Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Step by Step :

Lie on your back with your arms next to the body palms down.

Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, close to the buttocks, hip width apart.

With the feet parallel to each other, press the upper arms into the floor, press your feet into the floor, inside and outside equally and begin to lift the hips up to the ceiling, moving your breastbone to the chin, but not the chin to the breastbone.

Firm your tailbone in towards the pubic bone and your pubic bone moves slightly towards the belly.

Actively bring the knees out in front of you, to keep the lower back extended. Keep the knees above the ankles.

Your buttocks are firm but not clenched. Your hips are lifted as high as is available to you with these principles in place.

You can clasp your hands behind the back and firm the arms into the floor, shoulder blades are down along the spine. Make sure you keep your chin up a little to not flatten the back of the neck.

You can take between the 5 and 15 breaths in this pose.

To come out, release the arms and lower the hips down to the floor on an out breath.

Beginners Tips:

Remember to pay attention to your alignment. Pay close attention to your knees, dont allow them to splay wider than your feet as you rise upwards.

If you want to make the pose more restorative, place a suport under the sacrum and let your weight rest on the support.

Try interlacing your hands and stretching them down towards your feet. It can help stabilise your pose and it's a nice extra stretch on the shoulders.

Benefits:

Stretches neck, chest and spine

Strengthens legs, upper back

Improves digestion

Reduces backache and headache

Calms the mind, relieves mild depression

Can help to open the sinuses

Watch out for....

Your neck - as your raise up higher make sure you don't flatten the back of the neck into the ground. If you have a neck injury avoid this pose unless you are being supervised by a professional.

Your feet - make sure your feet are parallel with each other and try not to let your knees fall away from each other.

Pose alterations/advancements

Roll your spine - you can come out of the pose by slowly coming down, vertebrae by vertabrae. Allow the spine to slowly roll it's way down. You can come up again into the pose the same way. This is a lovely 'spine massage'.

If you start to feel comfortable in this pose try relaxing the buttocks and keep the thighs engaged and lift the hips up higher.

You can lift one leg straight up to the ceiling.