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Setu Bandhasana, also known as Bridge Pose, is a back-bending yoga pose with many benefits. It gently opens up the front side of the body while strengthening the back muscles.
Looking for an upside-down surprise? Try the bridge pose! Setu Bandhbasana stretches open your chest and hips, building up the strength of the back.
This remarkably subtle and potent yoga posture helps enhance spinal flexibility and decompress the spine. And who does not want a little boost? This blog will discuss the Setu Bandhasana in detail and its health benefits.
What is The Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana?
Known as the Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, or Setu Bandhasana, this yoga pose opens the front side of the body. The Sanskrit name roughly translates to:
Setu - Bridge
Bandha - Bond/Lock
Sarvanga - The whole body
To perform the bridge pose:
- Lie down on your back near the edge of a standard yoga mat, having bent knees and feet positioned hip-width apart, parallel.
- Press your feet into the mat, then lift your body upwards to form a straight line between your head and legs or an inverted ‘V’ shape.
- Put your hands together underneath your body or rest them beside you for support.
- Open the front of your chest by drawing your shoulder blades down your back and away from your ears.
- Push with your feet and relax your shoulders and neck.
The Health Benefits of Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
Setu Bandhasana provides many health benefits. Here are some of the main benefits of bridge pose:
Hip Flexor Stretch
Holding this backbend opens the front hips and thighs, preventing tightness in the hip flexors. It gives a comfortable stretch to these often overlooked muscles, allowing for an improved range of motion in the joints. Over time, it enhances flexibility.
Lower Back Strengthening
The Setu Bandha Sarvangasana builds strength in the posterior chain by engaging the gluteal muscles and hamstrings to lift the pelvis. This supports the spine and takes pressure off the lower back. It strengthens the muscles that help keep the back aligned and protected from injury. As these important areas become toned, they can relieve lower back discomfort and protect against future issues.
Chest Opener
Reaching the arms forward or clasping the hands beneath the body draws the shoulder blades down and back, opening the pectorals and fronts of the shoulders. This counteracts poor posture and helps improve chest mobility. It allows the lungs to inflate, enhancing respiratory capacity fully. Elongating the entire front body releases tension and stress stored in this region.
Spinal Decompression
The backbend shape and engagement of the muscles support the vertebrae in their proper alignment. It creates a gentle opening between the curved parts of the spine, counteracting compression from daily activities. This small amount of decompression can relieve pressure that contributes to back pain. Over time, it trains the back extensors to keep the spine long and flexible.
Calms the Nervous System
Holding the pose requires focus on engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This meditative practice helps settle an overactive mind. It steadies the breath, bringing more oxygen to relieve stress and tension stored in the tissues. By redirecting energy inward, the bridge pose cultivates relaxation and mental clarity to balance sympathetic activation.
Abdominal Toner
The bridge pose lightly compresses the belly. This massages and tones the abdominal muscles, aiding digestion by stimulating organs. It strengthens the core to support good posture and prevent back strain. Regular practice improves muscle definition for a flatter stomach area and functional capacity.
Increased Circulation
Inverting the torso lifts the heart above the head, allowing blood to flow back efficiently. More oxygen reaches the organs, cells, muscles, and tissues to remove waste and boost recovery. It energises the whole body by stimulating circulation. The mild compression can help lymph drainage for decreased water retention as well. It enhances cardiovascular health.
Respiratory Health
The rib cage can expand in all directions with each breath. Over time, this 3D stretching of the lungs increases their vital capacity. Regular practice can demonstrate tangible improvements in breathing ability and oxygen intake/distribution for anyone with asthma or breathlessness.
Stress Relief & Mental Wellness
The mild inversion and compression relax the shoulders, chest, and diaphragm, which commonly accumulate tension. Pairing the pose with deep breathing also engages the parasympathetic "rest and digest" response. Several studies link yoga postures like bridge to decreased cortisol levels and feelings of renewed calm/clarity after a session.
Weight Management
The bridge pose strengthens the abdominal muscles and hip flexors, which support the back. Strong core muscles improve posture and balance. It also regulates the endocrine system. It helps maintain a healthy metabolism and can control weight.
Tips for Practising The Bridge Pose
After learning the benefits of yoga and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, it is important to make note of some key tips for better support. These tips are:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Inhale and prepare.
- Exhale and press into your feet to lift your hips towards the ceiling. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your shoulders, arms and feet.
- Interlace your fingers under your back for support. Press the outer edges of your feet firmly into the floor.
- Draw your shoulders away from your ears and press your chest forward. Lengthen your neck without craning it.
- Contract your gluteal muscles and squeeze your thighs inward. Keep lifting through your hips to deepen the backbend.
- Hold the pose, breathing slowly and deeply. Inhale as you lift higher, exhale to release any tension gently.
- To release, exhale and slowly lower your hips back down vertebra by vertebra. Rest in Child's Pose to relax your back.
Possible Modifications of The Bridge Pose
The Bent Knee Bridge is a great option for those with tighter hamstrings or lower back issues. Keeping the knees bent takes the pressure off the lower back. You can loop a strap around both feet if needed to help keep the knees pulled inward.
Another helpful modification is to use blocks. Rest the hips on the blocks in line with the waist. This puts the hips up, so you don’t have to lift as far in a backbend. This eases the pressure on the lower back.
The Half Bridge could offer milder backbend variation. This modification is about lifting only the hips and lower back while leaving the shoulder blades on the floor. The backbend is less intense in comparison to full expression.
In addition, one can bring the feet closer to the hips as the lever between the feet and hips becomes shorter. The backbends are made easier. Tension in the hamstrings can be alleviated using a chair or bolster to hold the feet up and away from the floor. This will help lift your hips.
Instead, try to place the hands lightly by the hips on the floor and interlace them for added stability. Always listen to your body — do not push yourself too much.
Conclusion
The bridge pose is a fantastic back-bending yoga asana with numerous benefits for physical and spiritual well-being. Back strengthening helps maintain an upright posture and reduce backaches. This pose is considered a chest opener, opening lung capacity and releasing stress accumulated in the shoulders and chest. Regularly practising Setu Bandha Sarvangasana enhances flexibility and spine health, improves circulation, and stimulates digestion.
