Asana of the week - Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Bridge Pose - Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Say-too BAHN-duh shar-vahn-GAHS-uh-nuh) - is a beginning backbend that helps to open the chest and stretch the thighs. Its Sanskrit name comes from five different words:

• "Setu" - meaning "bridge"
• "Bandha" - meaning "lock"
• "Sarva" - meaning "all"
• "Anga" - meaning "limb"
• Asana" - meaning "posture"

When you're in the pose, your arms and legs create a "locked bridge" with your body. This pose can be used as a preparation for deeper backbends, or practiced with a block as a restorative pose.

"You can practice the bridge to both strengthen and stretch your back. This pose also lengthens and loosens the hamstrings, improving circulation and promoting overall relaxation." - Andrew Weil, M.D

 How to:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Extend your arms along the floor, palms down.
• Press your feet and arms firmly into the floor. Exhale as you lift your hips toward the ceiling.
• Draw your tailbone toward your pubic bone, holding your buttocks off the floor. Do not squeeze your glutes or flex  your buttocks.
• Roll your shoulders back and underneath your body. Clasp your hands and extend your arms along the floor beneath your pelvis. Straighten your arms as much as possible, pressing your forearms into the mat. Reach your knuckles toward your heels.
• Keep your thighs and feet parallel - do not roll to the outer edges of your feet or let your knees drop together. Press your weight evenly across all four corners of both feet. Lengthen your tailbone toward the backs of your knees.
• Hold for up to one minute. To release, unclasp your hands and place them palms-down alongside your body. Exhale as you slowly roll your spine along the floor, vertebra by vertebra. Allow your knees to drop together.

Benefits:

• Stretches the back and can alleviate lower back pain.
• Opens chest and hip flexors.
• Strengthens abdominals and core muscles.
• Improves digestion.
• Improves flexibility of the spine and hips.

Yoga poses that focus on the lower back such as Bridge Pose have been shown to alleviate back pain. Investigators compared the effects of yoga and physical exercise on patients who experience chronic lower back pain. During a seven-day period, investigators found the patients who engaged in yoga had a greater improvement in spinal flexibility and a reduction in lower back pain than those patients who engaged only in physical exercise. The study was published in the June 2012 edition of the Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

Modifications & Variations:

Beginners must keep the shoulders rolled under to prevent overstretching the neck. Lift the top of the shoulders toward the ears and push the shoulder blades away from the spine. 

Beginners should also start with a yoga block under the sacrum (also known as the "tailbone," the small triangular bone at the base of the spine) to alleviate pressure on the back. Start with the yoga block to the side of the body and move it under the sacrum once the body is in the Bridge Pose. Once the yoga block is in place, the body can return to the start position and rest atop the block.

Advance practitioners can perform two extra movements to "deepen" the Bridge Pose. One is to extend the arms and place them above the head with the backs of the hands and arms on the floor. This movement engages the muscles of the body by reducing stability the arms provided. Advance practitioners can also lift heels off the floor and lift the hips higher.

Bridge the gap:

Practicing Bridge Pose can be a potent lesson in learning to slow down and listen to your body. Your spine, shoulders, and thighs will tell you how far to take the pose. The less you push, the more the pose will open up. Turn your awareness inward and notice how your body releases its grip when you don't force it. 

Precautions:

People with knee, back, or neck pain should avoid performing  the Bridge Pose to it's maximum extend. It is important to ensure your shoulders blades are supporting your full weight and not your neck.It is recommended that you place a folded towel or yoga mat under the shoulders to prevent slipping on the floor and to reduce pressure on the neck and shoulders. As you do Bridge Pose, make sure you interlace your fingers under your buttocks, pressing down into the mat to increase stability.