Bandhas — Three Yogic Locks (त्रिबन्ध)
Bandhas — Three Yogic Locks (त्रिबन्ध) is a Hindu / Hatha yoga — Tri-bandha body system as transmitted through the lineage Haṭha-yoga teaches bandha as a deliberate containment and redirection of prāṇa: mūla at the pelvic root, uḍḍīyāna at the abdomen, and jālandhara at the throat. In later practice manuals the three are combined as mahā-bandha, represented here as an ascent through the central channel rather than as a physical vessel.. This page lists every point in the system with sourced placements and links to cross-tradition correspondences curated for The Body Spiritual.
Open in interactive explorerPrimary sources
- Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (transl. Pancham Sinh, 1914) — Chapter 3, bandha and mudrā sections (verses 54–77 in the Sinh edition), describing mūla, uḍḍīyāna, jālandhara, and mahā-bandha practice.
- Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā (transl. Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu, 1895) — Chapter 3, Dhauti and bandha instruction (verses 9–21 in the Vasu edition), preserving the three-lock vocabulary and its breath-control setting.
Known lineage variants
- Texts differ on whether uḍḍīyāna is taught as an abdominal lift after exhalation or as part of a sustained combined lock; this map marks the navel region rather than claiming an exact muscle boundary.
- The ascent line is a practice diagram of suṣumṇā, not an anatomical structure; the front-view midline projection and its small uncertainty radius are editorial conventions.
Related systems
No other systems share this tradition label.
Points
- Mūla bandha — root lock — Perineal root
- Uḍḍīyāna bandha — flying-up lock — Navel lift
- Jālandhara bandha — throat lock — Chin-to-chest seal
Frequently asked
What is Mūla bandha — root lock?
Mūla bandha is the root lock, rendered at the pelvic floor and perineal base. Haṭha sources place its action in drawing the downward-moving force upward; the point is a symbolic practice locus, not a clinical instruction or anatomical claim.
What is Uḍḍīyāna bandha — flying-up lock?
Uḍḍīyāna bandha is shown at the navel and upper abdomen, where the texts describe an inward and upward abdominal action. The point locates the instructional focus of the lock; it does not assert that prāṇa or the diaphragm forms a visible tract.
What is Jālandhara bandha — throat lock?
Jālandhara bandha is the throat lock, represented at the throat where the chin-to-chest seal is taught alongside breath retention. Its placement follows the textual body region while the glowing point remains an iconic attention aid.