Bandha in Pranayama (part two)

Carrying on with our discussion from the other day on Bandha & Pranayama (please see here if you missed it), I'd like to expand further.

Remember that bandha is often inaccurately translated as "lock". I assert that this is an inaccurate translation, as when we think of "lock" it implies that something is closed, blocked, or cut off. While this translation may be partially true, it is not the whole picture; it is incomplete and can lead one to see only part of what is happening in the process of bandha.

Think of a valve on a hose. To call that valve a lock -- which it IS, to a degree -- prevents one from seeing the value of it as a VALVE. Yes, closing the valve will "lock" the water inside and prevent it from exiting the hose... but the valve also has the ability to open and allow water to escape. True? To connect this analogy to bandha, when we label a valve as "lock", this is incomplete, or inaccurate. We need something that can more effectively express the totality that is bandha.

Bandha (बन्ध) — etymology & meaning

Etymology

Bandha comes from the Sanskrit verbal root:

• √bandh (बन्ध्) = to bind, tie, fasten, restrain, hold

From this root:

• bandha (बन्ध) = binding, fastening, restraint, lock

Therefore:

• bandha is "something that binds, holds, or restrains"

Personally, I prefer the words tie, restraint, and hold. All of these translations help to paint a picture in the mind around what's happening. This is especially important in the context of our primary topic: pranayama.

As many people are being exposed to yogic breathing techniques, it is wise to consider the depth and scope related to what we are doing when we are practicing yogic "breathwork". Otherwise, we may fall into the delusion that we are doing something spiritual and ancient while simply playing around with the breath. This widening of the scope is why I make a distinction between pranayama and "breathwork"; this is also why I find it valuable to look at the related concepts of kumbhaka and bandha when we are discussing pranayama.

As we saw in our last lesson, "there can be no pranayama without kumbhaka; and there can be no kumbhaka without bandha."

With some of this contextualization in place, we can begin to explore these ideas further.

Let's look at the three major bandhas in classical Hatha Yoga and examine their direct translations.

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Mula Bandha

Mūla (मूल)

• root

• base

• origin

• foundation

👉 Not just anatomical—ontological (the root of the system)

Uddiyana Bandha

Uḍḍiyāna (उड्डीयान)

From the roots:

• ud (उद्) = up, upward

• √ḍī / √ḍay (डि / डय्) = to fly, rise, soar

👉 uḍḍiyāna = “to उड़ना / to fly up,” “to rise,” “to soar upward”

Jalandhara Bandha

Jālandhara (जालन्धर)

There are a few layered interpretations:

1. jāla (जाल) = net, web, network

• Think:

  • network of nāḍīs (energy channels)

  • vascular / neural “web” in the throat region

2. dhara (धर) = holding, bearing, supporting

👉 So:

Jālandhara = “that which holds or supports the network”or “the holder of the net”

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Analysis

You might notice that, by looking at their traditional translations, these terms mean far more than their modernized (& simplified) counterparts:

Mula = "root lock"

Uddiyana = "stomach vacuum/ stomach lock"

Jalandhara = "chin lock"

While these descriptions may be sufficient for an initial approach, eventually one may notice that there is something deeper happening than a mere "chin lock" (for example).

What do we do?

Let's look at the mechanism of respiration, and investigate how breath and bandha weave together. Here we try to think in terms of energy (prana).

How Bandha & Respiration Work

The words in Sanskrit for inhalation and exhalation are puraka and rechaka, respectively. The actual translation into English of Sanskrit words, as we saw above, gives us a clue as to the real meaning hidden therein. In this case, puraka means "to fill" and rechaka means "to release". So, filling and releasing, as opposed to simply inhaling and exhaling.

But... filling what? And releasing.. what?

What happens, physically & anatomically:

When we breathe in [inspiration] the lungs expand and the diaphragm descends into the abdominal cavity. This releases pressure from the heart as space opens up around the cardiac cavity, and the pressure is placed on the organs beneath the heart in the abdominal cavity, where space is restricted. . The opposite takes place when we breathe out [exhalation]: the diaphragm ascends; this puts pressure on the heart, squeezing the space around the heart, while giving space to the organs beneath.

This wave-like motion of breath coincides with a wave-like pulsation of fluid in the body. In much the same way that the moon creates a swelling and releasing of the waters in ocean, the process of respiration does this within the body. Of course, the cycle is much faster. At the same time a yogi should be aware that, depending on the phase(s) of the moon, the positions of the fluid in the body generally speaking will be affected. Based on the texts of Goraknath, founder of Hatha Yoga, we have the adhara system as a map for these cyclical changes. This adhara system is closely related to the chakra system -- the chakras being adharas themselves, or support centers in the subtle body. (Adhara means "support" whilst chakra means "wheel").

We must understand the movement of the fluids in the body to understand the movement of the subtle energy, or prana, and it is in this prana that we are interested in the context of pranayama.

Bandha functions as a sort of pressure-release valve internally, localizing and releasing the flow of energy (and fluid) in different compartments of the body. As the yogi becomes aware of this, one can voluntarily direct and channel this energy.

Breath Retention & Kumbhaka

Scientific studies reveal that the processes of kumbhaka, or breath suspension, lead to very specific processes inside the body.

When you hold your breath:

1. Oxygen (O₂) gradually decreases.

2. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) rises because your cells continue producing it.

3. Arterial CO₂ (PaCO₂) increases.

4. CO₂ readily crosses the blood-brain barrier.

5. The pH of the cerebrospinal fluid drops (becomes more acidic).

6. Central chemoreceptors in the brainstem detect this change and strongly stimulate the urge to breathe.

This is why the urge to breathe is driven much more by rising CO₂ than by falling oxygen.

Effects on the brain:

Elevated CO₂ (hypercapnia) causes:

• Increased cerebral blood flow (vasodilation of brain blood vessels)

• Increased delivery of blood to the brain

• Changes in neural activity

• Altered consciousness at sufficiently high levels

Research has shown that cerebral blood flow can increase dramatically as CO₂ rises. A common estimate is roughly 2–4% increased cerebral blood flow for every 1 mmHg increase in arterial CO₂, although the exact number varies among studies.

Relevant studies:

One classic review is:

• John S. Kety and colleagues demonstrated that cerebral blood flow is strongly regulated by arterial CO₂. (see full study here)

More modern neuroimaging studies using MRI and PET scans consistently show that experimentally increasing CO₂ causes substantial increases in cerebral blood flow and changes in brain activity. (see this study here)

Concluding Thoughts

The terms and evidence suggested here may serve as useful ideas for the practitioner. Remember that these are mere pointers meant to guide one's own practice and experimentation.

If pranayama is said to be incomplete without bandha & kumbhaka then an examination of the functionality of these terms may be essential for our progression in pranayama. The distinction between "breath work" and pranayama may remain merely perfunctory for a philosopher... but for the practitioner, these two ideas are worlds apart. One -- "breath work" -- describes the mechanical act of respiration and the ways in which we can control this fundamental function .... the other -- pranayama -- points to a deeper science of energy and flow which can be affected through purpose, intention and awareness.

Our intention for practice may create a difference in our approach and understanding. In much the same way as a scientist is influenced by their hypothesis at the start of an experiment, we are driven by our assumptions. The refinement of one's assumptions happens via the data collected and the experiments executed. Apply what you discover and discard what is less-than-useful. In this way, a more effective approach may appear.

Grant & BYA