The Three Locks (Bandhas)

The bandhas are 'locks': deliberate contractions of the body — at the perineum, the abdomen, and the throat — held especially during breath-retention. Their purpose is to seal the vital energy in, prevent it from escaping by its usual downward and outward routes, and turn it upward into the central channel so the coiled power can rise. Often applied together as the 'three locks,' they are among haṭha-yoga's most characteristic physical techniques.