Bandha

Lock or binding — the deliberate muscular contraction that redirects prāṇa within the body. The three primary bandhas are jālandhara (throat lock), uḍḍīyāna (abdominal lock), and mūla (perineal lock). When applied together as mahābandha, they create a sealed pressure system that forces prāṇa into the suṣumṇā.