gymnastics

[Guest guest]

just out of curiosity- do gymnasts use anything resembling mula bandha?

[Guest guest]

That's an good question, and I've been interested

in gymnasts and contortionists to see where their

methods mesh with yoga. So far not much luck, although I

did discover one webpage...i'll try to find it and

post the link here.<br><br>I guess there's a

similarity found in the use of antagonistic contraction for

the purpose's of increasing flexibility. If one set

of muscles groups are contracted, the opposing

muscle groups are more prone to relax and increase in

length. For example, tightening the quads in forward

bends has the effect of relaxing the hamstrings;

contracting the hamstrings/gluts in, say, hanumanasana or

virabhadrasana has the effect of relaxing the opposing front hip

and groins. <br><br>So whatever muscle groups one is

trying to lengthen, there's an opposing muscle groups

that may be contracted to aid one's efforts. This is

something that the gymnasts are hip to.<br><br>It seems to

me that all such contractions are aided practically

aided by uddiyana and mula bhanda. <br><br>As far as

strength moves go, I recall reading a book by a U.S. gold

medal winner (Kurt Thomas?) and he said that those

really incredible strength moves, like lifting yourself

off the floor and raising your straight legs so that

your knees meet your chin) take years to perfect, the

muscles having to adapt over time.

[Guest guest]

Regardless of whether gymnastics are like yoga

(and who can deny that some of the routines and

specific movements are similar to vinyasas?) these

athletes exhibit admirable strength, flexibility, grace,

and poise. And bandhas, though called by different

names, may indeed be used. Intense focus and

concentration has got to be there too, in no less of a degree

than in an ashtangi. Of course, the focus and

objectives of the practices are totally different, the

practitioners' state of mind a whole other ball game. And

gymnasts probably don't chant "vande gurunam

charanaravinde..." before getting on the mat. But you never

know...<br><br>I have been interested in potential links between

the gypsies, yoga, and gymnastics. Since some gypsy

groups originated in India, perhaps yoga was transformed

by gypsy culture into a performance

art.<br><br>Ohhhh, perhaps we should go on a quest; the research

juices are flowing!