Jalandhara Bandha Benefits: 10 Powerful Effects of the Throat Lock in Yoga

Discover the far-reaching effects of this subtle chin-to-chest gesture in yoga.

By PRANA EDITORS | Updated: August 20, 2025

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Jalandhara Bandha, also called the Neck, Chin, or Throat Lock, is a yogic technique to regulate the flow of life energy within the body. As we explained in our beginner’s practice guide, it involves sitting tall in meditation and pressing your chin into your chest as you hold your breath.

But this small gesture, practiced regularly, yields wide-ranging benefits for the body and mind.

Traditionally, yogis have used Jalandhara Bandha to concentrate life energy into the upper chest, and quiet the mind. It’s also incorporated into pranayama because it helps maintain steady internal pressure during breath retention, which makes holding the breath (kumbhaka) a lot more comfortable.

If you’ve been following along in our Yoga Bandha Series, we’ve already shared a bullet-point list of Jalandhara Bandha's benefits in our how-to guide. In this article, we’ll explore all those benefits in detail, covering both the modern scientific findings and the anecdotal claims of yoga texts.

Benefits of Jalandhara Bandha (Throat Lock)

 1. Promotes Relaxation and Reduces Stress

One of the first benefits you may notice when practicing Jalandhara Bandha is how quickly it calms the mind. As you lower the chin to the chest, the controlled pressure at the throat slows down nerve signals and blood flow to the brain. This subtle shift in blood and energy flow activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is your body’s built-in “rest and relaxation” mode.

Secondly, Jalandhara is usually paired with pranayama, which offers its own calming effects.

Numerous studies have shown that pranayama can significantly lower stress hormones, help with emotional regulation, and balance the nervous system. When combined, these practices work together beautifully, and are a reliable way to reduce stress and induce deep relaxation.

2. Helps Manages Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one the leading causes of premature deaths worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet, an estimated 46% of adults suffer from hypertension and more than half of them struggle to manage it effectively.

Several studies have examined the benefits of Jalandhara for those with hypertension.

In one study , participants who practiced the Throat Lock regularly for a few weeks showed significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Other research has found that is also lowers sympathetic arousal and encourages a calmer state of mind.

3. Improves Breath Retention Capacity

If you’ve ever tried holding your breath in pranayama, you know it isn’t easy. Breath retention can lead to pressure in the chest, ear discomfort, and sometimes dizziness or pain in the temples.

Jalandhara Bandha helps ease these side effects by sealing the throat and chest area, which in turn stabilizes internal pressure and protects sensitive areas like the ears and eyes.

Yogis have long noticed that this makes kumbhaka (breath retention) feel steadier and more sustainable. B.K.S. Iyengar even highlighted improved breath-holding capacity as one of the main benefits of the Throat Lock in his book Light on Pranayama. 

Modern research also backs this, indicating that Jalandhara Bandha helps regulate heart rhythm and makes it easier for the body to adapt to breath retention and apnea-like conditions. For yogis, this means you can perform kumbhaka for longer, with less strain and more comfort.

4. Supports Throat and Vocal Health

Because Jalandhara Bandha concentrates prana (life energy) in the throat, yogis believe it helps keep the voice and throat healthy. Its gentle compression also acts like a massage for the organs, glands, and tissues in the neck, stimulating circulation and generating rejuvenating internal heat.

Yoga texts claim that it improves vocal tone, and “destroys diseases of the throat”. For anyone who speaks, chants, or sings regularly, this makes Jalandhara Bandha a valuable tool.

Many practitioners also find that stimulating the throat area brings a sense of openness in mind — a reminder of yoga’s belief that body and voice are deeply connected. Modern studies on these anecdotal claims are limited, but there are some encouraging findings if you dig deep enough.

One case study observed that regularly practicing Jalandhara Bandha was helpful in relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis, such as sneezing and a runny nose. There are a few other pilot studies that suggest the Throat Lock may have therapeutic potential for treating speech defects and disorders.

5. Raises Chest and Neck Temperature.

An interesting effect of Jalandhara Bandha seems to be its influence on upper body temperature. Modern research has observed that practicing the Throat Lock creates changes in blood circulation, which in turn produce a gentle warming effect through the throat and chest.

A recent study measured this in yoga teachers and found that just a few rounds increased neck temperature by about half a degree Celsius. This supports what yogis have said for centuries, that the Throat Lock can soothe the throat and relieve minor sinus and respiratory issues.

6. Boosts Thyroid and Metabolic Function

The throat is home to the thyroid gland, which plays a central role in regulating energy, metabolism, and hormonal balance. Jalandhara Bandha stimulates this area through gentle compression, which many yogis believe helps keep the thyroid healthy and active.

