Bandha (binding, bond, arrest, capturing, putting together etc.) is a term often employed in relation to yogic discourse and instruction. The term denotes a binding, lock or bondage that may be either internal or external to the body. Bandha may be defined as a particular focused and intentional action involving pressure, contraction or force on the muscles or some other bodily or sensate phenomena. 

Hatha Yoga holds that there are four types of bandhas,

1. Jalandhara Bandha
2. Uddiyana bandha
3. Mula Bandha
4. Maha Bandha

Jalandhara Bandha is the chin lock, one of the three internal locks. It is performed by dropping the head slightly so that the chin is tucked close to the chest and the tongue pushes up against the palate in the mouth.

Uddiyana bandha  is the abdominal lock, It involves, after having exhaled all the air out, pulling the abdomen in and up under the rib cage by means of taking a false inhale while holding the breath (performing the same action of an inhale without actually pulling any air into the body) and then release the abdomen after a pause. Then, the whole cycle of false inhale, pause and release is repeated many times before letting the air into the lungs, resuming normal breath. 

Mula Bandha The root (mula) lock moves the earth energy up through the muladhara chakra system connecting above it to the water chakra (swadhistana). Mula Bandha keeps the energy flowing between the body and the earth in a non dual direction.

Maha bandha  “The great bandha” is one of the internal locks , when all the three bandha perform together that’s call Maha Bandha.

Namaste

Master. Praveen Kumar Verma