Amsa Bandha

(waves lapping) So next bandha is the amsa bandha. It's the shoulder lock. Again we have ha when the shoulder blades move in, then we have tha when the shoulder blades move out. But the one interesting thing here is that there is the marmas on the hand that has corresponding marmas on the shoulder blade. So if I move the hands, then I can feel it in the shoulder blades.

Let's do the experience, bring your hands forward. Now you have to little bit tense the arm and tense also your upper back. So that they're almost like a one unit. And now first, try to bring root of the index finger forward, which is the bah mule aggulya marma. Push that forward and when you do that, if you find the right spot, inner, upper shoulder blade should move in.

And then release, and then this root of the little finger which is antara mula aggulya marma. Try to push that forward and now if you find a right spot, upper how the shoulder blade should move in. And then relax. And then mula angusta marma, root of the thumb, would push that forward and inner lower shoulder blade should move in. And then release, and then antara mani marma root of the wrist here.

Outer wrist, push that forward and outer lower shoulder blade should move in. So now we have four points the hand and four corresponding marmas in the shoulder blade. So let's go back to amsa bandha. Open the upper back, you can bring the hands to the shoulders and move the shoulders, with your hands moving a little bit out, your shoulders are moving out. But same time energetically try to move the shoulder blades in.

So this is now ha amsa bandha. Compressive shoulder lock. So shoulders are moving out. So physical action and anatomical action is expands into the sides and energetical action is compressed and in. And then move the inner shoulder blade moving towards the center sternum.

Inner shoulder blade is moving forward towards the center sternum. And lower shoulder blade is moving also in towards the lower sternum. So shoulders move out, shoulder blades my hands are now shoulder blades, they move in. And then the inner shoulder blade is moving in, and lower shoulder blade is, that's ha amsa bandha. And then we have tha which is expansive.

So move the shoulders first out and now start to move physically, anatomically move the shoulders in. So shoulders are moving in and energetically move the shoulder blades out. So that's now tha amsa bandha. So physical action is in towards the center. Energetical action is out away from the center.

And then the two other actions are same so that inner shoulder blade is moving in towards the center sternum, lower shoulder blade is moving towards the lower sternum. Then let's do the down dog and practice this a little bit with the down dog. So do the down dog first and then rotate the upper arms out. What happens naturally when you rotate the upper arms out? Shoulder blades start to move in towards each other.

But you try to resist and you try to move the shoulder blades energetically away from each other when you rotate the upper arms out. Thus you create space in your upper back. And then rotate the upper arms out, lower shoulder blades start to move out. And now energetically move the shoulder blades towards each other. So now we are working towards the ha amsa bandha.

Repeat again. Upper arms out, and then try to move the shoulder blades apart, hold, exhale release. Then rotate the upper arms in and then try to move the lower shoulder blades in towards each other and then exhale release. So this is now amsa bandha. I just repeat that so that when you do a ha on the sthula sarira action is expansion.

So on the physical level, shoulders move out, when you do ha amsa bandha and shoulder blades move in and then when you do that tha on the physical level on the sthula sarira level, shoulders are moving physically in, but shoulder blades on the energetical level prana sariraa, shoulder blades moving out. Thank you.