In 2018, two doctors conducted a study to explore the impact of asana, mudra, and bandhas on the thyroid gland and thyroxin levels. It was observed that practicing mudras such as Jalandhara Bandha and Surya Bhedana had a noticeable impact on the body's metabolism.

When practiced alongside specific yoga poses and breathing exercises, Jalandhara Bandha led to an improvement in the functioning of the thyroid gland. Although, these benefits were observed after several weeks of regular practice under proper guidance from a yoga instructor.

The study concluded that Jalandhara Bandha and other yoga mudras can be beneficial in regulating both body temperature and metabolism. While more studies are needed, the findings suggest that the Throat Lock may complement conventional approaches to thyroid care.

7. Improves Spinal and Nervous System Health

Jalandhara Bandha doesn’t just work at the throat — its effects ripple through the spine and nervous system too. By gently compressing the neck, circulation in the cervical spine improves, helping nourish both the spinal cord and the network of nerves branching from it.

The posture itself also supports spinal health because this bandha is practiced in seated poses like Padmasana (Lotus Pose), which naturally lengthens and strengthens the back. Over time, this combination of posture and Throat Lock helps build a resilient and well-aligned spine.

8. Amplifies the Benefits of Pranayama

Many yoga students limit their practice to basic pranayamas, often choosing to forgo bandhas.

A recent study was conducted on 60 randomly selected adolescent participants who were divided into three groups: the first practiced only pranayama, the second only bandhas, and the third practiced a combination of pranayama and bandhas.

Based on pre and post-test statistics, the third group (pranayama and bandhas) had more significant changes in physiological functions compared to the others.

This indicates that the combination of the two practices is superior. The study also proves that all branches of yoga are synchronous, designed to enhance each other’s benefits.

9. Raises Pain Threshold (Traditional Dental Use)

One of the more unusual recorded uses of Jalandhara Bandha comes from traditional Indian dentistry. In certain practices, patients would engage the Throat Lock before tooth extractions, sometimes even without anesthesia. Researchers studying this method found that Jalandhara Bandha appeared to raise the pain threshold, making the procedure more tolerable.

Of course, this isn’t how dentistry is practiced today, and we certainly don’t recommend trying it outside of its cultural and historical context. Plus, the tooth extraction is a traditional operative procedure called Pradhana Karma, which also involves the manipulation of pressure points.

For the modern yogi, the takeaway is less about anesthesia or dental care and more about resilience. With regular practice, Jalandhara Bandha can teach you how to meet intensity — whether physical, mental, or emotional — with greater steadiness and calm. 

10. Stimulates the Vishuddhi (Throat) Chakra

Beyond its physical effects, Jalandhara Bandha also has an energetic dimension. In yogic tradition, this practice is closely linked to the Vishuddhi, or Throat Chakra. This chakra is an important energy center associated with clarity, self-expression, and communication.

When you seal the throat, prana is concentrated in the upper body. This can help clear energetic blockages in the nadis (energy pathways) and create a sense of openness in the mind. Yogis believe it leads to a more authentic expression, as if something within has been unlocked. 

Jalandhara Bandha Benefits in Classical Yoga Texts

Let’s explore the benefits of Jalandhara Bandha as per three classic yoga texts that inform all branches of Hatha Yoga, namely Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, and Shiva Samhita.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the most revered text among Hatha Yoga schools, claims that Jalandhara Bandha “destroys a host of diseases of the throat.” Noting other benefits, it says regularly practicing this bandha delays aging and improves overall health and vitality (3:70-71).

The 17th-century yoga text, Gheranda Samhita, states yogis should not practice Kumbhaka (breath retention) without Jalandhara Bandha. (3:10) According to yogis, the bandha also slows down the heart, soothes the carotid nerve, and induces a trance-like condition.

Lastly, Shiva Samhita asserts that practicing Jalandhara Bandha enhances wisdom, slows down aging, and leads to perfection in every task (6:62-63). The text also mentions that it strengthens Agni (inner fire) within the body, which helps a yogi achieve success in all three realms.

Final Thoughts + What to Read Next

A quick reminder: This article is a part of our Yoga Bandha Series, where we break down the four yogic internal locks in detail. To continue learning, explore these related articles:

• Jalandhara Bandha: How to Practice the Throat Lock Step by Step

• Jalandhara Bandha in Yoga: How the Throat Lock Fits Into Practice

• Coming soon: Jalandhara Bandha’s Purpose and Spiritual Significance

• The Best Courses and Books on Yoga Bandhas for Self-Learners

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