I’ve been writing for Hugger Mugger’s weblog for 14 years—exhausting to consider. And it’s equally exhausting to consider that in all these years, spanning greater than 900 posts, I’ve by no means written a primary weblog on the right way to follow Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). In my protection, I’ve written two articles about training Bridge on a Customary Yoga Bolster, right here and right here. I’ve additionally written about training Setu Bandha with a Yoga Block. However for some cause, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana sans props escaped my thoughts.

Bridge Pose Advantages

Bridge Pose is a star amongst yoga poses, and it’s been a staple in my courses for many years. Not solely is it a necessary yoga pose, nevertheless it’s additionally an vital pose in energy coaching routines. Bridge Pose confers so many advantages. Listed here are just a few:

• Stretches hip flexors, a mandatory motion for countering the ailing results of an excessive amount of sitting
• Strengthens again muscle groups, glutes and hamstrings
• Can relieve again rigidity
• Promotes improved posture
• Stretches the chest, neck and shoulders
• Calms the nervous system
• Could help digestion (so long as you follow two hours after a meal)

Cautions and Contraindications

Like all yoga poses, Bridge Pose might be contraindicated in sure instances. In case you are presently experiencing a neck and/or shoulder damage, it may be greatest to keep away from Setu Bandha Sarvangasana till you might be healed. In a future publish, I’ll share a variation of Bridge Pose that may be okay to follow with a neck situation.

You may also wish to method Bridge Pose with warning in case you are within the early, heavy days of your menstrual interval. Many ladies expertise no unwanted effects from training Bridge Pose on their interval. However there are some girls who expertise an interruption of their regular move. This will result in cramping and subsequent “flooding.” (I used to be capable of follow Setu Bandha on my interval for years. Then sooner or later, I skilled these signs, and it was extremely disagreeable!)

The right way to Put together to Observe Bridge Pose

Earlier than training Setu Bandha, it may be useful to heat up the areas of the physique that shall be doing a lot of the stretching and strengthening work. These embody: glutes, hip flexors, quadriceps, chest, shoulders, abdominals and neck.

Listed here are just a few recommendations for potential warm-up poses. In fact, a pair rounds of Surya Namaskar (Solar Salutations) may work as nicely:

The right way to Observe Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

1. Lie in your again on a nonskid Yoga Mat.
2. Bend your knees and place the soles of your ft on the ground.
3. Draw your arms shut in to your sides, then bend your elbows in order that your forearms are vertical.
4. Press your higher arms into the ground, and concurrently arch your low again away from the ground.
5. Lengthen your arms alongside your physique.
6. Lengthen your knees outward, away out of your pelvis in an effort to start to elevate your again off the ground. Maintain extending your knees outward away out of your pelvis as your pelvis lifts into Bridge Pose. Keep this outward extension isometrically as you maintain the pose.
7. I want extending outward by my legs to elevate into the pose, relatively than merely pushing up with my glutes. I’ve discovered that after I push up with my glutes, I overextend my hip joints, which may, over time, put on down the cartilage and labrum. The opposite factor that occurs is that my knees are likely to splay out to the perimeters after I merely push up with my glutes. This doesn’t occur after I isometrically lengthen my knees outward from my pelvis. You in all probability gained’t elevate as excessive as you’ll by pushing into your hip joints, however lifting excessive isn’t the purpose! Training sustainably is much extra vital.
8. Rock facet to facet onto the tops of your shoulders and clasp your palms beneath you. In case your elbows bend if you clasp your palms, follow along with your arms parallel on the ground. You may as well maintain a Yoga Strap between your palms to create a stronger grounding in your arms.
9. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths, enjoyable your neck, throat, jaw and facial muscle groups.
10. To depart the pose, lengthen your arms out overhead, alongside the ground and slowly decrease your backbone down onto the ground, lengthening as you go. Repeat in the event you like.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced educating in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third e-book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards in 2010.