upward away from the pelvic floor
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Fire and the Right Side of the Body
This is the fire channel that incorporates the logic-making left brain (as the left brain commands the right side of the body), right-handedness, and the multitasking liver.


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The right side generates heat…
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Given that we are a high-octane society, a culture bent on work and production, the right border of the spine and the adjoining organs and musculature…
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Specific practices in yoga and qigong aim to repair…
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For instance, the pra?ayama breath called surya bhedana (literally “the solar division”) involves isolating the flow of breath through the right nostril. This breath…
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Another way to nourish a depleted right side, during meditation, is to envelop the entire right side of the torso in pra?a, from the…
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PRACTICE Assessing Spinal…
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This exercise helps to assess movement within the psoas and to determine which side of the spine…
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Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your…
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Take several minutes to allow the weight of your bones to drop into the floor and…
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Before moving, scan down the right side of your spine from your neck to your pelvis, then do…
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Can you detect any pull or shortening…
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Without lifting your leg, push out through your right heel, and slide the right side of your pelvis down and away from your spine as you did in the “Moving from…
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Slowly repeat this movement on the left side and continue by alternating legs…
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Notice how the exercise resembles the motion…
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Observe the sidebend movement of your lumbar spine and sense whether you have greater…
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The restricted side is typically the side of the…
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Now raise your arms alongside your ears so that they are bent and in a goalpost…
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Then, as you slide your right leg away from your hip along the floor, simultaneously slide your right arm…
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Be sure to do the movement on…
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As you do this, notice how your lumbar and midspine sidebend…
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Continue slowly alternating side to side six to seven times and note how your spinal movements resemble…
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Sense and feel the length of your psoas and compare your two sides. You may be able to detect that one psoas is…
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Notice if one side of your spine presents more of a barrier to movement than your other side. This may indicate the…
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Gut Distress and the…
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As we have seen, the three lower chakras relate to innate biological drives…
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Additionally, in the face of emotional upheaval, the powerful effects of the fight-or-flight response trigger cascading…
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A sense of malaise in the gut involves the long,…
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Part of the autonomic nervous system, this nerve is by far the most wide-ranging cranial nerve, as it enervates…
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In order to reduce levels of stress, the parasympathetic arm of the vagus nerve keeps the artillery of the sympathetic nerves,…
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When the parasympathetic nervous system is overwhelmed, trapped emotions such as grief, fear, and helplessness…
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The organs are soft bodied and covered only by…
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When the body is under threat, constriction may lodge in the stomach, liver,…
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the organs in the gut (as well as the heart, lungs, and brain) have porous, highly…
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This absorptive capacity leaves the organs vulnerable in the…
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When there is emotional trauma, the organs are prone to dysfunction of various kinds: numbness, freezing, or spasmodic rigidity can result in states of irritibility,…
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In the face of trauma, when people are cut off from their gut sense, they become divorced from the…
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To foster greater emotional intelligence, it is necessary to open pathways of…
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One of the ways we do this is by gently mobilizing the body through rocking, gliding,…
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This helps to stimulate the parasympathetic branch of…
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Generally, when a movement regime is coupled with mindfulness-based practices that help track emotions in the body, it is possible to “wake up” areas that have been desensitized.
Dietary regulation, mindful breathing, metta practices (heart-centered meditations on loving-kindness), visualization, and postures (especially twists) help foster greater awareness in the gut.
Another method to heal the internal organs, used by qigong and yoga practitioners alike, is to direct sound and vibration into individual organs.
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Visceral Manipulation
The fascial compartments that surround and delineate the organ structures may compress, torque, or swell, and fibrotic tissue can amass in and around the viscera.
Techniques such as nauli and u??iyana bandha help to break up adhesions within these connective tissues and aid in the irrigation of blood and lymph throughout the abdomal cavities.
The effects of u??iyana bandha may best be observed in the liver.
The role of the liver is immense and varied. It stores blood, forms plasma and proteins, metabolizes and stores nutrients, generates bile, and breaks down toxins.
When the liver is sluggish, circulatory rhythms throughout the body are adversely affected, reducing ones pra?ic capacity.
