Hatha Yoga

SETHU BANDASANA – BRIDGE – All levels, with variations

SINGLE LEG LIFT
From the bridge position, perform a single leg lift. Lift one leg with an inhalation and lower the leg with an exhalation and repeat with the alternate leg. Release hands and lower your hips to come out of the pose.

LEGS STRAIGHT
Bring legs and feet together in bridge position, and walk feet away until legs are straight. Hold for up to 30 seconds. Breathe normally. Come out of the pose by walking your feet closer to your body, release hands and lower hips.

HALF LOTUS BRIDGE
In this pose start from shoulderstand (Sarvangasana). Bend left leg and using your right hand, bring your left foot closer to your hip into half lotus. Use the other arm to keep your balance.
While supporting your back with both hands, keeping the lotus pose, bring your right foot slowly to the floor into bridge pose. Keep the left knee horizontal to the floor. Walk the right foot away from the body. Hold up to 30 seconds. Either kick back into shoulderstand, or lower the left foot to the floor and releasing hands, lower hips and then return to shoulderstand. Then repeat with the opposite leg. Go back to shoulderstand and hold for up to 30 seconds. Come out of shoulderstand and relax in corpse pose.

BENEFITS:

• Improves flexibility and strength of your spine.
• Strengthens the abdominal and lower back muscles especially when coming from shoulderstand and back into shoulderstand
• The legs are strengthened.

In essence, you are pure Soul. Desire, weakness, imperfection touch thee not. Thou art not the body, nor the mind. – Swami Sivananda

The yogi regards the physical body as an instrument for his journey toward perfection. – Swami Vishnudevananda

This yoga tip from the new Sivananda publication – “Yoga: Your Home Practice Companion” – Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre – 2010. Other yoga tips at http://www.sivananda.org/teachings/asana/101tips.html