Bridge Pose

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Ahhhhh… bridge pose. This shape is likely a very welcomed one for most yoga practitioners. Reclined, and requiring just a bit of effort, the body receives a good deal of opening across the front, while still mostly at rest. The quadriceps lengthen in this posture, and for most of us, the more expansion across the chest/heart space, the better. Considered both an inversion and a backbend, bridge pose offers a lot of bang for your yoga buck.

To come into the posture, lie on your back with your knees bent, soles of the feet on the floor, close to your buttocks. Be sure feet are hip width apart.

Pause here for a breath and feel the soles of the feet pressing into the floor. Now lengthen your spine by drawing the tailbone toward the knees. On an inhale, lift the hips off the floor, as high as is comfortable. Keep the thighs and feet parallel to one another, and the knees reaching forward. If it’s comfortable for your shoulders, reach the arms overhead so that the backs of the hands touch the floor, and breathe, really breathe! Fill the belly with breath, and let the ribs expand and float down towards the chin.

Stay in this form for one minute or longer if comfortable. When ready to release, exhale, slowly rolling the spine down, one vertebra at a time, and REST. Feel the spine after this gentle backbend, feel the effects of the inversion too.

Benefits

• Relieves stress, tension, calming the brain
• Stretches the chest, neck, spine and quadriceps
• Stimulates the thyroid and lungs
• Therapeutic for asthma, high blood pressure and sinusitis

Take Note

If you have a neck injury, do not perform this posture.