SUPPORTED SETU BANDHA BRIDGE POSE

Restorative poses can be used to relax the body and mind at the end of your practice. Use supported Setu Bandha to passively stretch the psoas and quadriceps. Note that this is also an inversion. It places the lower body above the heart, improving cardiac blood return and stimulating the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. This can aid to lower the heart rate and blood pressure.

Press down through the feet, contracting the quadriceps to lift the torso up. Place the block under the sacrum (and not under the lumbar). Rest the weight evenly on the block and keep the knees bent, as shown here. Place a folded blanket under the head to hold the neck in a slightly flexed position, and let the arms fall out to the side with the palms facing up. Close the eyes and relax here for several minutes. Then lift up off the block, place the pelvis on the floor, and roll to the right side, resting in the fetal position before getting up.

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