beginner · Setu Bandhasana
Bridge Pose
Setu Bandhasana
Animated Bridge Pose
Scroll to move from a neutral stand into Bridge Pose. With reduced motion, the final shape stays still.
Alignment cues
- Lie on the back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart
- Press the feet down and lift the hips toward the ceiling
- Keep knees parallel without splaying them wide
- Interlace the hands under the back if comfortable
- Lower the spine one vertebra at a time on the way down
Variants
- Supported bridge. Place a block under the sacrum and rest the weight there
- Arms by sides. Skip the shoulder bind and keep palms pressing down
Bridge pose (setu bandhasana)
Bridge is a supine lift: feet rooted, hips rising, shoulders melting toward the mat.
Why it helps
Stress-management mentions on NCCIH refer to yoga programs overall, not to setu bandhasana in isolation (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
How to do it well
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet hip-width and close enough that fingertips graze heels. Press feet down, lengthen tailbone toward backs of knees, and roll hips up one segment at a time. Keep thighs parallel, interlace hands under the back only if shoulders allow, and breathe into the front ribs while throat stays soft. Lower slowly, vertebra by vertebra.
A common mistake and how to scale it
A common mistake is flaring knees wide to get height while the low back overarches. Scale by placing a block between the thighs and squeezing gently to keep knees hip-width.
When to use caution
Do not turn the head while lifted. Back extensions deserve clinician input when you have lumbar spine disease, severe high blood pressure, or knee or hip injuries, among the conditions NCCIH lists (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
Practice with the atlas
Match the atlas lift for five breaths, lower with control, and take one neutral lying breath before sitting up.