The body region is part of the name’s meaning
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes a drawing back and upward of the abdomen. Gheranda’s account also describes the abdomen drawn toward the back and associates this with the upward flight of the “great bird.” The image belongs to the text’s account of prana; it is not an anatomical diagram of an organ taking flight.
Not an ordinary breathing cue
Sivananda places Uddiyana among bandhas and relates it to the breathing cycle. That teaching context is materially different from allowing the abdomen to move naturally while breathing. This page should not be read as an instruction to keep the belly pulled in during the beginner exercises.
Compare with the other locks
Jalandhara concerns the throat region, while Mula bandha concerns the base. Looking at these three terms together clarifies why “mudra” in hatha texts extends beyond fingers. The reference explains location and purpose in the sources without a breath-emptying drill, a retention target, or a promise of digestive treatment.
Sources and scope
Main edition
Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 3
Passage for this reading
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 3
Sanskrit verses 3.55–60.
Svātmārāma; Sanskrit and Pancham Sinh’s 1914 translation. English paragraph numbering sometimes diverges from the Sanskrit verses.
- Gheranda Samhita, James Mallinson (2004)
3.8–9, printed pp. 61–62; SanskritDocuments 3.10–11.
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: 3. Uddiyana 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.