grimmly2007 - 2008-07-30 5:08 PM

I posted this on my blog this morning http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/ and was hoping to hear from someone here with a better understanding the bandhas and anatomy than me. Does this makes sense and if so why, what's really happening. Basically its about engaging all three bandhas and lifting from the manubrium which seems to give you more lift and tilts/pivots you forward automatically.

Manubrium is latin for handle. It's also the name for the bone at the top of the sternum.

Can't remember what led me to this but while I was in Paris last week attempting to lift up and jump back I started to throw my head back and lift from around this area (had to look it up after i got home, interesting it's called the handle). Now when you connect it to your uddiyana and moolah bandha and lift up from there a surprising thing happens. You seem to get more lift but then all of a sudden your tilting forwards, or rather, flying forwards. It's as if there's a shift in body weight allowing you to pivot more effectively. you don't have to try and throw yourself forward anymore it just seems to happen automatically.

I checked all my videos on my ipod but nobody has their head thrown back. So I tried to continue to lift from there but tilting my head forward instead of back. Still a bit awkward at the moment but I think it's having an effect, as i had a couple of really good jump backs this morning.

Now this is where it gets interesting . The tilting the head forward, chin-in bit, reminded me of the third bandha I always forget about, Jaladhara bandha, the chin-lock. According to Swenson you extend the chin forward and then draw it back into the notch formed by the two clavicle bones.

When you engage all three locks (for example in Janu Sirsasana) it's called Mahabandha or the great lock. It seems to make sense, you engage all three bandhas linking them tightly together and then pushing down with your arms you lift up from the handle (the manubrium) pulling your whole body up in one go with no lost action (see lost action post). Held together like this your body weight appears to shift upwards causing you to tilt forward sending your legs back and through.

Hi Antony,
Difficult to be specific without seeing you, there's a whole host of things that you mention that might be contributing. As the manubrium is attached to the sternum and the sternum is attached to the ribs, then it makes sense that ujjayi breathing and bandha, which both promote an exaggerated movement of the rib cage, that the manubrium is then going to be lifted-i.e. further from the ground-the centre of gravity is indeed lifted. Assuming you have correct bandha, then the pelvis is also lifted away from the floor. Throwing the head back isn't how I would like to describe the neck action, too many people would get it wrong. It's very important in all postures to keep the length of the sub-occipetal muscles (which travel from the first vertebra and connect to skull-these muscles are very important, all movement and posture is dictated by them-they are the true core muscles).
Allied to this lifting of the centre of gravity is also a potential for taking the line of gravity forwards-too many people are pushed back by the inhale before they swing back-the body should brace against the push back created by the inhale and move forwards-the centre of gravity is then moved over to a spot between the hands.
As you say, many people tuck their chins in-in my opinion, this is bad form-but one that is also widely taught. When you think about, tucking the chin basically serves to lengthen the back of the spine, when what you would really like to do is to contract or shorten the back of the spine, which would pull the lower body and torso back between the space between the two arms.
But then as you say, you performed the chin lock-so what I do is a combination of two things you mention-I look up, but do it with a chin lock

Nick