This video is Part 24 of a YogaSynergy Spinal Movements Sequence taught by physiotherapist and Director of Yoga Synergy, Simon Borg-Olivier, which he teaches in person in courses throughout the world as well as Online in courses at RMIT University and Online in courses at YogaSynergy called Yoga Fundamentals and Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga.

Bianca Machliss, Exhalation Retention with Uddiyana Bandha in Mulabandhasana

In this video Simon Borg-Olivier demonstrates, and explains how to do, abdominal churning, which involves isolation of the rectus abdominis (the ‘six pack’ muscles), and which is referred to in hatha yoga as nauli kriya.

This is the best method I have ever found to get a ‘six pack’ on your abdomen (which can relax or appear at will), also to reduce abdominal fat and to improve internal organ health.

Edited Video Transcript:

“I’m going to expand the chest as if I’m breathing in but not. The expansion of the chest draws my abdominal organs upwards. Then I’m going to use the muscles of exhalation and the muscles that are activated when I push my right hip and left hip forward alternatively. What I’m doing is tightening the abdominal muscles, either the muscles that one uses to exhale fully that you see up here, the external oblique muscles, or the rectus abdominis muscles that come from either side in the front of the trunk.

The rectus abdominis is sometimes called the “six pack muscles”. So, those muscles were activated by pushing the hips forward. Pushing the hips forward firms the front of the abdomen and you can see its firm right now as I push my hips forward and the sides are relaxed. This is what I was doing a lot of the times with the postures. I can also just push the right hip forward or the left hip forward and that firms one side of the rectus abdominis.

So that rolling exercise that I demonstrated is done by pushing the right hip forward, both hips forward, left hip forward and the muscles of exhalation to create the external obliques. So, I’ll demonstrate again. First a diaphragmatic in-breath, continue with a chest in-breath, then an exhalation from the perineum, abdomen and the chest. Then I’m going to expand the abdomen as if I’m breathing in but not and expand the chest like I’m breathing in but not and then demonstrate. And when that’s speeded up looks more like this”

You can see a demonstration of the the entire sequence by clicking here

You can see Part 23 of the instructional videos of the sequence on why the physiological effects of doing Nauli Kriya without breathing by clicking here for our previous blog entitled “Spinal movement sequence (part 23): Why to breathe less than normal in yoga”.

If you want to learn more from YogaSynergy and its Directors Simon Borg-Olivier MScBAppSc(Physiotherapy) and Bianca Machliss BScBAppSc(Physiotherapy) you can enrol in one of the comprehensive and award winning Online courses at YogaSynergy called Yoga Fundamentals (a very practical course for anyone with an interest in yoga, exercise or health) and Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga (a more technical course for teachers, therapists and experienced students). You can also do the more advanced version of these courses online at RMIT University as part of a Masters of Wellness Degree or as part of most bachelor degrees from participating Universities throughout the world.