Awareness of bundha

Start praciting in this afternoon, with such great sun light today. Quiet and calm with Bach's chello solo No. 2, 4, and 6. My favorite!

Today I focus my bandha, both Uddiyana and Mula Bandha. Acctually I was insipired by a video clip I saw on Youtube, a yogini practicing Pincha Maruyasana. She mentions when hopping into pose, bandha could help as a brake, to help you stand still in the pose. I try to feel my bandha since my simple warm up dogs. In my previous practice, I hardly pay attention to see if my bandha is there or activated. That's because Anusara training, I guess. In Anusara style, mula banhda will naturly happen when you do inner spiral and then outer spiral. So, never heard an Anusara teacher mentioned "hold your bandha" or any cue about bandha during class. In Anusara, as long as you apply 5 Universal Principles, the bandhas happen by itself. This idea is very different from other style of yoga, expecially for Ashtangi, bandha is one of the key elements in practice.

Anyhow, I still do my practice applying Universal Priciples, just pay more attention to "feel" my bandha. This enhances the awareness in my lower belly. I do feel the lightness! Especially while doing handstand, I was like floating into pose. I just jump into the pose without support from wall, and stay in the air for a few more seconds longer than I ever experienced before. I feel lightness also in downdog, plank and chanturanga. I also try to practice Pincha Maruyasana in this way. Though I didn't success due to the tightness in left shoulder, but I do feel the lightness again!

It seems to me that, bandha is there, just when I pay more attention to it will give it more power!! That is always the power of awareness!