Mento-Emotion Locks / Chidvritti Bandha

This is in kundalini yoga, wherein advanced practice locks (bandhas) are applied with or without muscular application in the physical body. The muscular contractions and compressions known in hatha yoga as bandhas are described as physical applications. However, that applies to the preliminary practice.

When the practice moves to the level of the subtle body, the locks applied there confirm to different methods where the mento-emotional energy itself applies locks and compressions in the psyche of the yogi. As one practices with the physical body, locks are applied involuntarily into the subtle body. However, as the focus of the yogi moves more and more into the subtle body, the locks may be applied in the subtle body with no application in the physical form.

Consider that when this physical body is no longer available, the yogi will be left with only the subtle body. Will he/continue practicing on the subtle plane or will he abandoned the practice because of not having a physical form to operate. Some may find the query to be irrelevant because they plan to not use a body once the physical body becomes fully dysfunctional. But those yogis who feel that they will be relocated fully to an astral plane, would do well to shift the practice of yoga to the subtle body now before nature forces the issue just after it kills the physical system.

During the proficient phases of kundalini yoga practice using kapalabhati/bhastrika pranayama, a yogi will experience a shift in the operation of kundalini, where it rarely shoots through the spine into the brain but instead makes bursts in other parts of the body, particularly in the trunk, where it will burst into compact colorful light energy with bliss feelings.

Then the yogi should apply subtle body locks (chidvritti bandha) which are not muscular contractions but rather mental energy contraction and containments, and emotional energy surges and routes. These will occur with intense concentration of bliss pixels either in the entire trunk or the entire body or specific zones and areas.