Bandhas — The Energy Locks
The three bandhas (locks) — Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and Jalandhara Bandha — are Tantric practices that seal, redirect, and amplify prana in the body, creating the conditions for kundalini awakening.
Bandhas (locks or seals) are muscular contractions applied at key points in the body to seal prana in and redirect it upward through Sushumna. The three principal bandhas: Mula Bandha (root lock — contraction of the perineum, seals the downward-moving apana and forces it upward), Uddiyana Bandha (upward-flying lock — retraction of the lower abdomen, draws prana and apana upward into the chest), and Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock — chin to chest, seals prana in the thorax and prevents its upward escape). When all three are applied simultaneously, it is called Maha Bandha (the great lock) — said to reverse the downward flow of vital energy and direct it toward the Sahasrara.
By the practice of the three bandhas, the practitioner seals the prana within and prepares the ground for kundalini's ascent.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika prescribes the three bandhas — Mula, Uddiyana, and Jalandhara — as locks that seal apana and prana together and drive the combined force upward into the Sushumna.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika