In Sanskrit, uddiyana means ‘raising up’ and bandha means ‘contraction’ of any part of the body. This may be called uddiyana because it raises the diaphragm up. In this bandha, the diaphragm is made to fly up from its original position and held very high in the thoracic cavity.
This bandha exercises the diaphragm and the ribs. It can be practised either in sitting or in standing position.
Let us perform Uddiyana Bandha by following the steps given below:
1. Sit in Padmasana, Vajrasana or Sukhasana. Keep the hands on knees.
2. Exhale through the mouth emptying the lungs as much as possible. Hold the breath outside and press down the knees with palms.
3. Form a pit in the abdomen. For making the pit, contract the abdominal muscles inward towards the spine and upwards (abdominal lock). Hold the breath outside with abdominal lock for as long as comfortable.
4. To come back, gradually release the abdominal lock, come slowly to the starting position and start inhaling slowly.
(Repeat it 3-4 times.)
Remember the following points:
| Dos |
Don’ts |
| Have the deepest possible exhalation. |
Avoid allowing the air to flow into the lungs during the practice. |
| Keep the front abdominal muscles completely relaxed and expand the chest. |
A beginner should not make more than three attempts a day. |
| Practise Uddiyana only on an empty stomach. |
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| Perform uddiyana bandha with external breath retention only. |
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Benefits
- It increases the respiratory efficiency.
- It Improves blood circulation in the thoracic and abdominal region.
- It tones up the abdominal muscles.
- It is beneficial in the conditions of constipation, indigestion and diabetes mellitus.
Limitation
- Person suffering from hernia, high blood pressure, heart disease, intestinal ulcers should not practise this.
