WEBVTT 00:00:00.761 --> 00:00:02.602 Hey, welcome to Yoga With Adriene. 00:00:02.602 --> 00:00:05.005 I'm Adriene and today we are going to learn 00:00:05.005 --> 00:00:07.641 one of my favorite poses, the Bridge pose, 00:00:07.641 --> 00:00:12.045 Setu Bandhasana, as part of our foundations of yoga series. 00:00:12.045 --> 00:00:15.716 So hop on the mat and let's learn Bridge. 00:00:15.716 --> 00:00:18.819 (upbeat music) 00:00:27.051 --> 00:00:30.564 Okay, so we're going to begin flat on our backs today. 00:00:30.564 --> 00:00:32.665 Letting the soles of the feet come to the mat 00:00:32.665 --> 00:00:35.335 and the knees point up towards the sky. 00:00:35.335 --> 00:00:37.404 Let's tuck our chins into our chests 00:00:37.404 --> 00:00:39.706 and lengthen through the back of our necks. 00:00:39.706 --> 00:00:42.910 And then maybe just take a second here to open the palms 00:00:42.910 --> 00:00:46.113 and breathe letting the back relax into the mat. 00:00:46.113 --> 00:00:49.316 (breathing loudly) 00:00:49.316 --> 00:00:51.118 Then I'll bring my awareness to my heels, 00:00:51.118 --> 00:00:54.354 I'm gonna draw my heels up towards my sit bones 00:00:54.354 --> 00:00:58.358 and keeping my knees in line with the hip points, 00:00:58.358 --> 00:00:59.927 I'll reach my finger tips down 00:00:59.927 --> 00:01:02.429 and kind of use this as a gauge here. 00:01:02.429 --> 00:01:04.063 So where my finger tips land 00:01:04.063 --> 00:01:06.300 is pretty much where the heels can be. 00:01:06.300 --> 00:01:09.369 Sometimes we bring them a little bit closer in yoga 00:01:09.369 --> 00:01:12.706 for a more deeper approach, 00:01:12.706 --> 00:01:14.841 more deeper opening in the front body. 00:01:14.841 --> 00:01:17.110 But I would recommend as a beginner 00:01:17.110 --> 00:01:20.414 using this little cheat here, finger tips to heels. 00:01:20.414 --> 00:01:21.348 All right. 00:01:21.348 --> 00:01:25.085 So, from here I'll press into all four corners of the feet, 00:01:25.085 --> 00:01:27.254 so I really wanna spread awareness 00:01:27.254 --> 00:01:28.922 through all four corners of my feet, 00:01:28.922 --> 00:01:30.324 particularly the inner arches. 00:01:30.324 --> 00:01:33.193 Sometimes we go, tend to let the knees widen, 00:01:33.193 --> 00:01:36.897 and go to the outer edges of the feet, that's the tendency. 00:01:36.897 --> 00:01:39.733 So I wanna keep my knees in line with my hips 00:01:39.733 --> 00:01:41.234 and my awareness spreading 00:01:41.234 --> 00:01:42.836 through all four corners of the feet, right? 00:01:42.836 --> 00:01:44.972 I wanna pay attention to my alignment, 00:01:44.972 --> 00:01:46.840 set up my pose just right. 00:01:48.108 --> 00:01:50.911 So from here, I'll press into my feet, 00:01:50.911 --> 00:01:53.146 take a nice deep breath in (inhaling loudly), 00:01:54.114 --> 00:01:56.917 and on the exhale, I'll scoop my tailbone up, 00:01:56.917 --> 00:02:00.420 drawing my navel down towards the mat, 00:02:00.420 --> 00:02:02.823 hugging the navel to the spine. 00:02:02.823 --> 00:02:04.491 I'll continue this journey, 00:02:04.491 --> 00:02:07.260 scooping the tailbone up, pressing into the feet. 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:09.496 I begin to lift my hip points up, 00:02:09.496 --> 00:02:11.398 palms pressing flat into the mat 00:02:11.398 --> 00:02:13.500 for a little bit of support, 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:14.735 tailbone scooping up. 00:02:14.735 --> 00:02:16.470 You notice here I'm going nice and slow, 00:02:16.470 --> 00:02:18.238 traveling up the spine. 00:02:18.238 --> 00:02:20.407 Kind of getting a yummy massage here. 00:02:20.407 --> 00:02:21.408 (inhaling loudly) 00:02:21.408 --> 00:02:24.645 I continue lifting the hip points nice and slow. 00:02:24.645 --> 00:02:27.414 (inhaling loudly) Pressing into the spine (inhaling loudly). 00:02:27.414 --> 00:02:29.616 I can release my palms open here, 00:02:29.616 --> 00:02:30.484 (exhaling loudly) 00:02:30.484 --> 00:02:33.186 I can grab onto the outer edges of the mat, 00:02:33.186 --> 00:02:35.922 or I can just keep pressing all 10 fingerprints down strong. 