# Mulabandha, the Root Lock 1) **With this fourth part of our study of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika—the Yoga of the Sun and  Moon—we will be concluding the text, so it’s important to do a mini-review of what we’ve  covered so far. Give a brief summary of the important points covered so far in the work.**   In the first course of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika we covered first the first chapter. This started  with a description of hatha or physical yoga as a means to reach raja or royal yoga. We then  hear of the authentic lineage behind this hatha tradition: a lineage which is shared by the Tibetan  yogic lines of Naropa and Milarepa. We learned of the benefits of hatha yoga, and the need for  secrecy for our practice to be powerful. The majority of the first chapter is devoted to a  presentation of the core asanas of all yoga practice. After this we are presented with a  description of the proper diet for yoga practice; the need for making our practice regular; and  the final results we work for.   Then during the first course we dipped into the first part of the fourth chapter, so that we could  have a taste of royal yoga in each of the four courses. We covered the need to find and respect  the Teacher, and defined raja yoga as a means to defeat death. We went through the meaning  of samadhi, as a perception of emptiness, and the connection of prana to attaining this state.   For the second course, we started off in the second chapter of the work, covering the need for  pranayama or breath control; its method; the best times for it; the results; diet; and potential  dangers.   We then went through the six kriyas, or treatments, which prepare the body for channel  practice. We covered after that eight different kumbhakas, or capsules, ending with kevala  kumbhaka, or the natural suspension of the breath when we are close to seeing emptiness  directly. We closed the second chapter with signs of success in hatha yoga, and a reiteration of  the connection between hatha and raja yoga: physical and mental yoga.   We then moved on to the next section of the fourth chapter, for a description of laya  (absorption, and withdrawal); the mudras or seals of shambhavi (focus on the third eye, leading  to dissolution) and kechari (meditative concentration with a manipulation of the tongue in the  mouth); and finally the connection between kundalini and voidness.  In the third course we covered the first half of the third chapter; we began here with an  introduction to kundalini, and synonyms for the central channel. We then began with the ten  mudras, or seals, which included the physical practices of mahamudra, khechari, and uddiyana.  We then moved on to the next section of the fourth chapter, covering the role of the mind in  creating reality; overcoming duality; samadhi and nada practice; and the four stages of yoga.]   2) **Give a brief overview of the subjects we’ll be covering here in the fourth course.**   First here in the fourth course we’ll finish up the third chapter by covering the second five of  the ten mudras, or seals; for example, the mulabandha at the perineum; the jalandhara or chin  lock; viparita karani or a basic inversion; the vajroli physical partner practices; and then shakti  chalana, or ways of moving prana through the body.   The partner practices represent the largest section here, and we’ll be going into some detail not  only on the physical side of this interchange but on the emotional side as well: details of how  partners stay together to save and serve the world.   We’ll then move on to the final section of the fourth chapter, first continuing our study of nada  yoga (the yoga of sound) and its place in developing concentration. We then conclude the text  with the temporal and ultimate benefits of royal yoga: deathlessness itself, for the entire world.   The final two classes of the course are a review of the entire text, including tips for applying it  now in our daily life.]   3) **Now that we have a view of all the pieces of the entire Yoga of the Sun and Moon, from  beginning to end, let’s describe the logic behind the flow; that is, how do the major sections  from the beginning to the end of the work provide us a plan for our own personal fulfillment?**   Looking at the entire work from beginning to end, we see clearly that Master Svatmarama is  taking us along a graded, step-by-step course. In the first chapter he first sells on the idea of  hatha yoga as a means of achieving raja yoga, and therby everything we hope for in life, including  the end of death. Then he is sure to assure us that the path he’s describing is authentic, one  with a true lineage. He urges us then to keep our practice secret, which will give it the power to  succeed.   The core asanas that he describes then work from the outside of the body in a very gross way to  begin “softening” the inner channels: a good place for a raw beginner to start, someone whose  mind may be far too scattered to begin with anything close to raja yoga. Doing the physical  poses well depends a lot on being light and following a healthy diet, so that comes next; as well  advice that we need to make our practice “doable” and regular if we hope to succeed.   Now that the body is somewhat suitable—now that very gross blockages are opened slightly— we can begin with pranayama, which would otherwise cause serious problems, if done too early.  Still, wisely, the Master covers possible problems we might expect to run into.   Next we’re off to the six kriyas, which are meant to address imbalances of the humors of the  body which come to light once we’ve been practicing for a while. Now that the inner body is  strengthened and stable, we can begin with the different kumbhaka or capsule exercises which  might otherwise “blow out” our channels and cause quite serious problems with the inner  winds. These culminate in the kevala or natural kumbhaka—a clear milestone in our practice  which gives us a sign that we are making serious progress; and then the Master gives us some  more signs to look for.   This brings us to the third chapter, where we get some formal education about kundalini and the  structure of the inner body. This leads into the ten mudras, with which we are consciously  blocking and redirecting very strong energies within the body, something we should not have  been playing with earlier. Perhaps the most powerful and volatile of these practices is close  work with a spiritual partner, which we are now ready to approach, having shown our  dedication to the path.   