Langota
What is a Langota?
The Langota is a very traditional piece
of Vedic clothing, worn like underwear. In India, people
have been wearing this since the Vedic period (more than
5,000 years ago). All the yogis and Rishis
were wearing the Langota during their yoga practice,
meditation and austerity.
The Langota has two straps and a “tail”
which goes between the legs. The triangular section at the
back is to support the pelvis. The pictures below give a
step by step instruction on how to wear the langota.
Although traditionally worn as underwear, you may find it
more comfortable to wear it over your normal underwear for
yoga practice. It is mainly worn for the supportive benefits
during practice, as described below.
Wearing the Langota
Precautions whilst tying the Langota – Do not tie the
straps so much that the skin is pulling or painful, it
should be to the comfort of the wearer but tight enough to
give good support.
Benefits :
The pelvis area serves as the junction
between the top and bottom sections of the body. When the
Langota is worn and tied tightly it supports the nervous
system, the spine and all the internal organs. In this way
it prevents bone and organ displacement and strain on the
nerves during physical exercise or yoga practice.
It enables the energy to flow correctly
and in the right proportions throughout the body. The prana
is concentrated so as to flow from the base chakra up to the
crown chakra, due to the Langota’s tightness, instead of
being dispersed through the body.
Traditionally worn to help awaken
Kundalini power.
The langota helps to stop displacement of
the intestines during yoga practice and heavy manual work.
It helps to prevent hernias and hydrocele in men.
Provides energy, strength and stamina
during exercise or yoga practise. The difference can easily
be felt when practising yoga for a few weeks without wearing
the Langota and then a few weeks with.
If it is worn everyday for a long period
of time the temperature of the genital area is raised by one
degree, in this condition sperm cannot survive easily so
sperm count will decrease. However if the person wants to
have a child the Langota should not be worn for the whole
life. In practical life, in India, I have seen many people
who have been wearing Langota for their entire life but have
many children. If only worn during exercise or for up nine
hours a day, it will not have any adverse effect on sperm
count. In the case of existing low sperm count it should not
be worn for more than three hours a day.
Contraindications:
1. In the case of aggravated eczema around the waist or
in the groin the Langota should not be worn.
2. In the case of hydrocele, fluid retention in the
testicles, where the size of the testicles becomes uneven,
the Langota can be worn but should be tied to the comfort of
the individual and both testicles must be level and
balanced.
3. In the case syphilis and gonorrhea or other STDs it
should not be worn.
4. In the case of hydrocele surgery, pelvic injury or
surgery and fractured femur it should not be worn.
5. In the case of intestinal hernia it should be worn
carefully.
6. During pregnancy it should not be worn.
Women and Langota :
Although the Indian tradition does not mention that women
were wearing the Langota, in some traditional epics there
are descriptions regarding yoginis, saddhawi
and austeric women who were wearing Langota. Although
occasionally some yogini are seen wearing the Langota in
India today, it was most likely not described in the ancient
texts because exercise or yoga practice was done most often
by men. According to the anatomical structure and
physiological benefits however, both men and women can gain
benefit from wearing it.
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