Today’s suggested pose is Setu Bandhasana or Bridge Pose
Bridge pose is a gentle inversion because the head is below the heart. As such you may feel the calming effects of this pose which help you relax and release. The movement of the spine in this pose, as you lengthen and then arch at the thoracic spine, helps maintain flexibility and is said to positively impact the nervous system. Mr. Iyengar professed: a person with a healthy spine indicates a healthy nervous system and if the nerves are healthy, a person is of sound mind and body.
To come into this pose start in a supine position with your knees bent and heels in line with your sitting bones. Press into your feet, keep the legs parallel to one another by internally rotating hips and activate the adductor muscles on the inside of your thighs. As you lift your hips skyward, there is an engagement of the gluts, but not a gripping. Keep the spine long. Press firmly into the triceps and draw your collarbones wide, allowing your chest to lift and your heart to be wide open.
Do not turn your head while in the pose for the safety of your neck. If your feet turn out or your knees go wide, work with a block or bolster under the sacrum to attain proper alignment and slowly practice lifting off the support.