Setu Bandhāsana
Lie back, feet planted, and lift the hips into a low, sturdy bridge; a safe, rejuvenating backbend that both calms and energises.
How to practice
Exhale to lift, breathe evenly across the chest while holding, exhale to lower slowly.
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Lie on the back, knees bent, feet hip-width and close to the sitting bones.
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Let the arms rest beside the body, fingertips grazing the heels.
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Exhale, press the feet down, and peel the hips up off the floor; thighs and knees stay parallel.
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Interlace the hands under the back or hold the ankles; broaden the chest toward the chin.
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Hold 5–8 breaths, then roll down slowly, one vertebra at a time.
Benefits
- Strengthens the back, glutes and hamstrings
- Opens the chest and shoulders, easing desk posture
- Stimulates the abdominal organs and thyroid in tradition
- Calms anxiety while gently lifting energy, soothing for vāta nerves
Contraindications & cautions
- Neck injuries, avoid turning the head while lifted; practise with a teacher's guidance
- Late pregnancy, keep the lift small and supported
- Lower-back pain, reduce the lift, or place a block under the sacrum for a supported bridge
Skip or modify the pose on days a caution applies to you, and work with a qualified teacher for injuries, pregnancy or health conditions.
Watch a free guide
A free video walkthrough from a public teacher, loaded only when you scroll to it, via YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
In the tradition
A setu is a bridge, and this one carries traffic both ways: it lifts and brightens a kapha morning, and settles a frazzled vāta evening. The supported version, a block under the sacrum; turns it into almost pure restoration before sleep.
Sources & further reading
- Light on Yoga , B. K. S. Iyengar (Setu Bandhāsana)
- Bridge Pose (video guide) (opens in a new tab) , Yoga With Adriene, Foundations of Yoga
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books and videos are shared as further guidance, not as prescriptions.