Granthi (Psychic Knot)

Granthi means "knot" — one of the three constrictions along the path of Sushumna where the rising of energy is held back. What is bound there is not power, but attachment.

Tradition counts three. Brahma Granthi lies in the root region, bound to survival and the pull of matter. Vishnu Granthi lies in the region of the heart, bound to emotion and attachment. Rudra Granthi lies between the brows, bound to the ego — and to the craving for spiritual attainment itself. The last is said to be the hardest to loosen, because it wears the face of something good.

With sustained pranayama, bandha and meditation, the knots are said to loosen little by little. They are not to be forced; they release of themselves when ripe. Rather than claiming that a particular posture or technique "opens" them, the practice asks for patient attention to the signs of change.