Bridge Pose – Setu Bandhasana

Bridge Pose is a pose that I use for a great stretch. It will stretch your spine while strengthening your glutes and hamstrings. Bridge Pose will also stimulate your lungs, thyroid and abdominal organs. By pushing blood flow to your head, it’s also calms your mind. So here’s how we do it…

Lie on your back. Bend your knees and bring your feet close to your booty hip-width apart. Rest your arms by your sides, palm down. With an inhale, push into your feet to lift your hips. Reach your chest toward your chin. Clasp your hands underneath you and tuck your shoulders under.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths. Unclasp your hands, then exhale and lower your body back to mat. If you feel a strain in your shoulders, you can modify this by keeping your arms flat on the floor to lessen the stretch in the shoulders.

Make sure you watch your alignment. Knees should be over your ankles, feet hip-width apart, and focus on lengthening tailbone toward knees. You will also need to keep your face pointing straight up to the ceiling, don’t turn head to side.

Bridge Pose can also be used to work your way into back bend poses. If you work on building your abs, glutes, and hamstrings with Bridge Pose, it will prepare you to ease into hands palms down beside your ears to push up into full back bend.

Namaste