Day 25 of the #wildlove30days yoga challenge!
A perfect posture to close the 30 day yoga challenge and allow our energies to soften into the upper body and crown of the head, inversions are wonderful at releasing physical and emotional tension within the head and neck, if you're feeling stressed take a little time in bridge, the Yin variation is wonderful to (scroll down and look in the tips). Take your time to explore the pelvic tilt and peeling action, the slower you go the more you can get out of this posture.
Bridge Pose - Setu Bandhasana
Start the posture by lying on your back and lengthen the spine along the mat.
Bend the knees and allow the full surface area of the feet to rest on the ground, the ankles fall somewhere beneath the knees.
Rest the arms down by the sides of the body and relax the shoulders.
On an exhalation soften and imprint the lower back into the floor.
Creating a posterior tilt of the pelvis (tuck the tailbone towards the backs of the knees) squeeze the bum and gently peel the lower back away from the floor.
Layer by layer slowly lift the spine away from the floor.
Keeping the inner thighs parallel, the upper body relaxed, strong feet and engagement through the back body.
5-10 long deep breaths at a suitable height that you can maintain.
Upon releasing roll down even slower than you lifted up, this will help you find deep articulation and flexibility within the spine.
Tips & adjustments:
- Enjoy this as a passive stretch by putting a bolster, block or a few pillows beneath the pelvis and relax onto them!
- Remember to roll and peel the spine off the floor rather than 'thrusting' the body up, the magic comes from the rolling.
- To work and strengthen the hamstrings move the feet away from the bum, trust me, its tough but worth it!
Benefits:
+ Opens the front of the body.
+ Strengthens the lower back and glutes.
+ Strengthens the feet, ankles and legs.
+ Stretches the thighs and abdominals.
✨ Take a photo of your posture and share it on Facebook/Instagram with the tag @wildlove_yoga #wildlove30days
1 more day to go!
V x