Setubandha Sarvangasana: The (supported) Bridge to Healing
I am grateful for my yoga practice on the good days but I am even more grateful for all the yoga teachings on the not so good days. You know, the ones when you feel crummy and weak and want to hide away from the world. Over the last few days, while *patiently* self-isolating I have been taking regular restorative yoga breaks.
My restorative breaks have consisted mostly of gentle inversions and heart opening asanas. My breathing hasn’t been at its best and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the upper part of my body has been craving space. Setubandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose), both in its dynamic and restorative versions, is a shape that my body has always enjoyed going into. But over the last few days this asana has become my refuge.
Arching the body over the bolsters in the shape of a bridge opens the chest and the lungs, stretches the hip flexors and helps drain fluid from the legs. As soon as I settle in the pose, I feel the energy of the body expanding and the chatter in my head slows down. I experience, in other words, what Iyengar used to call ‘negative brain’. Negative not in the bleak sense of the word but in a cool and introspective way. Breathing softly I simply observe the breath as it travels through the different parts of my body and all thoughts slowly dissipate.
The reason behind this very welcome experience of ‘negative brain’ lies in the head/neck position. When the head is below the heart and the neck is flexed, it triggers a process called the ‘baroreceptor reflex’ which helps decrease blood pressure and heart rate and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn reduces our neurophysiological experience of stress.
How to:
Place two bolsters (or single folded blankets) end to end to accommodate the length of the body. The height of the props will depend on how flexible your upper back is. If the heels extend beyond the bolsters place blocks underneath them so they are level with the rest of the body
Place a single folded blanket at the top end of the mat
Sit on the bolsters and slip the strap over your legs. Tighten the strap around the middle of your calves
Using your hands for support, lower your upper body and carefully slide off the end of the bolster until your shoulders are resting on the floor and the back of your head is resting on the blanket
If you experience low back discomfort, remove the strap and set your feet to the sides of the bolsters and bring your knees together to touch
Setubandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Avoid practising :
If you are experiencing neck pain, eye pressure or retinal problems; if you are menstruating; if you have a respiratory or a sinus infection; if you experience indigestion; after the first three months of pregnancy