Yoga Glossary · Breath & Energy
Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock)
The throat lock — chin drawing toward the chest to seal the top of the trunk.
Jalandhara Bandha is the third classic lock: the head bows and the chin settles toward the notch at the top of the sternum, lengthening the back of the neck and gently compressing the front of the throat. It completes the set of seals — root, abdomen, throat — used in formal breath retention practice.
In ordinary asana its echo is simpler: keeping the neck long and the chin slightly tucked rather than jammed back, especially in backbends, Shoulder Stand and seated breathwork. That small action protects the neck and keeps the throat soft, and it is one reason Shoulder Stand is taught with the chin toward the chest and never with the head turned.
In practice
- Draw the chin slightly in, like making a polite double chin — that lengthens the back of the neck.
- In Shoulder Stand the lock is built into the shape; never turn the head while you are up there.
- Full throat lock with breath retention is formal practice — seated, supervised, and brief.
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The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.