By applying Jālandhara Bandha to the throat, the air is held upward;just as a snake hit with a stick becomes straight as a stick.

Kaṇṭhe bandham — the key in the throat — is Jālandhara Bandha, where the chin descends towards the chest, closing the glottis and sealing the prāṇa in the thorax.This prevents air from escaping upward during retention.

The snake metaphor is significant: daṇḍa-hataḥ sarpaḥ — a snake struck by a stick — reflexively straightens up.Similarly, when Jālandhara is applied with retention, Kuṇḍalinī (the coiled serpent) stretches and ascends through Suṣumnā.

This combined technique of posture, bandha and retention creates the conditions for the awakening of Kuṇḍalinī: lower pressure, upper seal and accumulation of prāṇa.