U??iyana bandha works like a partial liver flush, as the muscular movement of the iliopsoas prompts a surge of blood through the hepatic portal vein into the liver, boosting the overall circulation of blood and lymph through the liver
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Food, Nourishment, and the Intestinal Folds
The gastrointestinal tract is approximately twenty-three feet (seven meters) in length,
and it is compressed into an area the size of a twelve-inch mixing bowl.
If you were to cut open the intestine and reveal its entire internal surface, that surface would be approximately as wide as a tennis court
This extensive square footage suggests the importance of the intestine’s role in maximizing the extraction of nutrients from the food we eat.
The multiple folds within the alimentary canal enable the body to absorb the vital life-force, or pra?a, encoded within the food.
is through the assimilation of food that we build our blood, and blood is the primary carrier of oxygen and pra?a.
Without proper assimilation of nutritive matter from food into the bloodstream, the body cannot build its tissues.
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In Ayurvedic theory, the blood is formed from rasa, a semiliquid substance that is prepared in the digestive tract.
Rasa is responsible for building muscle tissue, bone, fat, and marrow.
Building the food sheath through a balanced diet combined with good digestive capacity within the gastrointestinal tract is one of the primary means to fortify and heal the body.
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The Belly Brain and the Cranial Brain
So far, we have examined the remarkable ways in which certain regions of the body mirror each other.
This holds true for two critical bodily centers that play a role in the ingestion, assimilation, and processing of information—the belly brain and the cranial brain.
The third chakra, the belly chakra, and the sixth chakra, the cerebral chakra, share similarity in form and function
The two brains are similar in that they are designed to absorb the maximum amount of information possible—the cranial brain registering perceptions, thoughts, memories,
and emotions, and the belly brain soaking up nutritional input from food.
The two brains undergo similar processes; they sift through, break down, and identify what can be used and what should be discarded.
This process of identification and discrimination is critical for digesting the circumstances of a lifetime and for generating a sense of self.
Both brains have a capacity to recognize and remember a wide array of information.
is safe to say that the two brains can be easily overwhelmed.
When the brain is overwhelmed with information, it becomes blurry or fragmented.
In the same way, strong feelings can besiege the gut leading to feelings of confusion and disorientation.
When we are inundated by complex emotion, we experience feelings that are “too difficult to stomach”; symptoms may include nausea, indigestion, bloating, loss of appetite, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and light-headedness.
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Digestion and the Primitive Worm
The digestive system is possibly the oldest system in the human body, predating the more sophisticated neurological, immunological, and hormonal systems.
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Personality and the Ecology of the Gut
Each of us is host to an entire parade of intestinal bacteria, such that billions of microbes inhabit our gut.
Intestinal bacteria sift through, regulate, and catabolize the food we eat.
The ecology of the gut is such an integral part of us that not only does it contribute to digestive function but it has real sway over the subtle body, affecting mood,
In the way that every single person is unique, the characteristic flora within our gut shapes who we are.
Our temperamental disposition, our personality, and even our thinking are influenced by the microbial environment within our intestinal folds.
Yogis aim to create a harmonious environment within their gut via relaxation techniques, mindful eating, and supplemental probiotics.
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The Intuitive Gut
What is unique and often overlooked is the abdominal brain’s capacity to feel.
plays a significant role in sorting through thoughts, moods, perceptions, and emotions.
The belly is a primary resource for intuition, processing information below or outside the radar of the cognitive mind.
The English word intuition stems from the Latin root intueri, meaning to reflect on or contemplate.
When we use our intuition, we reflect on that which we cannot see.
The belly brain, called the enteric nervous system, has the capacity to process independently of the cranial brain.
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The enteric nervous system is thus not a slave of the brain but a contrarian, independent spirit….
It is a rebel, the only element of the peripheral nervous system that can elect not to do the bidding of the brain or spinal cord.
In many regards, we are only vaguely aware of the intelligence of the belly brain.
Through deep, internal listening and by exploring the threshold places—between inhalation and exhalation, night and day, sun and moon, real and imaginary—we connect to a sense of intuition.
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The Dan Tian
Midway between the navel and the pelvic floor is a gravitational center called the dan tian.
