Bridge Pose – Setu Bandhasana
*INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
I choose to be the bridge between who I am and who I am becoming.
I open my heart and breathe freely.
My body is support, my breath is strength, my mind is peace.
What is Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)?
Setu Bandhasana, known as Bridge Pose, is a fundamental yoga posture that combines strength and flexibility. In this pose, the body forms the shape of a bridge – steady, supportive, and open.
In yogic symbolism, a bridge represents connection – between the physical and the spiritual, body and mind, the conscious and the subconscious. By practicing this pose, we learn to embody both strength and surrender, finding balance between stability and openness.
One of the unique aspects of this asana is its impact on the endocrine system. Bridge Pose stimulates the thyroid gland and the pituitary gland, making it highly beneficial for hormonal balance, improved metabolism, and overall vitality.
Effects and Benefits of Bridge Pose
Physical benefits
- Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary glands
- Strengthens the back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves
- Improves flexibility and mobility of the spine and neck
- Opens the chest and expands lung capacity
- Enhances blood circulation and oxygen supply to the brain
- Relieves mild lower back pain
- Massages abdominal organs and supports digestion
Mental and emotional benefits
- Calms the nervous system and helps with insomnia
- Reduces anxiety and relieves stress
- Increases energy levels and vitality
- Promotes relaxation and a sense of lightness
Energetic benefits
- Opens the heart chakra (Anahata) and the throat chakra (Vishuddha)
- Encourages prana (life energy) to flow through the spine
- Creates harmony and balance between body and mind

Instructions for Practicing Bridge Pose
- Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the mat, hip-width apart, close to the sitting bones.
- Keep your arms alongside the body with palms pressing into the mat.
- Inhale, and as you exhale, slowly lift the hips toward the ceiling.
- Press the feet firmly into the ground and engage the glutes for stability.
- Lift the chest, draw the shoulder blades together, and open the heart.
- Keep the chin gently drawn toward the chest, while the neck remains long.
- Stay in the pose for 30–60 seconds, breathing deeply and steadily.
- Exhale and slowly roll the spine down to the mat, vertebra by vertebra.
Resting Poses
- Knees-to-Chest Pose (Apanasana) – releases tension in the back
- Corpse Pose (Savasana) – complete relaxation
Variations of Bridge Pose
- For beginners: keep the arms alongside the body and focus on steady breathing.
- Supported variation: place a block or cushion under the lower back for a restorative version.
- Intermediate: clasp the hands beneath the body and extend the arms toward the feet.
- Advanced: lift one leg toward the ceiling while holding the pose.
- Dynamic version: lift the hips on the inhale and lower them on the exhale, repeating several times.

Precaution
- Avoid if you have serious neck or back injuries.
- Practice carefully if you have high blood pressure or hyperthyroidism.
- Pregnant women should only practice with proper guidance and modifications.
- Do not place weight on the head or neck – the support should come from the shoulders and feet.
Setu Bandhasana teaches us that strength and flexibility are not opposites, but allies. Like a bridge, we connect two sides of ourselves – body and spirit, past and future, tension and freedom. True opening is possible only when we surrender and release what holds us tight. When we open the chest and connect with the breath, we clear the path for energy to flow and inner strength to rise. This pose brings space, breath, and freedom – both in the body and in the emotions.
Include this posture in your daily practice and you will notice how you become more stable, stronger, and calmer.
On the blog, explore other poses that balance the endocrine and nervous systems.