An Introduction to the Bandhas
Week 1
Wednesday, July 1
5:00–6:15 pm
The Foundation: Pada & Hasta Bandha
We begin tonight. And we begin exactly where the body meets the earth, the hands and feet.
Pada Bandha is the foot seal. Hasta Bandha is the hand seal. You can see them, feel them, and find them relatively quickly. These are the most tangible of the bandhas. That's exactly why we're starting here. Before we ask the body to do anything subtle or interior, we need to understand how energy moves from the ground up.
Tonight's class moves through some inspired floor work, a grounded standing sequence and sun salutations, taking time in each pose to locate these seals and explore what they actually do to the quality and stability of your practice. Come ready to pay close attention to your feet. Most of us rarely do.
No preparation needed. Just show up with your mat and comfortable clothes.
Week 2
Wednesday, July 8
5:00–6:15 pm
The Root: Mula Bandha
Last week we found the ground. Tonight, we follow the energy upward from that ground to where it takes hold.
Mula Bandha, the Root Lock, is located at the pelvic floor. It is a subtle interior lift, not a gripping or clenching, but a gentle drawing upward at the base of the torso. It is the energetic root of the entire bandha system, and once found, it becomes a quiet companion in almost every pose you practice.
Tonight's class slows down. We use longer holds and deliberate cueing to help you locate and sustain this subtle engagement. If you were here last week, you'll find a natural bridge: the energy that enters through Pada Bandha has somewhere to land, and tonight, we find it.
No preparation needed. Just show up with your mat and comfortable clothes.
Week 3
Wednesday, July 15
5:00–6:15 pm
The Rise: Uddiyana Bandha
We are halfway through. And tonight, we learn to fly.
Uddiyana Bandha, the Upward Flying Lock, is found in the deep drawing inward and upward of the lower abdomen, just below the navel. It is the bandha most associated with lightness, lift, and the kind of buoyancy that advanced practitioners seem to carry effortlessly. Tonight you'll begin to understand where that comes from.
We'll explore the breath connection that makes Uddiyana Bandha possible, and move through backbends, twists, and core-awakening sequences that take on new meaning when the center of the body is engaged from the inside out. By the end of class, even your most familiar poses may feel entirely different.
Week 4
Wednesday, July 22
5:00–6:15 pm
The Crown: Jalandhara Bandha
We arrive now at the uppermost of the three central bandhas, and the most refined.
Jalandhara Bandha is created by the gentle dropping of the chin toward the chest while the sternum simultaneously rises to meet it. A subtle compression at the throat that seals energy in the upper body and has a profound calming effect on the nervous system. Tonight, we bring it into the asana practice in a way it rarely gets to be explored.
This week asks something different of you than the previous three. Less muscular engagement, more refinement. Expect inversions, seated poses, and breathwork that take on a quieter, more meditative quality. One class left after tonight, come ready to settle in
Week 5
Wednesday, July 29
5:00–6:15 pm
The Whole: Maha Bandha
Everything has been leading here.
Maha Bandha, the Great Lock, is the simultaneous engagement of Mula, Uddiyana, and Jalandhara Bandhas together to complete the seal. Pada and Hasta play an integral, supporting role in the ultimate equation. When all are held together, practitioners describe a sense of profound internal coherence — as if the body's energy has been gathered, organized, and directed all at once.
Tonight's final class revisits the highlights of the previous four weeks, layering the bandhas one by one until all are present together. There will also be time for reflection. This is a completion, not just a class. You will leave with a felt understanding of the bandha system that no book or lecture could provide, and a practice that is genuinely and permanently richer for it.
