Maha Bandha word came from the Sanskrit language. Maha means great, and Bandha stands for a Lock. Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes Bandha as a mandatory practice in daily routine to attain the highest level of Yogic life.

It is a sequence of three Bandhas, Mool Bandha (root locking), Uddiyana Bandha (abdominal locking), and Jalandhar Bandha (throat locking).

Maharishi Gherand mentioned that a person should be a master in this Bandha after practising all three Bandhas. It is an advanced practice that comes later when a Yogi has experience in all three Bandhas.

The great lock is incredible to reenergize the pranic body, and it expands the route where Apana Samana pranas meet with each other.

How to practice Maha Bandha?

The great lock should be practised early in the morning with an empty stomach when there is a lot of availability of Prana Vayu or a vital force in the universe. In practising Maha Bandha: –

1. Sit in any comfortable sitting posture, i.e. Sukhasana, Siddhasana, and Padmasana.
2. Keep straight your back, so the prana moves freely to the entire body system.
3. Place the palms over the knees and relax in posture.
4. Take a deep breath, fill the lungs with fresh air and exhale fully outside.
5. Make Kumbhaka or hold your breath outside. Firstly make Mool Bandha, second attempt Uddiyana Bandha, and finally practice Jalandhar bandha.
6. Hold the breath for 20 to 30 seconds until it is possible. Then, when you need to open the locks, please open them one by one starting from Jalandhar Bandha.
7. Please make sure that breathing is proper, and it should not be disturbed. If it is required, make three normal breathing.
8. Bring all the attention to Pelvis, and please be still in your position.
9. It is crucial to be still and to govern the focused areas by which prana is working deep inside.
10. Practice Maha Bandha 5 to 10 times without any break and concentrate on the root channel.                           

Benefits of Maha Bandha

It brings the efficiency of all three Bandhas together. In the meantime, a practitioner attains all the benefits of practising Mool Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and Jalandhar Bandha. There are many benefits of Maha Bandha, and these are: –

• Maha Bandha is excellent in awakening Kundalini Shakti.
• This bandha combines all three bandhas, so a person gets all the benefits together.
• The great lock has a magnificent work on the abdominal region.
• It nourishes our intestines, and they work progressively.
• The endocrine system is very active after practising this bandha. 
• This lock has an ideal task for activating Samana prana.
• Regular and consistent practice of the great lock helps align three lower chakras in the body.
• A person can do this lock after chanting the mantra for balancing the emotions.
• Maha bandha boosts the energy to the internal body organs by which the body gets more power.
• It activates the solar-plexus channel, and it is a beautiful practice for gaining a good appetite.
• It brings complete equilibrium to the body and mind.

Precautions

• Do not practice this bandha if the stomach is heavy. It may cause stomach aching.
• If there is any stomach surgery, avoid practising it.
• Do not practice it in heart disorders, hernia, ulcers, and appendix problems.
• During pregnancy, it is advisable not to attempt Maha Bandha.
• In case of Diarehea, it is suggested not to attempt the great lock.
• Please do not hold the breath longer in case of asthma or breathing difficulty.
• If you have severe headaches or migraine please avoid it.

Note: It is highly advisable to practice before practising Nauli Kriya of the Shatkarmas. It gives a perfect shape to the Rectus Abdominis muscle, mainly used in Nauli practice.