The region and the relationship
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes a throat contraction and the chin toward the chest. The Gheranda Samhita also associates the chin and chest with Jalandhara. Sivananda places the lock in a retained-breath setting. These accounts describe a coordinated operation, not simply a lowered gaze.
Reading the traditional explanation
The sources use the language of channels, supports, and the preservation of nectar. That is their explanatory model. It should not be converted into an unqualified claim about the thyroid, blood circulation, or another organ. A location in the body and a medical mechanism are different kinds of assertion.
Why the diagram only marks a region
The schematic identifies the throat so the vocabulary is clear. It does not demonstrate how far to lower the chin, how much to contract, or how long to retain the breath. Compare the Kumbhaka page and the other bandhas to understand the textual relationship. The beginner breathing entries remain complete without adding this lock.
Sources and scope
Main edition
Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 3
Passage for this reading
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 3
Sanskrit verses 3.70–76.
Svātmārāma; Sanskrit and Pancham Sinh’s 1914 translation. English paragraph numbering sometimes diverges from the Sanskrit verses.
- Gheranda Samhita, James Mallinson (2004)
3.10–11, printed p. 62; SanskritDocuments 3.12–13.
YogaVidya.com publisher excerpt, introduction and chapter 3, printed pp. 60–71. This is a sample, not the entire book.
- Kundalini Yoga
“Mudras and Bandhas: 2. Jalandhara Bandha”.
Swami Sivananda; Divine Life Society, tenth edition 1994, authorized web edition 1999. Traditional teaching, not clinical evidence.
What this edition covers
An original reference essay comparing the traditional descriptions. It is not a translation of the entire source chapter.
Limits and differences
The prose above identifies material differences. Traditional explanations and promised attainments are attributed to their sources; they are not clinical evidence. Review date: September 11, 2026.