Backbends

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Bridge Pose

Enter with us the structural domain of our Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Uncovered. Like a bridge spanning the urban chasms, this bridge pose brings connection and unity into your urban everyday life.

Category: Backbends

Backbends are asanas in which you gently stretch muscles and joints. They promote suppleness and mobility. Breathing in Backbends has a relaxing effect: you supply your muscles with oxygen and release tension.

Life Energy

VAYUS

Each of the five Prana Vayus plays an essential role in our body and mind. They move and direct energy in specific directions, each with its own special area of influence and function. Bridge Pose has its own unique effects on these vayus.

Udana Vayu – The Ascending Energy

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Setu Bandha Sarvangasana activates Udana Vayu, the ascending energy located in the throat and head area. In this pose, the throat is slightly compressed, which supports the flow of energy upward and fosters expression and communication. This posture helps increase the clarity of the mind and strengthen self-confidence by gently guiding the energy upward.

Vyana Vayu – Expansion and Opening

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Vyana Vayu, the energy that distributes evenly throughout the entire body, is strongly activated in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana. The pose fosters circulation and the energy circulation, especially through the upper body, the legs and the back. This posture supports the feeling of wholeness and balance by distributing the energy evenly in the body.

Apana Vayu – The Grounding Force

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Setu Bandha Sarvangasana also works on Apana Vayu, the descending energy, by lifting the hips and opening the lower back. Although Apana Vayu is supported in this pose, it helps gently regulate the descending energy and foster the elimination processes in the body. This posture can help support detoxification while at the same time offering stability and grounding.

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Energy Centers

CHAKRAS

Anahata Chakra (Heart Chakra)

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The Anahata Chakra is located in the middle of your ribcage, right in your heart. In Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, this area is opened and strengthened, which fosters the ability for love, empathy and compassion. That is what the heart chakra is about: love, compassion and joy.

Vishuddha Chakra (Throat Chakra)

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The bridge pose also activates the Vishuddha Chakra, which is located in your throat. This chakra stands for communication and self-expression. The asana helps open and strengthen this area, which improves the ability for clear communication.

Swadhisthana Chakra (Sacral Chakra)

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Your Swadhisthana Chakra sits in the lower abdominal area and stands for creativity, sexuality and passion. The bridge pose is a hip-opener pose that stimulates this chakra, which can kindle your creative energy and passion.

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Body Sheaths

KOSHAS

Annamaya Kosha (Physical Body)

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Annamaya Kosha is the material level of our body, that is, our muscles, bones and organs. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, also known as the bridge pose, works directly on this area by strengthening the musculature of the legs and lower back. It helps stretch the spine while at the same time opening the hips.

Pranamaya Kosha (Energy Body)

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Pranamaya Kosha is our energy sheath, connected with our breath and our life energy. The bridge pose can improve the flow of energy in this area, as it deepens the breathing and lifts the sternum. This enables a greater oxygen supply and vitality.

Manomaya Kosha (Mental Body)

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Manomaya Kosha is the level of our thoughts and emotions. Through the gentle inversion in the bridge pose, the nervous system is calmed, which helps reduce stress and foster a calm state of mind.

Vijnanamaya Kosha (Intellectual Body)

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Vijnanamaya Kosha is the level of our deep wisdom and intuition. Through the strengthening of our awareness and the inner perception in the bridge pose, we can access deeper levels of our intuition.

Anandamaya Kosha (Spiritual Body)

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Anandamaya Kosha is the finest and deepest sheath, connected with bliss and joy. The bridge pose can help gain access to this feeling of happiness by opening the heart and creating a feeling of freedom and expanse in the chest area.

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Body Constitution

DOSHAS

Vata

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Setu Bandha Sarvangasana can increase the Vata dosha, as the pose activates the flow of energy in the body and fosters mobility. The backbend and the opening of the ribcage can increase mental alertness and creativity, which has a stimulating effect on Vata individuals. This pose can help stimulate the mind and release new energy, but should be practiced with caution with an already high Vata level.

Pitta

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Setu Bandha Sarvangasana can increase the Pitta dosha, as the pose opens the ribcage and deepens the breathing, which intensifies the inner warmth and the metabolism. This activation can lead to the Pitta fire being strengthened, which can be helpful for increasing determination and focus. However, the pose should be practiced with care or avoided with overheating or stress.

Kapha

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Setu Bandha Sarvangasana reduces the Kapha dosha by energizing the body and stimulating the metabolism. The pose fosters movement and the flow of energy, which helps break down sluggishness and heaviness. This posture is especially useful for reducing the Kapha dosha and enlivening the body, whereby a feeling of lightness and activity is fostered.

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Key Information for Correct Execution

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1Lie on your back and bring your feet hip-width toward the buttocks.

2Place your arms along the body with the palms facing down.

3On the inhalation, lift your pelvis and let your arms come together beneath you.

4Interlace your palms into a fist under your buttocks and bring your upper arms closer together by shifting the weight from right to left and bringing the shoulder blades together.

5Keep the back of your head extended so that your neck is long.

6Align your feet so that your ankles are hip-width directly under the knees.

7Press your soles firmly into the floor to activate your legs and lift your buttocks even higher.

8Keep your feet aligned parallel forward and draw the thighs toward each other.

9Use the pushing of your soles and the pressure of the forearms to lift yourself even higher.

10Hold the pose for up to 60 seconds and breathe in and out deeply.

11To release the posture, come up onto the tips of the toes, release the hands and slowly roll yourself back down vertebra by vertebra to the mat.

12Pause a moment, place the feet mat-width apart and let the knees fall together. If you like, you can practice the bridge posture a second time.

Common Mistakes

Common mistakes in the bridge posture are that the shoulders roll under the body, the shoulders are too close to the ears and the head is turned when one is already in the posture.

Our Tip

A tip is to avoid drawing the knees to the chest directly after a backbend, even if it feels good. Instead, you can practice a neutral posture (Savasana) or a twist.

Variations

There are variations of the bridge posture. As a restorative variation, you can place a block under your sacrum and rest your pelvis on it. Another variation is the three-legged variation, in which one leg is placed in the center and the other leg is extended toward the ceiling.

Physical Effect

Strong Pillar

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, known in English as the bridge pose, strengthens above all the musculature along the spine. It especially trains the deep back muscles, which ensure a healthy posture, as well as the gluteal and thigh musculature.

Open Chest

The bridge pose opens the ribcage and thus fosters the stretch of the chest musculature and the diaphragm. This can result in an improved breathing and an increased oxygen supply in the body.

Flexing Strength

The pose also strengthens and stretches the hip flexors and the front thigh musculature. A strong and flexible hip musculature is important for a healthy posture and can prevent complaints in the lower back area.

Effects on Psyche and Emotions

Heart-Opening Joy

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, also known as the bridge pose, can bring about an opening of the heart center, which is often connected with joy and gratitude.

Gentle Calming

This asana also has a calming effect on the mind and can help ease fears and stress. Through the lifting of the body and the opening of the ribcage, the breathing is deepened, which has a calming effect on the nervous system.

Energetic Upswing

The bridge pose can also brighten the mood and increase energy levels. If you ever feel drained or downcast, this pose can help lift your energy and brighten your mood. It is as if you flip a light switch in your body that brings out your inner sunshine.

Props

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Block

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Author of this Asana

Manish

Manish Rana is a certified yoga teacher and founder of asanaverse.de. He writes about topics around yoga, ayurveda and meditation. Manish owes his deep connection to yoga to his Indian roots, through which he came into contact with this practice early on.

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