Bridge Pose aka Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is a mild backbend/heart opener and a preparatory posture for Dhanurasana, upward facing bow also known as Wheel Pose.
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Step 1
Lie down on your back, knees bent and directly above your ankles. Soles of the feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms alongside your body with the palms facing down.
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Step 2
On an exhale, press firmly into the feet and distribute the weight evenly throughout your feet. Lift your hips up towards the sky. *Modification: For a more passive version of this posture you can bring a block, the long way, underneath the sacrum.
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Step 3
Gently roll the shoulders underneath your body, keep the arms extended and clasps your hands together. You can wiggle back and forth on the blades of your shoulders to get your shoulder to draw further down your back away from your neck. Press the forearms into the earth as you draw the palms of the hands together. Reach the knuckles and tailbone towards your heels.
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Step 4
Keep the spine long and your neck in line with the spine. Your gaze is straight up.
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Step 5
Keep the thighs and knees parallel to each other. Inner thighs gently spin towards the ground. Keep pressing into the earth with your legs and energetically draw the tailbone towards your heels to support your spine.
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Step 6
To release, exhale and gently bring the hips back down to the earth. Walk the feet mat distance apart and knock the knees in towards one another.
- Stretches the chest, heart, shoulders, neck, thighs and hip flexors
- Alleviates stress, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, high blood pressure, asthma and headaches .
- Promotes digestion
- Neck or shoulder injuries
