Mūla bandha, the root lock

The name

मूल (mūla) means root, base, origin; बन्ध (bandha) a lock, a binding. Mūla bandha is the lock at the root of the trunk: the pelvic floor, between the anus and the genitals, the region the Hatha Yoga Pradipika calls yoni.

What the texts say

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes the lock in a seated posture, the heel pressing the perineum:

पार्ष्णिभागेन सम्पीड्य योनिमाकुञ्चयेद्गुदम् । अपानमूर्ध्वमाकृष्य मूलबन्धोऽभिधीयते ॥

pārṣṇi-bhāgena sampīḍya yonim ākuñcayed gudam | apānam ūrdhvam ākṛṣya mūla-bandho 'bhidhīyate ||

Pressing the perineum with the heel, one should contract the anus; drawing apāna upward: this is called the root lock.

Pancham Sinh's 1914 translation of the next verse says it plainly: "The Apana, naturally inclining downward, is made to go up by force. This Mula Bandha is spoken of by Yogis as done by contracting the anus" (3.61 in his numbering). The following verses build a whole inner drama: prāṇa and apāna, nāda and bindu become one and bring success in yoga; even an old man becomes young; the rising apāna meets the fire of the belly, the flame grows, and the sleeping Kuṇḍalinī, heated, straightens "like a serpent struck with a stick" and enters the central channel (3.64-3.69 in GRETIL, 3.63-3.68 in Sinh). Read these as the tradition's map of the subtle body, not as anatomy.

Prāṇa and apāna

To understand the lock in its own terms, two words are enough. Prāṇa, in the narrow sense, is the vital movement that goes up and in, centred in the chest; apāna is the one that goes down and out, centred in the pelvis, governing elimination. Mūla bandha reverses apāna's natural direction and lifts it to meet prāṇa. Whatever you make of the model, it gives a precise image: an upward, gathering movement at the base of the body.

Steps

Stage 1: the horse seal (week 1)

The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā calls the rhythmic contraction of the anal sphincter aśvinī mudrā, the horse seal (3.82-3.83).

1. Sit on a cushion or kneel, spine upright. Breathe normally.
2. Contract the anal sphincter for one second, then release completely for one second.
3. Ten to twenty times, then rest. Two or three rounds.

Stage 2: the sustained contraction (weeks 2-3)

1. Contract the pelvic floor gently and hold for five seconds, breathing normally. Release for five seconds.
2. Five to ten times. Buttocks, thighs and belly stay relaxed.

Stage 3: towards the root lock (week 3 onward)

1. Sit in siddhāsana if it is comfortable for your knees (one heel close to the perineum), or on a cushion with a folded cloth under the perineum to give a point of contact.
2. Bring your attention to the centre of the perineum.
3. Draw that point gently upward, as if lifting it towards the navel, at about a quarter of your strength.
4. Hold ten to thirty seconds with normal breathing, then release completely.
5. Later, use it lightly during the short inner holds of pranayama, together with jalandhara bandha.

Rhythm for beginners and progression

What research shows

Mūla bandha as such has been studied very little.

• Prolapse. In a randomised trial in India, fifty women with mild pelvic organ prolapse received usual care, with or without three months of mūla bandha practice (Sweta and colleagues, 2018). The yoga group reported fewer symptoms and better questionnaire scores, but the difference on the main symptom score stayed below the threshold the authors themselves considered clinically relevant. A small, single trial: promising, not conclusive.
• Fast breathing and the bladder. In a preliminary ultrasound study of fifteen women yoga teachers, kapālabhāti and bhastrikā affected the position of the bladder neck in some measures, and applying mūla bandha during those breaths appeared protective (Pandit and colleagues, 2020). Fifteen people, descriptive analysis: a lead worth following, not a recommendation.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing the buttocks or thighs instead of the pelvic floor.
• Holding the breath without meaning to.
• Maximum force. The texts say "by force", but they speak to yogis trained for years under a teacher. For you, light is right.
• Never letting go. The release is part of the lock.

In context

Mūla bandha is the second lock to learn, after jalandhara bandha and before uddiyana bandha; the bandhas page shows how the three combine. The prana page explains the five vital winds, and the kundalini page the imagery of the serpent power that these verses evoke.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, translated by Pancham Sinh, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV part 3 (1914), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
2. Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text, 3.61-3.69 (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 17, 2026
3. Srisa Chandra Vasu (tr.), The Gheranda Samhita, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV (1914-1915), lesson 3, verses 14-17 and 82-83, Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
4. Sweta KM et al. Effect of Mula Bandha Yoga in Mild Grade Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Yoga, 2018 DOI 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_32_17 PMID 29755220 checked October 17, 2026
5. Pandit UN, Pakhale H, Bellare B. Protective Role of Moolabandha While Practicing Bhastrika and Kapalabhati by Women Vulnerable to Bladder Dysfunction: A Preliminary Ultrasound Study. International Journal of Yoga, 2020 DOI 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_38_18 PMID 32030027 checked October 17, 2026

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