Known as a teacher’s teacher, Annie Carpenter has developed seamless sequencing that weaves a deep understanding of functional anatomy with passionate movement. Ahead of her summer visit to triyoga camden, Annie shares her thoughts on the powerful message of the maha bandha.
The hunting skills of a mature hawk have much to teach us yogis: focus and float.
Have you ever watched a red-tailed hawk circling overhead? I’m not talking about the dramatic displays of a mating pair; but the lazy-looking glide in late afternoon thermals. These great predators embody concentration, training their drishti on the earth below, and what appears to be a quality that can only be described as effortlessness, now and then gently tipping a wing to gain advantage of a subtle shift of wind.
Maha: great or powerful; bandha: seal or lock.
Maha bandha is an advanced yoga practice in which all three of the primary bandhas – mula, uddiyana, and jalandhara – are applied simultaneously.
On the physical level, this practice is indeed potent: the body feels lifted, light and somehow remarkably coordinated and capable: graceful. The breath, prana, is both the instigator of the practice and also is honed, becoming more efficient and focused over time. Energetically, the prana (subtle life force) is shaped and channeled: the midline or sushumna, is cleared and illumined.
Maha bandha offers a powerful message that bleeds into all areas of our lives: efficiency. While that word may sound like a nose-to-the-grindstone lesson, it is anything but. Rather, wise usage of these great seals leads us to discern when and how to use effort in our practice, and when and how to release effort and sense the power of returning to our knowing, intuitive center.
Practising with skillful usage of the great bandhas teaches us to focus our attention, our intention and simply soar, like a magnificent hawk.
