← EXERCISE LIBRARYPranayama
Great Lock
Maha BandhaThe three locks applied together on a held-out breath. Only worth attempting once Mula, Uddiyana and Jalandhara Bandha are each reliable on their own.
- 01Practise on an empty stomach, seated upright with the hands on the knees.
- 02Exhale completely through the mouth and hold the breath out with the throat closed.
- 03Apply Jalandhara Bandha by lifting the sternum and drawing the chin toward the collarbones.
- 04Apply Uddiyana Bandha with a mock inhale, then add Mula Bandha by lifting the pelvic floor.
- 05Hold all three for 5 seconds only as a beginner, then release in reverse order — pelvic floor, then abdomen, then lift the head — before letting the inhale come in slowly.
- 06Take 5 full normal breaths between attempts and perform no more than 3 attempts in a session.
- 01Build in order, release in reverse order. The sequence is the technique.
- 02If any one of the three locks is guesswork, go back and practise it alone first.
- 03Five seconds, then out. Length is not the objective here.
- 01Attempting it before each lock is individually reliable, which usually produces a general clench rather than three distinct actions.
- 02Practising during pregnancy, with uncontrolled hypertension or heart conditions, glaucoma, hernia, neck injury, or after recent abdominal surgery — the contraindications of all three component locks apply at once.
- 03Stretching the retention because the hold felt fine on the first attempt. Breath retention should never be forced, and fatigue in this practice arrives suddenly.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.