Bridge Pose, or Setu Bandhasana in Sanskrit, is a gentle yoga backbend that is often used toward the end of practice before Savasana. It opens the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors, preparing them for relaxation and stillness. It’s still a working pose, however, strengthening the legs, glutes, and lower back. Through heart-opening, it’s another pose that has an emotional component. A block can be placed under the sacrum as a modification for further relaxation and restoration.
How do you do Bridge Pose?
Step 1.
Lay on your back with your knees bent and soles of feet pressing down on the mat, hips width distance apart. Bring your arms by your sides and stretch your fingertips toward your heels.
Step 2.
Keeping your knees and toes pointing forward, ground all four corners of your feet as you lift your hips up.
Step 3.
Imagine your tailbone drawing away from your ribs while finding length along the top of your thighs.
Step 4.
Broaden your collar bones, create space across the chest by slightly lifting your chin away from chest and pressing into the backs of your shoulders.
Step 5.
For a deeper opening, shimmy your shoulders towards each other as you interlace your fingers underneath your hips.
Step 6.
Engage your legs and squeeze your glutes; hold for a few breaths.
Step 7.
To exit, release your hands and roll down your upper back, middle back, lower back, and hips to the floor. Option to progress into a deeper backbend like wheel, or take constructive rest, or release your low back by windshield wiping your knees side to side.
Benefits of Bridge Pose
This pose elevates the hips providing a slight backbend to lengthen the front of the hips while strengthening the glutes.
Preps the body for deeper backbends like wheel.
Stretches chest, shoulders, and neck: The backward bend gently stretches these areas, improving flexibility and reducing tension.
The gentle stretch and focus on breathing can calm the nervous system and reduce stress.
Variations of Bridge Pose
Supported Bridge: Place a block under your sacrum for support.
Lift one leg up for one-legged bridge pose to further strengthen hip muscles.
Heel slides: With your hips lifted, slide your heels forward and back on a mat or on the floor while keeping your hips lifted.
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