This takes us to the fourth and final chapter; unlike the Tibetan system, where we get to the  inner body through the medium of the mind and meditation, in hatha yoga our inner body is now  suitable for working with the mind. As always, the very first step is to remind us that we will  need a qualified teacher, and that raja or meditative yoga is the final means to attain  deathlessness.   We begin then seeing how to use this yoga, with the now-open channels of our body, to  perceive emptiness directly. Practices of dissolution help us bring the winds into the central  channel to facilitate this quest; and in particular we see how the four stages of bliss are used to  focus our mind on the fact that things are void of their own nature. Master Svatmarama ends,  perfectly, with a description of the deathless paradise we can create for ourselves and others  when we do succeed in reaching emptiness and a body of light through both these inner and  outer methods.]   4) **Here in the fourth course, we are continuing with our study of the mudras, or seals. Give the  Sanskrit and Tibetan names for the “Root Lock,” including related English words or cognates for  the Sanskrit. Then describe the two methods given for performing this seal.**   The Sanskrit name for the “Root Lock” is mula bandha {mu#la bandha}, and the Tibetan is  tsaching {RTZA BCING,}. Mula comes from an Indo-European root √mei, meaning to build a  fence or fortification. The word means root, and we see it in the English word mural, which  literally refers to the wall or rooted object on which something is written; ammunition comes  from the same root, meaning something stored in a fortified or walled place. Bandha comes from the Sanskrit root √bandh, which means to bind. The English word bind itself, and band and  bandana and bundle, are all related.   And so with this mudra we are creating a lock or bind at the root or base of the torso, in the  perineal area. We do this by pressing hard against the perineum with the side of our foot. We  then constrict the anus, and draw up the downward-clearing wind (the “wind of elimination”).  Alternately we can press the sole of the foot firmly into the anus and constrict the same wind. In  fact, as the text says, “any forceful contraction used to make the downward-moving wind move  upwards can also be called a ‘root lock’.”   Working at the perineum in the first two ways is seen in a popular traditional Indian yoga series:  the preliminary series of Ashtanga Yoga, as taught by Shri Pattabhi Jois. The respective poses there are with the Janu Shirshasana A (side of foot near the perineum) and Janu Shirshasana B  (sitting with anus on the ankle). In this tradition, a gentle contraction of the perineal area  through much of the series is also referred to as “mula bandha.”]   5) **The efficacy of the root lock, or mula bandha, depends greatly upon the downward-clearing  wind, and the corresponding wind in the upper part of the body. Let’s review what we know  about these two winds: give their names in both Tibetan and Sanskrit, describing the Sanskrit  roots and English cognates. Next state their typical functions in the inner body, and how they  perform these functions. Add their primary location, as well as the color, element, and  enlightened being and activity they are associated with.**   The downward-clearing wind, or wind of elimination, is crucial in the practice of mula bandha.  Its name in Tibetan is tursel {THUR SEL,}, where tur means downwards and sel means clearing.  The Sanskrit term for it is apana {apa#na}, which is made up of the prefix apa- {apa} and the  root √an {an}, which means to breathe.   The prefix apa- means down, or away, and in fact it is the source of the English words away, off,  after, and post- (meaning after). We see the root √an in animus (spirit), animal, and anime. And  so really the idea of apana is of wind or air moving downwards.   Authentic sources of the Tibetan yogic lineages (and here we’ll rely primarily on Pabongka  Rinpoche Dechen Nyingpo, 1878-1941, heart teacher of the heart teacher of both our own  Teacher and His Holiness the current Dalai Lama) describe the function of this wind as “ejecting  and retaining semen, menstrual blood, feces, and urine.” Remember the additional idea that this  wind, like all the others, can also be described as a gathering of the general inner wind of the  body in a particular spot, whenever a particular bodily function is required.   The primary location of this wind is the “secret place”—at or at the level of the sexual organ— but in many practices (as with the current practice of mula bandha) it is described as connected  to the lower opening of the central channel.   When the downward-clearing wind passes through an inner channel it is said to tint it a yellow  color. In some practices the wind is related to the left-hand nostril, where it passes with a  yellow-green color. It is said to relate to the element of earth, and to the enlightened being  known as Ratnakara: Source of Jewels. We could thus think of it being related to the primary virtuous activity of this Buddha, which is giving things away.   Related to the upper end of the central channel, although its principal location is the heart, is the  life-wind. This is called sokdzin in Tibetan, where sok means life and dzin means to hold, or to  preserve. The corresponding Sanskrit is prana vayu, or prana wind, not to be confused with the  general prana or inner wind running through the channels.   Pra- {pra} is a prefix meaning before, or ahead (and found in the English proud and prow), while  the √an is again a root meaning to breathe. Together they refer to a life force: breathing on,  breathing ahead.   The function of this wind in the Tibetan sources is described as drawing the other winds to the  outlets of the sense organs, when for example we see or hear something, in order to transmit  impressions from the outside world to the mind. It is said to have a white color, and to be  linked to the element of water. It relates to the enlightened being known as Akshobhya, or  Unshakable, who is the Angel connected to the virtuous activity of seeing oneself and ones  spiritual partner as a special being.]   