Bandha (yoga)

A bandha () is a kriyā in Hatha Yoga, being a kind of internal mudra described as a "body lock,"Sanskrit text and English translation of the Pancham Sinh edition at sacred-texts.com (archive.org) pp. 95-127 to lock prana into the body. Bandha literally means bond, fetter, or "catching hold of".

Mula bandha

Mūla bandha is a primary bandha in traditional yoga.

Etymology

Mula Bandha (Sanskrit: मूल बंध) is from Mūla, meaning variously root, base, beginning, foundation, origin or cause.

Description

The earliest textual mention of mūla bandha is in the 12th century text Gorakṣaśataka, which defines it as a yogic technique to achieve mastery of breath and to awaken the goddess Kuṇḍalinī. It defines mūla bandha as:

According to Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, this technique belongs to hatha yoga.

Iyengar defines Mūla Bandha as a posture where the region of the lower abdomen from the anus to the navel is contracted towards the spine and pulled up to the diaphragm. He likens the functionality of the Bandha and especially Mūla Bandha to "safety-valves which should be kept shut during the practice of kumbhakas". He specifies the energetic prāṇas of Vāyus engaged through Mūla Bandha as: "...Apāna Vāyu (the prāṇa in the lower abdomen), whose course is downwards, is made to flow up to unite with Prāna Vāyu, which has its seat within the region of the chest." He cautions that "Mūla Bandha should be attempted first in antara kumbhaka (retention after inhalation). He further states that "While practicing Mūla Bandha, the yogi attempts to reach the true source or mūla of creation."

Maehle defines it as "root lock" and further specifies that:

The action of mula bandha has been described as similar to a Kegel exercise.

Uddiyana bandha

Uḍḍīyana bandha (Sanskrit: उड्डीयन बन्ध), also called abdominal lock or upward lifting lock, is the abdominal bandha described and employed in hatha yoga, in particular in the nauli purification. It involves, after having exhaled all the air out, pulling the abdomen under the rib cage by taking a false inhale while holding the breath and then releasing the abdomen after a pause. The process is repeated many times before letting the air into the lungs, resuming normal breath.Uddiyana Bandha by Dr. Karl Nespor, in Yoga Magazine, a publication of Bihar School of YogaHow to do Uddiyana Bandha From Guy Powiecki from tradition Swami Kuvalayananda

Jalandhara bandha

Jalandhara bandha (, IAST: Jālandhara bandha) is the chin bandha described and employed in Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga.

The name Jālandhara bandha comes from Jāla, web or net and () dhara, "holding".

This bandha is performed by extending the neck and elevating the sternum (breastbone) before dropping the head so that the chin may rest on the chest. Meanwhile, the tongue pushes up against the palate in the mouth.

Maha Bandha

Mahā Bandha ("the great lock") combines all the other three bandhas, namely:

Mula Bandha, contraction of the perineal body Uddiyana bandha, contraction of the abdomen into the rib cage Jalandhara Bandha, tucking the chin close to the chest

In Ashtanga Yoga, these three Bandhas are considered to be one of the three key principles of yoga practice.

Bandha (yoga)

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