Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana ) Introduction
Bridge Pose is a great healing pose and is a bridge to the health and happiness of not only your spine but of your entire body.
Sanskrit Name
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana ( Setu-too BAHN-dah setu= bridge, dike or dam bandha = lock or fastener)
Pose Level: Easy
Preparatory Poses
- Hero Pose
- Cobra Pose
- Upward Facing Dog
Follow-up Poses
- Upward Facing Dog
- Chakrasana
- Shoulderstand
- Cobra Pose
Visit here to read about Bridge Pose in Hindi
You can also watch our video on Setu Bandhasana to know everything about this posture.
Bridge Pose: Step by Step
Lay down & bend your knees
Start this posture by lying on your back and if required keep a folded blanket under your shoulders to safeguard your neck. Then by bending your knees place your feet on the floor, put your heels closer to the hips as much as possible.
Knees & ankles in a straight line
Remember that your knees and ankles should be in a straight line, palms facing downwards
Lift your buttocks off the floor
Draw your tailbone towards the pubis and by firming the hips ( not tightly ) lift your buttocks off the floor. To help you remain on the top of your shoulders, hold your hands under your pelvis for support. 
Hold the posture for 30 seconds
Raise your hips until your thighs are aligned to the floor and hold the posture for at least 30 seconds, breathe normally 
Exhale and release slowly
To release, place your hands alongside your body with palms facing down. Exhale as you slowly place your back on the yoga mat, vertebra by vertebra and let your knees drop together. 
If you want to dig deeper into this pose, then raise your heels above the floor and then lift your tailbone slightly closer to your pubis and try to stretch your heels back to the floor from the uplift of the tail.
Modifications and props
If you are unable or having difficulty to raise your pelvis off the floor then place a yoga block under your sacrum and place your pelvis on this yoga block.
Bridge Pose ( Setu Bandhasana ) precautions
Avoid this pose if you are in the below conditions unless practicing under the guidance of a skillful yoga teacher.
- Avoid this pose if struggling with neck pain
- If suffering for back or neck injury, this pose should be avoided
- Don’t turn your head right or left during this posture
- Avoid it during a shoulder injury
Beginner’s Tip
In order not to overstretch your neck don’t try to drag your shoulders strongly away from your ears once you have clasped them under. Slightly, uplift your shoulders towards your ear and press the inner shoulder blades off the spine.
Benefits of bridge Pose
Bridge pose has a wide range of benefits:-
- It helps stretch the back, chest, and neck
- Revives the fatigued legs
- It helps to mitigate the symptoms of menopause ( the ceasing of menstruation in women )
- It pacifies the brain and helps relieve mild stress and depression
- Minimizes tiredness, fear or anxiety, insomnia, and back pain
- Enhance digestion
- Helps to open the tight hip flexors
- It is energizing, restorative and rejuvenating
- It is also a great stress reliever said by one of our yoga experts in this article
How Your Partner Can Assist you?
A partner can assist you to do this posture correctly. Have a partner to straddle your legs and grab your top thighs. Your partner can support your outer thighs with his inner legs and next he can turn the thighs inward and press your inner thighs down towards the floor ( as you oppose your tailbone towards the pubis). You can reproduce these steps in all backbends.
Variation of Bridge Pose
Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is variation of this yoga pose.
- Exhale and raise your right knee into your torso
- Then Inhale and lengthen that leg upright to the floor
- Wait for 30 seconds, then with an exhalation unclasp your foot to the floor
- Then repeat the above procedure for the same amount of time for the left leg
Conclusion
Bridge Pose is Yoga’s most versatile backbend
And I hope this versatile backbend will bring you great health benefits.
Write your experience with this pose in the comment box and share this with your fellow yogi’s on your favorite social media to motivate & inspire us.
Also see:-
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