r/ashtanga
Bandhas and Pelvic Floor Health in Opposition?
This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.
The Question
Earlier this year I attended a bandhas workshop where we learned all about the importance of uddiyana bandha and mula bandha. My very oversimplified take away from this workshop was that we were to keep naval pulled in and pelvic floor lifted through out the practice and ideally throughout day to day life. We also learned about the importance of thoracic breathing during practice, essentially breathing into the chest and not the belly with uddiyana bandha locked. Recently I am in pelvic floor physical therapy for a reproductive health issue and all of the medical advice I am being instructed in is the exact opposite of all of the above. I am being taught to use belly breathing, to not keep my belly sucked in, to relax and release the pelvic floor, all as much as possible. I was specifically instructed that keeping muscles in chronic tension or engagement is bad for health and the pelvic floor and that belly breathing is crucial to avoid a dysfunctional pelvic floor. I'm really struggling to reconcile the two completely conflicting ways of being and breathing. Following my pelvic floor physical therapists advice has helped me health issues, but I also want to protect my body in ashtanga and am under the impression that engaging bandhas does this. Can anyone with experience or expertise in either area offer any thoughts? I know the simple answer is engage bandhas while practicing, follow physical therapy advice when not, but looking for any other reflections or information others may have as I explore this.
— via r/ashtanga
Our Response
Yeah. You already know the answer.
Bandhas during practice. Physical therapy advice the rest of the time.
That workshop misled you. Badly.
You do not hold bandhas all day. That's not what they're for. That's chronic tension. That's exactly what your PT is treating.
Bandhas are dynamic. They respond to the breath and the movement. They're not a clench you maintain.
And here's the thing—your pelvic floor needs to relax to function. If you can't release it, you can't engage it properly either.
So during practice: yes, you engage bandhas. But they pulse with the breath. They're not locked.
Outside of practice: follow your PT. Belly breathe. Let your pelvic floor be soft.
Your body is telling you something. Listen to it.
The fact that PT is helping your health issue? That's not a conflict with good yoga. That's information.
If you want to understand how bandhas actually work in the practice—not the clenched version—check out the Bandhas study guide on ashtanga.tech.
But for now? Trust your physical therapist. Do your practice. Stop holding tension all day.
That's it.
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