Bandhas - The Single Best Thing to Improve Your Physical & Mental Health!

The term Bandha is a Sanskrit word meaning to 'lock, hold, tighten, or bind,' and involves a technique which has long been held as the great secret behind the health and vitality attributed to a yoga practice. Ancient yogic wisdom identifies three integrated internal movements which together influence and control everything from breathing and cohesive organ function, to stability and balance, to system regulation and more.

Bandha Practice is Therapeutic for:

• Digestion / metabolism / core strength
• Heart health / blood pressure / post stroke aphasia
• Pelvic floor strength / prolapse / erectile dysfunction
• Sexual health / hormonal regulation / fertility / libido
• Kidney health / kidney stones
• Urinary health / recurrent urinary tract infections / incontinence
• Immune function / detox
• Respiratory health / asthma / COPD
• Mental health / anxiety / depression / stress / neural regulation
• Blood sugar regulation / Diabetes / hyperglycemia

Through a modern anatomical lense, researchers have been exploring the structures behind this ancient practice of Bandha to help gain insights as to exactly how and why it affects so many different wellness and healing related options within the human body.

So, what did these researchers find??

Basically, a coordinated and cohesive movement of the body's 3 diaphragms which allows one to create and control an internal pressurization system which supports the weight and movement of our musculoskeletal system, the movement of wastes and fluids through our internal organs, the currents of electricity regulating our nervous system, and a deep awareness of the beauty and complexity of the amazing set of relationships that are YOU!

In other words, they learned that how we breathe has a dramatic impact on our overall health, and adaptability is the key. In much the same way we might use a garden nozzle to turn the continuous flow of water from our hose into an adaptable tool which can start and stop on command, as well as switch pressure modes so we don't have to wash our car with a garden mist or blast our seedlings with a jet spray. In much the same way we use valves and flow control systems to water our gardens, run our vehicles, and generate power, the human body utilizes all of the same principles with the added benefit of being piloted by an organic and conscious being which is capable of change and growth!

How many different settings does your internal pressure system have? Are you able to easily engage into action and find the strength and stamina needed to get the job done? Are you equally able to relax, unwind, let go of the stresses of the day and enjoy your rest? How many different zones are available to you in between? How easily and efficiently do you shift gears?

Our body's 3 diaphragms work together in a continuous connection of fascia and muscle which offer an incredibly diverse set of movement options. When all 3 are strong and connected we will understand the felt experience of one of history's oldest systems of wellness: Yoga.

As modern researchers across the globe are discovering, our nervous system is primarily regulated by the rate, rhythm, and length of our breathing cycle, moment to moment as we react and respond to the circumstances of our day.

Breathing is something we all do roughly 25,000 times every day, and conscious breathing with Bandha awareness allows us to choose from a large toolbox of options so we can keep our body and mind adaptive and ready to meet the never-ending challenges of life. The techniques you'll learn in this workshop will allow you opportunities to practice anytime, anywhere you have the space to tune your awareness even somewhat inwards. Whether you're standing in line at the grocery store, watching commercials on TV, or folding laundry, you'll be amazed at how quickly your diaphragmatic awareness and strength will increase once you understand your Bandhas.

Join Erin Jacob for this 3-hour in-person workshop and learn how and why breathing can affect each of these areas, transforming your health inside and out! Get ready to laugh, learn, and explore!

Who is this workshop for?

If are breathing unassisted by a ventilator right now, then this workshop is for you!

This workshop is safe and productive for beginner's or people who have never practiced yoga or breathing exercises before. The techniques are simple, safe, and accessible to almost everyone. Individual contraindications and alterations to techniques will be discussed for all contraindicated practices, so even you have health conditions, the techniques will still be customized for your needs.

This workshop is also highly productive for more advanced practitioners and yoga or movement teachers of any kind. Understanding these structures can revolutionize your own personal practice and create a better understanding of how to help your students' progress safely in theirs too!

What to Bring:

• Yoga Mat
• Folding chair or lawn chair (if you are unable to comfortably sit on a yoga mat)
• Blanket
• Water
• Curiosity

Location:

The Art of Dance Studio - 22764 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge, BC

*Only 15 spots available so please register early to avoid disappointment!