Those elusive bandhas...

Haven't logged in lately to update..so here goes..

Went to J's shala about 2 weeks back while I was on a trip. Had a pretty nice practice with him. Got into Dwipada by myself too...after Supta K, I did the eka pada prep on the left side..then J told me to just go for it. He helped me the first time..and it was so easy..that I tried it on my own twice after that..unbelievable..my hips seem to have opened up exponentially lately...and I haven't even made that much effort in that department!!

J told me my practice was really beautiful...up to maybe half primary..he's never seen me breathe so well..and been more focused...and then after that he said I went totally down the drain...That was mainly because I was so tired out by all the lifting up and jumpng back..that I was all too glad to sit up and ask him questions after that. I asked him about bandhas...and didn't get an answer from him..seems he doesn't really teach bandhas...only technique. Told me that when I get it..I'll just know..no need for explanations. I told him about my miraculous jumpbacks as well..which has since disappeared again and has yet to make another appearance. He told me to just stop thinking so much about squeezing this or that muscle..and just breathe. That was really all I could get out of him regarding bandhas...

My dropbacks are getting deeper lately. I can get my hands to about 2 inches from the feet. Still need J to pull my hands to ankles though.. I asked him if he thought my shoulders were tight, but he said he didn't think so. I do feel however, that tight shoulders are one of the things hindering my ankle grabbing...

I've been puzzling over this bandha stuff lately. Especially snce my miraculous jumpbacks...and now their disappearance. Perhaps J is right, the more I think about them, the more they elude me. I always though of bandhas as physical contractions..but J said they are also about prana and energy. I'm not too sure I get that bit. I mean I know the theory about the locks sealing prana and directing them up the sushumna etc. I've just never put that much thought into that..I always saw it as a way of accessing core strength. Now I'm not sure what it is anymore. I'm not even sure that few times I've been able to do some amazingly light jumpthroughs and backs, if that is bandha, or sheer strength thats driving it.

I have however felt some physical sensations that I associated with bandhas. It always felt to me that mula bandha feels like some sort of spring attached to my pelvic floor, that kinda gave me this lift in the jumps. Uddiyana, I think felt like some warm heat in the lower belly, and is usually accompanied by the drawing in of the navel region. It definitely feels like they help in holding me up when I need to slow down my vinyasa...I thought that was a straight forward enough way describing them....now though I'm not too sure if this s really bandha..or is it just stronger abs and pelvic floor....maybe there is some prana thing I'm missing here...???

I have been thinking of getting the book Moolabandha..cos J recommended that I get it...perhaps I'll get it through Amazon and see it helps solve this puzzle for me..