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Neck Lock (Jalandhar Bandh)

What is Neck Lock (Jalandhar Bandh)?

Neck Lock is the most basic and generally applied lock. It regulates gross and subtle movement in the upper part of the body. Practiced correctly, it helps stabilizes the blood pressure, allowing the cerebrospinal fluid to flow to the brain.

When to Apply Neck Lock (Jalandhar Bandh)?

As a general rule, it is applied it in all chanting meditations and during most pranayama exercises or whenever you are holding the breath in or out. It is usually applied unless instructed otherwise.

How to apply Neck Lock

  • Sit comfortably with the spine straight.
  • Lift the chest and sternum upward.
  • At the same time. gently stretch the back of the neck straight by pulling the chin toward the back of the neck.
  • The head stays level and centered. and does not tilt forward or to either side.
  • The muscles of the neck and throat remain loose. Keep the muscles of the face and brow relaxed.
  • The stretch is automatically applied by the shift of relative position between the chin and chest. Do not force the head forward or down. That will only result in a sore neck.

What the Neck Lock Achieves

  • It seals the energy that is generated in the upper areas of the brain stem.
  • It prevents undue changes in blood pressure that can sometimes be induced by exercise and breathing. It acts as a safety valve that regulates that pressure by reducing dizziness that can result from a practice.
  • It is easier to focus on internal sensations and perceptions without distraction from the peripheral senses when you hold this lock.
  • It creates nerve reflexes that stimulate and balance the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
  • It directs the flow of pranic energy into the central channel past the neck and in the central channel relative to the heart. Without the neck lock, the pranayama energy could flow to the ears or eyes or other places. With the lock, the heart is calmed and the flow of energy is natural.
  • Helps contain the energy of the Moon Center at the chin.
  • In the yogic texts, it is emphasized that this lock prevents the nectars of the brain from dispersing too quickly. The word jala refers to the brain and its watery secretions; dhar is the upward pull or open gate. Jalandhar is the upward pull that opens the gate to the brain’s watery nectars. In Yogi Bhajan’s terminology, the higher glands of the brain-pituitary, pineal, and hypothalamus-are stimulated in certain practices to secrete hormones and to form a communicative relationship to each other. When the pituitary secretes, it is referred to as “the turning of the lotus of the moon.” It was represented as a cooling flow that would mix with the heated energy from the navel area and the lower nerves. By applying this lock there is an increased concentration of those secretions that allows a new level of interrelatedness between the glands. There are potentials in the mostly dormant pineal that can only be awakened by concentrating the “nectar of the moon.” Fortunately, this lock is a simple systematic practice that gradually leads to opening that special connectedness.

Contraindications

People with high intracranial pressure, vertigo, high blood pressure or heart disease should not practice jalandhar bandh. Refrain from practice if vertigo or dizziness arises.

View Other Body Locks (Bandhs)

Practicing the Locks

Like anything else in Kundalini Yoga, the bandhas are best learned by experiencing them. To familiarize yourself with them, sit on your heels with the knees spread slightly apart. Rest your palms on your thighs.

  • Inhale, exhale, and apply root lock. Breathe in and relax it.
  • Inhale, exhale, and apply diaphragm lock. Then breathe in and relax it.
  • Apply neck lock and relax it.
  • Repeat exercises 1-3 for 3 minutes. Do it correctly, and the body will sweat. This short practice will develop your ability to distinguish the locks from each other. It may also give you a sense for how the energy moves through the subtle body.

 Self-Awareness through Bandha Practice

As you learn the basics of body locks, are there some areas of your body that are stiffer or feel more constricted than other areas? Take your time and meditate on the benefits of each lock in the physical, psychological, and energetic realms as you practice. This may reveal new or old aspects of your body, mind, and energy that need attention or healing. Allow the body locks to work over time, and incorporate them into your practice.

How do you feel after practicing the body locks? Can you feel the effect of the locks on your yoga practice? Keep a journal as you learn to master these locks and benefit from their powerful effects.

Main Content Source

Page 107-108 of the Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Textbook from Kundalini Research Institute (KRI)

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  1. The Bandhas (Body Locks) - 3HO International


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