In Taoist practices and in the martial arts, the dan tian is a reservoir of chi and a source of vitality.
Anatomically, the dan tian is located along the embankment of the inner pelvis, at the lower end of the iliopsoas complex.
The Chinese expression dan tian refers to a “field” (tian) of “fluid vitality” (dan) that dwells like an underground lake at the base of the spine.
In the depth of meditation, awareness should descend into the basin of the belly in the way that mist settles over a valley.
This downward settling is complemented by opening in the third lumbar vertebra (L3) called the Gate of Life (in Chinese, ming men).
The Gate of Life is an acupressure point in TCM that supports the kidney essence and is integral to the body’s defensive chi.
It also enables one to remain grounded in the face of adversity.
“nothing can knock you off the center of your day.”
that demonstrates the value of a low center of gravity.
I call it the “lowrider asana,” and it suggests the value of rooting down, keeping a low center of gravity, and moving slowly.
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The Navel Chakra
The navel plays such an esteemed role in the body.
Not only is it the link to the vital breath—the blood—that comes from the mother but it is located near the gravitational center of our being.
In yoga, the navel is considered to be its own chakra, called the nabhi chakra, another name for ma?ipura chakra.
This verse (Patanjali on the Nabhi) suggests that the navel is the hub, the spiritual pivot of the body, and like a flash drive, contains knowledge of the body’s internal systems.
It is valuable to reflect on the idea that all movement originates in the navel. Newbornrs started to walk from the navel.
compares the navel to the center point of a starfish, whose limbs extend outward from its primary center.
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PRACTICE Sensing Your Belly
In the prone position, you will notice how your entire belly can disengage from muscular tension
Lie on your belly in savasana and center your head by resting your forehead on the back of one hand as you stack one hand on top of the other.
Begin with your toes turned under onto the floor as in the broken-toe pose variation of vajrasana (thunderbolt pose).
Push out through your heels to lengthen the backs of your legs.
Slowly then extend your feet so that the tops lay on the floor. Align the center of your forehead with the center of your pelvis.
Allow the weight of your abdomen to descend into the floor.
a parachute that has come down from the sky, notice the way your belly drops and widens.
Feel the movement of your respiratory diaphragm as the weight of your lower ribs makes contact with the floor.
Sense and feel every part of your chest and belly, as you breathe against the floor.
Observe how your diaphragm and the organs below your diaphragm spread laterally.
Then pin your pubic bone to the floor and lengthen the skin below your navel toward your chin.
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PRACTICE Preparing for U??iyana Bandha
Stand with your feet several inches wider than hip-width apart and ground the center of your heels to the floor.
Activate your toes, plantar fascia, and arches as described in chapter 1.
Draw in a full inhalation; with the exhalation, bend your knees and place your hands on top of your lower thighs just above your knees (see fig. 4.3).
Lean your trunk forward and at the same time elongate your side waist.
Set your hands so your thumbs point toward your inner thighs.
Straighten your arms so that your shoulders hike up toward your ears (a shoulder position I like to call “vulture asana”).
Draw your chin down toward your breastbone while keeping the structures of your throat soft.
Exhale as you push your hands solidly against your lower thighs and actively elongate your lower spine, side waist, and iliopsoas muscles.
Lengthen your sacrum and tailbone toward the floor to create a hollow shape just below your navel.
With each exhalation, push your hands against your thighs, press your feet to the floor, and lift your entire abdomen toward your diaphragm.
It is important to keep your head down at all times and your chin held to your chest (jalandhara bandha).
Feel all of your abdominal organs draw back toward your spine and upward like the movement of a sheet in the wind.
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PRACTICE Solar Plexus Breathing
The very first stage in working with the potency of the adrenals involves developing sensitivity for the dominion and sway of the solar plexus beneath the diaphragm.
Assume a comfortable seated position so that you have ample support for your pelvis and lower spine.
Align the middle band of your trunk so it is not pushing forward or slumping back.
Relax your jaw, throat, and tongue.
Sense the space just below your diaphragm at the top of your solar plexus.
Bring your fingers to the spot just below the base of your sternum in order to palpate the top of your solar plexus.
