Fire in the Dynamic Yoga Method
FIRE: THE ELEMENT OF TRANSFORMATION
Fire qualities are transformation, purification, strength, explosiveness, intensity, abundance and inspiration. The fundamental expression of fire is transformation, bringing about change, and it is embodied in the technique of bandha. The arena of fire is the abdomen, its source the solar plexus, its medium the nadis, and its key the muscles. It is cultivated and expressed through the application of the bandhas into the whole body (sarvangabandha). The source of this process is uddiyanabandha, which spontaneously generates both mulabandha and jalandharabandha, especially when suppoorted by hastabandha and padabandha. Their simultaneous activation is sarvangabandha.
The superficial application of fire is to generate heat through intensity. This simply disperses heat, and when accompanied by sweating leeches minerals out of the body weakening it. The subtle application of fire is to integrate body, mind, energy and awareness. This is the function of the bandhas in the whole body. Establishing fire requires opposition, the sign of its presence is integration. Fire dynamises the postures, enlivens the body, internalises attention, purifies the mind and transforms awareness. Without integration (bandhas) there can be no integrity. Without integrity there can be no wholeness. Without wholeness there can be no unity (yoga).
Muscular contraction is necessary to establish a relaxed (sukham) stillness (sthiram) in the bodimind. This burns oxygen in the muscle cells. Yet each muscle must act in cooperation with all the others. In order that no individual muscular activation compromises any other they must be organised to limit and fertilise each other. This is is established through the mechanism of opposing muscular actions to each other. This organising of opposition takes place as a spiral dynamic in the whole body. The spiral dynamic in the human body is the energetic dynamic of the bandhas.
The bandhas are the muscular response of the human body to active verticality. A response that if applied also in other situations releases the spine, supports respiration and stabilises and integrates the major joints of the body. Their fundamental function is to protect against the vulnerability of a raised centre of gravity. This they do by producing muscular activity in the pelvis, legs and feet. Their activition in the chest and arms releases and protects the spine. When yoga postures are based on this organic process they becomes simple, effortless and powerful.
The bandhas are at the heart of structural and functional integrity. At the same time they have deep and nourishing physiological, neurological, energetic and spiritual impacts. All of which are based on recovering the dynamics of structural integrity. This being so the bandhas are neither obscure nor mysterious. They are simply specific sets of judicious muscular contraction that organise and integrate the body parts into their inherent integrity.
The core bandhas are in the trunk. Their key is uddiyanabandha, which naturally includes mulabandha and jalandharabandha. Their simultaneous presence is esoterically known as merubandha. In order for merubandha to be ripe it must be supported in the limbs by the peripheral bandhas. Their integrated activation is esoterically known as hastabandha (arms and hands) and padabandha (feet and legs). The functioning of the bandhas in the whole body is esoterically known as sarvangabandha. This is the key to structural, functional and energetic unity.
To the extent that it is guided by cellular integrity rather than imposed as a received concept, activating sarvangabandha unites the body parts, breath, mind and awareness. This is yoga: our inherent state recovered through the integration of action esoterically known as the bandhas.
