Bridge Pose
Bridge is often the first backbend people learn. It strengthens the back of the body and opens the front, and can be made restorative with a block.
- Level
- Beginner
- Family
- Backbend
- Hold
- 5–8 breaths
- Works
- Glutes, hamstrings, chest, hip flexors
- Press the feet, lift the hips
- Knees stay hip-width
- Neck stays still
Step by step
How to do Bridge Pose
Begin Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
- 01
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width and parallel, heels close to the hips.
- 02
Rest arms by your sides, palms down.
- 03
Press through the feet and lift the hips toward the ceiling.
- 04
Keep knees pointing forward, not splaying out.
- 05
Roll the shoulders slightly under and broaden the chest.
- 06
Optionally interlace the hands under the back.
- 07
Keep the neck still and gaze toward the ceiling.
- ↩
Coming out. Release the hands and roll down slowly, one vertebra at a time.
Breath
Inhale to lift; breathe steadily while holding; exhale to roll down.
Focus
Glute strength and chest opening
Why practise it
Strengthens glutes and hamstrings; opens chest and hip flexors; energising yet accessible.
Alignment & cues
Knees over ankles, thighs parallel, weight on shoulders and feet — not the neck.
Teacher’s cues
- “Press the feet, lift the hips”
- “Knees stay hip-width”
- “Neck stays still”
Common mistakes
Turning the head while lifted, knees splaying, and pushing up from the lower back rather than the legs.
Make it yours
Every body is different. Use props and variations freely — they are not a lesser version of the pose.
Easier
Place a block under the sacrum for Supported Bridge. Keep the lift low.
Variations
- Single-leg Bridge
- Supported Bridge
Props
- Block under sacrum
- Block between thighs
Where it fits in a flow
Warm up with the poses on the left, then move into the ones on the right.
Prepare with
This pose
Follow with
Practise with care
Safety
Do not turn the head while in the pose. Avoid with neck injury; modify in later pregnancy.
Educational guidance, not medical advice. Stop if you feel sharp pain, pinching or dizziness, and check with a qualified teacher or health professional if you are pregnant, injured or managing a health condition.
In the tradition
Setu means bridge, bandha lock; in classical sequences it follows shoulderstand.
Questions
Why do my hamstrings cramp in Bridge?
Feet may be too far from the hips. Walk them closer and press through the heels.