LESSON 14/20 · MUDRAS & LOCKS

The hands and the locks: mudras and the three bandhas, a safe introduction

Two small details in any picture of someone sitting in meditation — how the hands are placed, and those moments of drawing the belly in or folding the chin while holding the breath — are in fact a whole class of named technique: mudra and bandha. For a teacher, mudra is a tool for gathering attention and for closing the nostrils in alternate-nostril breathing; bandha is an advanced technique that needs introducing very carefully. This lesson gives you enough to use mudras properly and to introduce bandha safely — with the reminder every classical text repeats attached: the locks must be learned one at a time, and they are not for everyone.

1WHAT A MUDRA IS — TWO BASIC HAND POSITIONS

Touch the index finger to the thumb — a small closed circle to gather the mind

Chin mudra and Jnana mudra, hands resting on the knees — The tip of the index finger touching the base or tip of the thumb, the other three fingers extended and loose — hands on the knees, palms up (Chin) or down (Jnana).

REMEMBER Palms up = Chin mudra · palms down = Jnana mudra. The function: gathering attention, turning it inward.

The simplest hand mudra: join the tip of the index finger to the thumb in a small circle, the other three fingers extended and loose, both hands resting on the knees. With the palms turned up it is called Chin mudra (carrying the sense of receiving, opening); with the palms down on the knees it is Jnana mudra (gathering, steadying). Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha explains it this way: closing the finger circle makes a closed “circuit” that helps turn the attention inward, so the mind settles faster in meditation and breathing. This is no miracle — it is a light anchor for concentration.

GRASP THIS Either hand mudra will do — as long as you are consistent.

With students, don't make a complicated business of mudra. Pick one (usually Chin mudra, palms up, for the open, released feeling) and keep to it steadily through the session. The whole purpose is to give the hands somewhere to rest and the mind a small point of contact to hold. If a student finds it awkward, having them rest the hands loosely palm-down on the knees is perfectly fine.

On the mat: Going into the seated breathing, give one compact cue: “hands on the knees, touch the tip of the index finger to the thumb, let the other three go”. There is no need to explain energetic meanings to a general class — a room with the hands still and the same is enough to bring the air down.

2THE HAND POSITIONS FOR ALTERNATE-NOSTRIL & THE BEE

The right hand works the two nostrils — and one hand position closes the seven gates of the senses

Fingers closing the nostrils for alternate-nostril breathing — The nostril-closing mudra (Nasagra / Vishnu): thumb closes the right nostril, ring finger the left — the other two fingers folded, or resting lightly at the middle of the forehead.

REMEMBER The nostril-closing mudra has TWO names: Nasagra mudra (Bihar) and Vishnu mudra (the Iyengar tradition) — the same function.

To teach alternate-nostril breathing (from Lesson 8), the right hand makes a dedicated position. The Bihar texts call it Nasagra mudra: the index and middle fingers rest lightly at the point between the eyebrows, the thumb closes the right nostril and the ring finger the left. The Iyengar tradition calls it Vishnu mudra: the index and middle fingers folded right into the palm, the rest as above. The two differ only in what the index and middle fingers do; the function is identical. The advice: pick one name to teach with, and add “other books may call it the other” so students are not confused. The finger pressure is always very light, just enough to stop the air.

GRASP THIS Shanmukhi mudra — “closing the seven gates” for the bee breath.

Teaching the bee breath (Bhramari), there is a hand position that deepens the effect: Shanmukhi mudra — both hands brought to the face, the thumbs closing the ears lightly, the remaining fingers resting loosely on the eyes, beside the nose and around the lips. With the ears and eyes partly closed, the “hmmm” resonates in the head more clearly and the student turns their attention inward more easily. For a general class, closing the ears lightly with the index fingers is plenty; keep the full Shanmukhi for a deeper, seated session.

On the mat: Before going into alternate-nostril breathing, have the room “practise with no hand” a few times to get used to the fingers, reminding them to drop the shoulders and lift only the hand rather than pulling the head down. If the arm tires, prop the elbow on a knee or change hands — comfort matters more than the “correct” fingers.

3WHAT A BANDHA IS — AND THE GOLDEN RULE

Three “locks” at three gates of the body — and why each must be learned on its own

The three bandha regions on the body — The three locks correspond to the body's three “diaphragms”: the throat (Jalandhara), the belly (Uddiyana), the pelvic floor (Mula).

REMEMBER Bandha = “a lock, an engagement”. Three locks at three levels: throat · belly · pelvic floor.

The word bandha means “to hold, to engage, to lock”. Science of Yoga has a way of picturing it that is very easy to hold on to: the body has three “diaphragms” — the diaphragm of the throat, the breathing diaphragm (between chest and belly), and the pelvic-floor diaphragm — and the three bandhas are deliberately engaging and then releasing at those three levels. Combined with a held breath, they are held to “gather” the energy of the breath. The three locks: Jalandhara (chin and throat), Uddiyana (belly), Mula (pelvic floor).

REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE: learn & master EACH lock SEPARATELY first, with a teacher — and only then combine them with the breath.

This is the principle the Bihar texts repeat again and again, and what a responsible teacher must pass on: do not fold bandha into pranayama before you have mastered each lock on its own, and ideally not except under the direct guidance of an experienced teacher. Bandha affect the pressure in the chest and abdominal cavities and the cardiovascular system, so careless practice can bring on dizziness and faintness. On this site and in a general class, we only introduce them to be understood — the chin lock (Jalandhara) alone is the gentlest and may be tasted; the other two are kept for a supervised path.

On the mat: If a student has watched an international video and asks about “energy locks”, explain what they actually are and set the safety frame immediately: this is an advanced technique, learned step by step, not practised alone from a video. That caution is exactly the mark of a professional teacher — not of someone withholding their trade.

4THE CHIN LOCK (JALANDHARA) — THE FIRST AND GENTLEST

Fold the chin towards the breastbone while holding the breath — the safe door to start at

Jalandhara bandha, the chin lock — Jalandhara: having breathed in fully and held, lower the chin towards the notch of the breastbone, keeping the neck long and the chest lifted — then raise the head before breathing out.

REMEMBER Jalandhara is done WHILE HOLDING THE BREATH AFTER BREATHING IN — lower the chin, hold a few seconds, raise the head, and only then breathe out.

This is the lock taught first because it is the gentlest and easiest. At an introductory level: sit steadily, breathe in deeply and hold the breath; gently lower the chin towards the notch of the breastbone, lifting the chest slightly to meet it, keeping the neck long rather than kinked; hold a few seconds within what is comfortable; then raise the head first, and only after that breathe out. The texts describe this lock as helping extend how long the breath can be held and producing a feeling of stillness.

REMEMBER DO NOT do Jalandhara with: high blood pressure, a heart condition, cervical spine degeneration, or a tendency to dizziness.

Gentlest lock though it is, Jalandhara still has contraindications that must be stated: anyone with high blood pressure, a heart condition, degeneration or injury of the cervical spine, raised intracranial pressure, or a tendency to dizziness should not practise it. And as with every held-breath technique: hold only within what is comfortable, and at any dizziness, raise the head, breathe out and stop at once. Never hold to the point of “straining”.

On the mat: If you want healthy students to taste the chin lock, do it with a very short hold (two or three seconds) and only two or three times, after asking to rule out anyone with an existing condition. Treat it as “a taste to understand it”, not a piece of hard work.

5THE BELLY LOCK & THE PELVIC LOCK — INTRODUCED ONLY

Uddiyana and Mula: strong, deep, and needing a teacher beside you

Uddiyana bandha, the abdominal lock — Uddiyana: breathe all the way out, hold the breath out, then draw the belly in and up under the rib cage — only on an empty stomach and only once holding the breath is familiar.

REMEMBER Uddiyana (the belly lock) is done WHILE HOLDING THE BREATH OUT (having breathed all the way out) — the stomach must be empty.

Uddiyana is to breathe all the way out, hold the breath out, then draw the belly in and lift it under the arch of the rib cage to make a deep hollow, hold, and release before breathing in again. It is a strong lock, and the texts record a long list of contraindications: not with high blood pressure, a heart condition, gastric or intestinal ulcers, a hernia, glaucoma, or in pregnancy; the stomach and bowels must be empty (practise hungry). So in a general class we only introduce it so students know the name and the principle, without teaching them to practise along.

REMEMBER Mula bandha (the pelvic lock): engage the pelvic floor lightly — soft and subtle, NOT a hard squeeze.

Mula bandha is to engage the pelvic-floor muscles (the perineal area) lightly, lift, and release. The texts insist: the action must be soft and subtle, not a hard squeeze; and this is a lock to be practised under the guidance of an experienced teacher, not during menstruation. When all three locks are combined within a held breath it is called Maha Bandha (the great lock) — advanced work, outside the scope of a general class. What students need to take away: these locks are real and are useful, but they need a path and a supervisor — not something to copy off a screen.

On the mat: A clear professional boundary: you may introduce Uddiyana and Mula at the level of the idea, but do not lead a general class through holding the breath out and drawing the belly in. If a student genuinely wants to learn them, point them to an in-depth path with a teacher watching them session by session.

Lesson 15 next: From here we open the body of practices wider. The next lesson gathers the settling & balancing group: left-nostril breathing (Chandra Bhedana) to cool and calm, the interrupted breath (Viloma) that climbs like stairs to build control, the even breath (Sama Vritti) on a steady 4-4-4-4 ratio, and regulating each nostril (Anuloma / Pratiloma). These are safe practices, easy to bring into a class, that help students sleep well and carry less tension.

Professional sources: Swami Satyananda, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (Bihar School) — the mudra & bandha chapters; DK Science of Yoga (Ann Swanson) — the “three diaphragms” & safety warnings; B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama. This material is educational and not a substitute for medical advice.