We’re thrilled to present a new offering from Tias Little: a 4-week online exploration of the bandhas.
Bandhas are internal seals that direct the flow of vital energy through the body. Engaging the bandhas is an essential part of yoga, for the bandhas impact the master glands of the body while sparking open the nerve bundles along the front of the spine. However, due to stress, trauma and the pressures of modern day living, strain lodges in the body, making bandha work precarious and potentially irritating. This course undertakes an in-depth study of the anatomy of the pelvic, abdominal and cervical “locks”. We look at the bandhas not as contractions, but as internal seals used to channel prana, activate the chakras and balance the autonomic nervous system. We aim to demystify the bandhas, identifying them neither as mechanical locks nor esoteric techniques. Rather we will see how the bandhas flow as a natural extension of breathing and spinal motion. We will have time to explore a bandha each week using yoga, somatic work, meditations, journaling and pranayama. In this course we compare descriptions of the bandhas from the esoteric yoga tradition with contemporary research in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, somatics, and contemplative science.
SCHEDULE
DAY 1 April 1 | 11:30am-1:30pm
Tapping the Root-- Mula Bandha In this practice we energize the innermost structures of the pelvis without clenching or gripping. We explore how mula bandha supports the reproductive organs while providing stability and fluidity in the first two chakras.DAY 2 April 8 | 11:30am-1:30pm
The Flying Bandha--Uddiyana Bandha Uddiyana bandha is critical for lengthening and stabilizing the lower back while activating the third chakra in the solar plexus. Discover how this bandha supports the internal organs and regulates the adrenal glands. We explore how this region is related to the energy of power and fear.DAY 3 April 22 | 11:30am-1:30pm
The Throat Bandha-- This day is devoted to the throat and technique of the “water bandha”. This seal impacts the fluids in the neck-- blood, lymph and the secretion of thyroxine from the thyroid gland. In this class, we engage the delicate structures of the throat without causing excessive constriction. We study how the throat relates to sound resonance, vocal power and repressed emotion.DAY 4 April 29 | 11:30am-1:30pm
The Tongue Seal– In hatha yoga it is of utmost importance to expand the region of the tongue, soft palate and upper throat. Yogis emphasize curling their tongue backward in order to open the pathway into the cranial chakras. Constriction of the palate and upper throat can result in diminished oxygen to the brain, fatigue, poor concentration, and dementia. In this class we open the roof of the mouth and work with the vital energy centers in the brain.
PRICE:
$125 Early Bird (register before Jan 1, 2026)
$135 (After Jan 1, 2026)
Non-refundable, please book with confidence. Recordings will be available.
This training counts as 8 hours towards 300HR contact hours. Discounts not available.
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Tias Little began studying the work of B.K.S Iyengar in 1984 and lived in Mysore, India in 1989 studying Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Pattabhi Jois. His teaching includes precision of alignment, anatomical detail and meditative awareness.
Tias is a long time student of the meditative arts and Buddhist studies beginning with Vipassana and continuing in Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. Tias earned a Master’s degree in Eastern Philosophy from St. John’s College Santa Fe in 1998. He taught for the Yoga Journal conferences for over 10 years and has taught at Esalen, Omega, Kripalu and for Glo on line.
Tias is the author of four books, The Thread of Breath, Meditations on a Dewdrop, Yoga of the Subtle Body, Practice is the Path (Shambhala Publications), and his newest release In the Space Between: The Poetry of Embodiment. He is the founder of SATYA, Sensory Awareness Training for Yoga, a somatic practice that complements yoga.