Contracting the throat and firmly fixing the mind on the heart — this bandha called Jālandhara destroys suffering and affliction.

Jālandhara Bandha completes the triad of the three main bandhas.

Technique:

• Kaṇṭham ākuñcya — contracting the throat
• Chin toward the sternum
• Tongue pressing the palate

Jāla can mean “net” or “water.” Interpretations:

• Net that traps the nectar (amṛta) descending from the head
• Seal that controls the network of nāḍīs in the throat

Hṛdaye sthāpayed dṛḍhaṃ manaḥ — firmly fix the mind on the heart. Jālandhara is not only physical; it includes a specific mental concentration.

The benefits:

• Duḥkha-vināśakṛt — destroys suffering
• Śoka-vināśakṛt — destroys affliction

By sealing the throat during kumbhaka, pressure is prevented from affecting the head and energy is directed toward the heart.

The three bandhas together (mūla, uḍḍiyāna, jālandhara) form mahābandha — the great lock.