Best ways for bridge pose?

by Sword fish07 on Feb 15, 2022 0 comments

Bridge Pose AKA Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Step by step bridge pose:

Resting on your back, put your feet flat on the flooring, a distance that is comfortable for you away from the hips
Position your arms next to the ribcage. Now you can either bend your elbows 90 degrees so that your fingers are pointing to the ceiling or keep to the external edges of your mat
By breathing in, press the back of your shoulders and your feet into the flooring and raise your hips up
Press the inner feet down actively and try to keep the knees from spreading out wide, by engaging the inner thighs
Lengthen your tailbone, move your shoulder blades down your back and keep your neck in the neutral position
You can grip your hands behind your back
Stay for 5 to 15 breaths
To come out of the posture, release the arms and roll your spinal column down on an out-breath

Posture Clinic: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana | Wilmington Yoga | Bridge Pose - Bad Back Remedy

Newbies' ideas

Take your time by working on lifting up into the Bridge position with a degree of control. I would practice being available to flow in and out of the pose a couple of times first before holding the pose for a few breaths. But see how you go!!

Pay very close attention to your knees, try not to allow them to fall out too much wider than your feet as you increase your rise upwards. If this happens don’t worry, you can squeeze a yoga block or similar in between your thighs as you come up.

Benefits of Bridge pose

Stretches out the front of your body—such as the thighs, hips, abdomen and chest
Reinforces the back of your body—such as legs, glutes and back.
Enhances food digestion.
Energises you!

Look out for

As you rise up, make certain you do not flatten the back of the neck. Keep the neck in a neutral position and then raise the breastbone towards the chin.

Do not turn your neck throughout the pose (when either coming in or out of the pose, or especially when you are fully engaged in the pose).

Progression of the Pose

Roll your spinal column-- you can come out of the Bridge Pose by slowly coming down, vertebrae to vertebrae!! Just allow the spine to slowly roll is way down naturally. For a lovely spine massage, you just rise up again in the same way.

You can raise one leg straight up to the ceiling.

If you wish, you can make the pose a bit more restorative, again position a support like a yoga block or folded towel perhaps under your sacrum (just above your tailbone) and let your weight rest on the support.

Give it a try and feel the benefits by adding this stretch to your routine!! If you would like a video demonstration then click on the link!