This is the location of your respiratory diaphragm. As you lower your hands down,notice the atmospheric tension of your upper solar plexus.
Does it feel tight, like a walnut in its shell? Does it feel quivery, twisted, loose, or vacant? Does it feel like you are on guard in this area?
Relax as much as possible just below your diaphragm.
Aim to guide your breath to the posterior wall of your abdomen, home to the kidney and adrenal complex.
Sit for ten minutes and afterward lie on your back in viparita kara?i with your legs up the…
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PRACTICE Regulating the Kidney…
This pose tones and stretches the kidney meridian that travels from the sole of the foot, along the inner…
Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the…
Loop the strap over your right heel and extend your right leg upward into supta padangu??asana…
Allow your lower back and kidney region to drop into the floor and widen.

Take several breaths into your midback to help irrigate blood into the kidney complex.
Then straighten your left leg and stretch it along the
On an exhalation, sweep your right leg to the right so that your outer leg is propped on the block or bolster set under your right thigh (fig. 4.2).
By moving the leg to the side you actively stretch the kidney meridian.
Inhale deeply in order to irrigate your breath into your back ribs and lower spine.
Drive the inner edge of your right heel away from you to elongate the inner seam of your right leg.
At the same time, flex your right foot, thereby activating the Kidney 1 point and pada bandha in the center of your plantar region.
As you lengthen your inside leg, turn your belly to the left, away from your right leg.
Feel width and space in your abdomen.
Hold the pose for one to three minutes. Draw your leg back upright before switching to your other side.
Repeat the pose with your left leg and then lay in savasana to rest.
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PRACTICE Squeezing the Abdominal Organs
The following setup places direct pressure on the abdominal organs in order to promote circulation through the gut.
Take a blanket and roll it up so that it is approximately four to six inches in circumference.
Then stand with your feet as wide as your mat.
Hold the blanket snug at the top of your thighs with your hands.
Take a deep inhalation and with the exhalation, fold forward over the blanket roll.
Meanwhile tuck the roll between your upper thighs and belly.
As you fold into uttanasana (standing forward bend) be sure that the wedged blanket puts direct pressure on your gut.
If your hamstrings and spinal muscles are stiff, you may need to make the roll larger in order to trap it between the thighs and belly.
Breathe into the prop and feel the local pressure on your abdominal organs.
After a minute or more, take hold of the roll, press into your heels, and come
Afterward, lay on your back and notice how your breath flows with greater ease into your abdomen.
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PRACTICE Centering into the Dan Tian
The following exercises help establish a feeling of space, ease, and stability in the lower abdomen.
Assume the horse stance, a primary qigong position, by standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
Allow the weight of your body to sink into the ground and spread through the bones of your feet.
Sense an internal balance, a natural and harmonious stance.
Bend your knees slightly so the backs of your knees are soft.
At the same time, allow your tailbone to drop as you settle into your lower abdomen.
In dan tian breathing, the lower back and the lower belly should expand.
Allow your breath to seep into the depths of your abdomen as if you are watering a plant.
Observe the expansion of your kidneys as they broaden away from each other and sense a relaxed vitality in the region of the ming men, the Gate of Life.
With each exhalation, root downward into your feet and pelvis.
texture of your breath should be jing, chang, and xi—“tranquil, long, and fine.”
Now hold your hands in front of your lower abdomen as though you are holding a small pot.
Bring your awareness to the empty container formed by your hands and fill the imaginary vessel with chi or breath.
The diameter of the vessel can change, but concentrate on bringing relaxed, ample breath between your hands that symbolize the dan tian.
Next, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor directly under your knees.
Re-create a similar wide-brimmed feeling in your lower abdomen.
With your elbows bent, rest your fingertips on the region just below your navel.
Feel your breath infuse into your lower spine and abdomen.
Visualize a hollow opening within your navel, like a small sinkhole in the sand.
Sense a connection from your superficial navel to the underlying fibers an inch below your navel.
Imagine the depths of your navel sinking into wet sand, such that your entire abdomen softens and widens.
Become aware of the way your navel refers all the way back to the front of your spine.
Continue this process of dropping inward for ten minutes.
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