Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Setu means bridge, bandha means lock or binding, sarvanga means the whole body and asana means posture. Lying on the back with the hips lifted, the body forms an arch like a bridge between the shoulders and the feet.
At a glance
- Sanskrit name
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Pronunciation
- SAY-too BUN-duh sar-vahn-GAHS-uh-nuh. The long last word is stressed on GAHS.
- Family
- Backbends
- Practised in
- Yoga for beginners
- In pregnancy
- Adapt
- After birth
- Adapt
Bridge is a gentle backbend that begins lying down, which makes it approachable for people who find standing backbends daunting. It works the backs of the legs as much as the spine.
Because the floor holds you, it suits a first private yoga lesson, where there is time to learn where the work belongs before the hips lift any higher.
Bridge is also the preparation for Wheel Pose, the full backbend from the floor, which I only teach once Bridge feels easy for several breaths.
How to do Bridge Pose
Lie on your back with the knees bent and the feet flat on the mat, hip-width apart and parallel, heels about a hand's length from the buttocks.
Rest the arms by your sides, palms down, and check that your fingertips can just brush your heels.
Press through the feet, especially the inner edges and the heels, and on an inhale lift the hips off the floor.
Keep the knees pointing straight ahead over the ankles, and let the chest lift toward the chin without pushing the chin down into the chest.
Press the upper arms into the mat, or interlace the hands underneath you and roll the shoulders in, whichever lets the chest open.
Hold for five breaths, then lower down slowly on an exhale, one section of the spine at a time.
My cues
- Keep your head still once you lift. Turning to look around puts the neck at risk while the weight is on the shoulders.
- Imagine pulling your heels toward your shoulders without moving them. The backs of the legs switch on and the lower back gets lighter.
- Let the height come from the legs, not from pushing the belly up.
Modifications
- Supported Bridge: slide a block under the sacrum, the flat bony part at the back of the pelvis, and rest there with the arms relaxed.
- Squeeze a block between the thighs so the knees do not drift apart.
- Keep the hips low and lift only a few centimetres if the lower back is sensitive.
- Put a folded blanket under the shoulders, with the head off it, if the neck feels compressed.
In pregnancy. Adapt. Short holds may be fine early in pregnancy. Later on, lying flat on the back can make some people feel dizzy or unwell, so keep it brief, or skip it for a pose on hands and knees. Check with your OB or midwife before you start.
After birth. Adapt. Once your doctor or midwife has cleared you to exercise, begin with small lifts, rolling up and down with the breath. After a caesarean birth, wait for their advice on when to start, and stop if you feel pulling across the scar or pressure in the pelvic floor.
Common mistakes
- Letting the knees splay outward, which shifts the weight onto the outer feet.
- Turning the head to the side while the hips are lifted.
- Squeezing the buttocks so hard that the lower back pinches.
- Placing the feet too far away, so the hamstrings cramp and the hips cannot rise.
Pairs well with
- Fish PoseMatsyasana
- Happy Baby PoseAnanda Balasana
- Corpse PoseSavasana