Hi there, seasoned yogis. You’re about to try Yogea’s mega-bind sequence. It was requested by many of our followers. Some binds are classical others, are innovative. Ready?

Whenever I think of binds, I picture a giant tree, where the branches wrap and twine – crawling up to the crown to branch out. They wind, spiral and wreathe around the stem to seek the light. That is exactly what happens when we bind in Yoga. We usually twine our arms, legs or hug and wrap around body parts, to squeeze organs and glands and trigger junction points that facilitate the flow of energy, and charge up cells with vitality and light. Binds follow the spiral principle of creation and help us get plugged into our personal data, or blueprint. They are signposts that remind us that we are always at a cross-road, and free to choose which way to go.

Physically, binds link the hands (or a hand to wrist) rotating the shoulders and the torso. This is the classical positioning for binds. Actually every bind is a mudra that locks the energy in and around a certain body part – massaging its respective organ and gland. Most binds are shoulder openers. In Chinese Traditional Medicine, practiced through Qi-Gong binds provide a crossing of the central meridians to promote circulation. Yes, binds are healing. They involve right alignment and require sustenance. When we integrate binds through our practice, we not only get bendy, but also learn how to preserve and contain energy – fueling the flow through each chakra.

The more twine-some (mind you this is a made-up word, don’t look it up in the dictionary, please) our bodies become, the more flexible our mind gets. Did you know that binds elicit creative problem solving? No way? Neither did I, until I got deeper into the many binds in classical yoga, and even came up with new binds on my own. These innovative binds still link the hands and wrap around the torso, but they also connect the hands to the joints, face, head – creating an energy lacework that webs the whole body on top of its tissue. They feel like you are wearing a garment that is silky and snuggly. They also draw on reflexology to trigger access points that boost overall vitality and glow.

Yogea’s binding art meets mudra, somatics, reflexology and polarity to improve your postural alignment, open up your joints and urge you to use your trunk in a spiral, revolving fashion when practicing. All of our movements are bound to that inner and outer spiral as we curl in and branch out – still rooted to a strong and supple trunk. It was the spiral principle that inspired all of Yogea’s whimsical and imaginative binds. They just emerged out of the spiral, coiled into it to branch out from each pose.

Yogea’s binds’ lab has always been a playground for exploration and rediscovery. It is so much fun to experience the body as a moving membrane that undulates, dips, spirals and crests. Just following that inherent logic still brings fresh ideas for binds with every practice. The body just falls into its nooks and crannies, and the mind cracks up. How ingenious! Try this sequence to find your genius.

Binds Yoga Routine: Twine-some (advanced level)

This yoga routine intermingles classical and innovative binds strung through advanced poses into a smooth and imaginative flow.