The Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is one of the basic backbend poses which prepares the body to perform other advanced yoga poses or asanas. It an intermediate level pose, under the lying down category of yoga asanas.
Ideally, the Bridge pose should be done on empty stomach. Performing the asana at least 4-6 hours after any meal. Cleaning and emptying the bowel and bladder before performing this asana is highly recommended.
Here is how you perform the Bridge pose.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Extend your arms along the floor, palms flat.Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Extend your arms along the floor, palms flat.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.
As compared to other yoga poses, the Bridge pose has a lot of scientific benefits. It stretches your chest, neck and spine areas. It also massages your internal organs. But to ensure that you gain maximum advantage from this pose, you must first understand how your body should be aligned right from your feet to your head.
Here are the benefits of performing the Bridge pose:
* Thyroid treatment:
The butterfly shape thyroid gland in the neck region receives suitable actions and appropriate massage due to performing this yogasana, which ensures proper secretion of thyroxin hormone. This hormone is beneficial for hypo and hyper thyroidism. Practicing this asana also helps to make thyroid gland healthy and diseases free.
* Weight Loss: The proper massage of thyroid gland helps to control the metabolic process in the body, which directly or indirectly manages your weight. One can take maximum stretching in the belly region, which may be useful for belly fat burning and making the stomach flat.
* Hair fall: Bridge pose yoga is good for healthy hair. Doing the asana along with above mentioned technique ensures smooth flow of oxygen and nutrients in the scalp region. It makes your follicle stronger and nutritionally enriched, which is good to prevent hair fall and hair loss.
* Depression: You can fight your depression by practicing this yogasana. For depression, it acts like as an anxiety therapy. Now, the question is raised how bridge pose will help to lessen the symptoms of depression. The yogasana provides soothing massage to your entire spine. This action is not only good for the vertebral column in fact energizes the networks of nerves inside the spine. This entire process calming and soothing your mind thus helps in synchronization of body and mind. This calming effect to the brain, ensures in combating of depression and its related symptoms.
* Back pain: If you are suffering from perennial back pain, it is suggested to perform this yogasana in the presence of a good yoga master. He will allow providing the spine a suitable stretch, which in turn helps in easing of back pain. It will be also beneficial to make your spine healthy and strong. Performing the asana technically will help you to remove strain and sprain from the entire vertebral column.
* Tennis elbow: Tennis elbow is a transient pain that happens in the elbow region. Appropriate rest will help you to come out of the problem. This yoga exercise gives suitable stretch on the elbow region, and acts as a pain reliever from elbow.
* Digestion: Due to faulty lifestyle, our digestion process faces serious threats, which lead to irregular secretion of gastric juices from gastric glands. Unbalanced secretion of such digestive enzymes causes constipation, indigestion and problems related with stomach disorders. But the practice of bridge pose helps in sorting out this problem and ensures proper secretion of enzymatic juices. This asana is also good for colon health as it stretches and massages to the abdominal organs, especially the colon.
* Asthma: If you are suffering from any respiratory problems, it is recommended that while performing this pose, take adequate stretching in the chest or lungs region, which will help in expanding your lungs thereby preventing you from respiratory problems
* Weak legs:A large number of people are having legs pain, legs weakness, now and then spasm, twisting, etc. Maintaining Setu Bandhaasana helps in strengthening your weak legs. It also makes your buttocks, hips, thighs, and muscles of the entire leg stronger.