6) **Our text says that one of the effects of the practice of the Root Lock is that the life-wind and  the downward-clearing wind “become one,” as do “the inner sound and the drop of  consciousness.” This then “brings the yogi to the final attainment.” Explain.**   The Tibetan yogic sources describe how the triple knot at the heart keeps the downward moving wind moving downward, unable to travel freely through the body and allow unfettered thought. The same is true of the life-wind, which is restricted in the same way to the upper end  of the central channel. A yogi or yogini thus performs practices like the mula bandha to attempt  to force the downward wind upwards, towards the heart—and to bring the life wind down to  meet it.   This meeting itself is sometimes described as the union or yoga of wisdom and method, the latter referring to ultimate love. The life-wind is considered the wind of the wisdom, and the  downward-clearing that of love.   As the two winds travel to and are compressed at the heart, the knot here at the chakra is  coaxed open. We undergo a sensation which is similar to that of the practice of nada, or sacred  sound, which brings our mind and winds gathering into the center, as an exercise of dissolution  (laya in Sanskrit).  As the winds and thoughts contract into the heart chakra, they form into a tiny pea-shaped  capsule, called the “drop of spring” or—as in our text—the “drop of consciousness.” Ultimately  then we pass into a state similar to blacking out, which then opens into an experience known as  the “clear light”—a direct perception of emptiness which then acts to free us from all suffering  within a short amount of time, becoming an enlightened Angel who can reach and serve all living  beings.]   7) **Describe the purpose and process alluded to in the verses of the text at this point which  mention how, as the downward-clearing wind moves up, a “disk of fire” is incited, creating a  “tongue of flame” which then “awakens the inner serpent.” Which other practice uses this same  wind in a similar way?**   These verses are describing an inner-body practice which in the Tibetan is known as bar-dzak  {‘BAR ‘DZAGS,}, which means blazing and dripping.   As the downward-clearing wind reverses itself, this triggers inner fire (the “disk of fire”  mentioned in the verse) related to the red element within the channels in the area of the navel chakra. The mystic heat from this fire (the verse’s “tongue of flame,” and the “blazing” of the  Tibetan name for the practice) travels up the central channel, making contact with a white  element located in the chakra at the top of the head.   This element melts down then (the “dripping”), sending a stream of nectar descending through  central channel; we can think of this stream as being one of the meanings of the “awakening of  the inner serpent”—the “straightening” of kundalini. As the stream descends, we undergo the  four stages of bliss which were described at the end of Course Three, along with the associated  perceptions of emptiness.   This same inciting of the inner fire, and melt-down and perceptions of emptiness, can be triggered when the downward-clearing wind of our spiritual partner enters us, forcing our own  version of this wind to reverse itself. We’ll be speaking more of this when we reach the parts in  the text which describe this practice.  8) **Here in the final course of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika series, we’ll be covering the details of  yoga practices of the inner body which are performed together with a spiritual partner. Given the social mores in every culture which govern our perceptions of intimate interaction, it’s  perhaps appropriate before we reach the Master’s description of these practices to prepare our minds a bit first. We’ll begin here with an investigation into the motivation behind deep yoga  practice with a partner: what are some elements which we should be sure we have in our  intention as we approach this type of practice?**   All yoga practices, including those undertaken with a spiritual partner, should of course be  undertaken with the intention of helping others: of removing pain in the world. As with my asana practice, if I can work with my inner body—chakras and channels—in such a way that the winds are freed into the central channel, then this will trigger within me the direct perception of  emptiness, as well as initiate the change of my body into light, free of death. And then I can  teach others to do so, and thus make a deathless mandala of the entire world.   It’s important to realize that the highest teachings of Buddhism in particular state that this kind of  practice with a partner—if performed with the proper empowerment and method—is actually  the fastest method of all for bringing all living beings to final happiness. As such we are obliged  to look into it, and at least try to understand why it might be so effective.   It’s equally important to say that—when we are in the business of saving the world—we ourselves as individuals are part of that world. The authentic ancient yogic tradition of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, steeped as it is in the teachings on emptiness, is saying that because all things are available, and coming from how we have treated others, then we can at the same moment reach  happiness both for all living creatures and for ourselves. We can have our cake and eat it too.   And so as we try to reach the proper motivation for our yoga practice with a spiritual partner,  we need to be thinking in terms of the idea that doing what helps others in an ultimate way is accomplished by reaching complete happiness ourselves as well. Our final happiness is what  makes us qualified to make others happy. And so we are encouraged in this tradition to think of  our practice with a spiritual partner as both the ultimate in a joyful relationship, and the best way  to serve the world, at the same time.]   Coffeeshop assignment: Please meet with one other member of the class (preferably someone  you didn’t know before the course started) to talk a bit about this class, before the next one.   Meditation assignment: 15 minutes per day, trying to feel the downward and upward-moving  winds within your inner body.   Meditation times and dates (homework without this section completed will not be accepted):