27 Oct 2020 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Maha is a Sanskrit word meaning “great.” As such, this final bandha may also be called the “supreme bandha” or Tribandha (“triple lock).” Maha bandha is a kriya in Hatha Yoga, providing the health benefits of all three previous bandhas. Jalandhara Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and Mula Bandha are applied together to formulate Maha Bandha. Since it combines all three locks, it is recognized as ‘the great lock’.
Importance of Maha Bandha
Maha Bandha demands a great deal of physical strength, as it involves an advanced practice. You must master (or at least become sufficiently good at) all three bandhas separately before you commence the ‘great lock.’Practicing Maha Bandha awakens Kundalini Shakti, a form of primal energy.
In bandhas, we actually contract some specific body muscles. This is done by holding the breath for a while, to bind prana energy within us. There are three major Bandhas, Jalandhara, Uddiyana and Mula Bandha, that lock the energy in the throat, abdomen, and pelvis.
When we combine the three major bandhas, we form Maha bandha to get the maximum benefits of these three bandhas. Ones these all practices are mastered, we perform all these practices together in Maha Bandha as the last step of Bandhas.
Maha Bandha Technique
Sit in a meditative posture to begin your practice. Padmasana or Siddhasana is the ideal posture for practicing any of the three bandhas. But one must be completely comfortable in either of them. Sukhasana is a good pose for such people for whom Padmasana or Siddhasana is uncomfortable.
Sit straight keeping the spine erect. Put both of your palms on your knees. Relax the whole body and be aware of your breaths.
Now take slow and deep breaths. After an inhalation, exhale forcefully, moving all the breath out completely. Hold your breath outside.
Apply Jalandhara, Uddiyana and Mula bandha one after the another in the same order as mentioned. There must be no pause in between, the bandhas must be applied back to back.
Retain the breath or locks for as long as it feels comfortable. Do not strain. Even 3 seconds are sufficient for a beginner.
To release the three locks, start with Mula Bandha, then Uddiyana Bandha and in the end Jalandhara Bandha.
Take a slow inhalation after bringing the head into an upright position. One round completes here.
Relax the whole body taking easy breaths. Let the eyes remain closed. Once the breath comes back to its normal rhythm, you are ready to practice again.
Practice 2 times initially. As you begin to feel more efficient in your practice, gradually add one more round till you reach 5 rounds.
Benefits of Bandhas
- Maintains cardiovascular health.
- Activates all the organs of the area, where Bandha is applied.
- Gives relief from a variety of headaches, mood disorders, and sleep disorders.
- Strengthens the immune system and metabolism and Stimulates all glands of the endocrine system
- Helps in better digestion, respiration, and extraction of waste from the body.
- Makes us more concentrated and alert and Calms the brain and strengthens our emotions
- Helps in Kundalini awakening by stimulating Mooladhara (root), Manipura (heart), and Vishuddhi (throat) Chakra.
- Strengthens the autonomic nervous system 2 and parasympathetic nervous system 3.
- It helps to purify the body and mind.
Sequence of Bandha
When we talk about the bandha, one thing where we stuck commonly is the sequence of bandha. In other words, which bandha should we practice first?
Maha bandha is practiced by performing the first three bandhas simultaneously, beginning with jalandhara bandha, uddiyana bandha, and ending with mula bandha. These bandhas are released in the reverse order, with mula bandha first, Uddiyana bandha, and jalandhara bandha last.
Contradictions
- You must not practice Maha Bandha if you suffer from any of these conditions: heart disorder, high or low blood pressure, hernia, stroke, intestinal or stomach ulcer, in case you are recovering from a visceral ailment.
- Maha Bandha must be avoided by pregnant women as well as during menstruation.