00:02:35.922 --> 00:02:38.191 So there's a couple different options here (loud inhale). 00:02:38.191 --> 00:02:40.460 As I continue to lift the hips. 00:02:40.460 --> 00:02:41.862 (inhaling loudly) 00:02:41.862 --> 00:02:44.865 (exhaling loudly) Bridge pose. 00:02:44.865 --> 00:02:46.767 Neck is nice and long here. 00:02:46.767 --> 00:02:48.335 Again, the tendency is going to wanna come 00:02:48.335 --> 00:02:50.203 to those outer edges of the feet to support, 00:02:50.203 --> 00:02:52.139 but remember your alignment, stay stacked, 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:55.075 working with integrity, toes pointing forward. 00:02:56.076 --> 00:02:59.946 Couple of action points and safety precautions. 00:02:59.946 --> 00:03:01.548 I'm not looking at you on purpose right now 00:03:01.548 --> 00:03:04.918 because I don't want to ever turn my neck, my head, 00:03:04.918 --> 00:03:06.119 to look at somebody else's mat 00:03:06.119 --> 00:03:09.556 or to look at you, my friends out there watching this now. 00:03:09.556 --> 00:03:11.525 I wanna keep the neck nice and long, 00:03:11.525 --> 00:03:14.361 not move it side to side, so we don't injure it. 00:03:14.361 --> 00:03:17.431 Keep it nice and happy and supported. 00:03:17.431 --> 00:03:19.599 This pose is tough, 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:21.568 but I don't wanna create any tension in the neck 00:03:21.568 --> 00:03:24.638 or in the face or in the tush. 00:03:24.638 --> 00:03:27.674 There's a tendency to really squeeze the tushy here, 00:03:27.674 --> 00:03:29.076 I don't say tush or tushy, 00:03:29.076 --> 00:03:31.044 (chuckling) I don't know why I just said that. 00:03:31.044 --> 00:03:34.381 The bum, the buttocks, the glutes. 00:03:34.381 --> 00:03:35.315 Keep 'em soft. 00:03:35.315 --> 00:03:37.617 So that's the beauty of this posture, 00:03:37.617 --> 00:03:41.955 is marrying that strength, that activity, 00:03:41.955 --> 00:03:43.890 with a calm, with an ease. 00:03:43.890 --> 00:03:44.858 (inhaling loudly) 00:03:44.858 --> 00:03:48.128 Another action point, I wanna press my hips forward, 00:03:48.128 --> 00:03:51.198 really reaching my knees towards the front edge of the mat. 00:03:51.198 --> 00:03:53.633 So I'm not just lifting up towards the sky, 00:03:53.633 --> 00:03:56.269 but imagine scooping your tailbone 00:03:56.269 --> 00:03:58.505 to the backs of your knees or often, I tell my students, 00:03:58.505 --> 00:04:00.974 sit bones to the backs of the knees. 00:04:00.974 --> 00:04:02.476 So I'm lifting the hips, 00:04:02.476 --> 00:04:04.711 but I'm really thinking about drawing my sit bones 00:04:04.711 --> 00:04:07.247 to kiss the back of the knees there. 00:04:09.015 --> 00:04:10.884 We can take a couple breaths here. 00:04:10.884 --> 00:04:11.985 Perhaps you've already fallen out 00:04:11.985 --> 00:04:14.888 and you're like why is she still up there? (chuckling) 00:04:14.888 --> 00:04:17.089 But I encourage you on the journey down 00:04:17.089 --> 00:04:19.358 to move with the breath. 00:04:19.358 --> 00:04:21.060 I often go down on an exhale, 00:04:21.060 --> 00:04:24.297 but, as always, I encourage you to experiment 00:04:24.297 --> 00:04:26.733 with your breath, finding what feels good. 00:04:27.567 --> 00:04:28.835 I don't fall out of the pose, 00:04:28.835 --> 00:04:33.573 but rather I take this nice, slow journey down. 00:04:33.573 --> 00:04:35.742 Feels yummy on my spine here 00:04:35.742 --> 00:04:39.112 as I slowly release the hips, 00:04:39.112 --> 00:04:41.781 the pelvis, back down to the earth. 00:04:41.781 --> 00:04:43.450 Keeping my knees in line, 00:04:43.450 --> 00:04:47.687 now I can turn my head and smile at you. 00:04:47.687 --> 00:04:50.824 Okay, so, to go a little bit deeper in the pose, 00:04:50.824 --> 00:04:53.793 we're gonna go up one more time here. 00:04:53.793 --> 00:04:54.828 I'm gonna just show you one more thing 00:04:54.828 --> 00:04:55.996 to go a little bit deeper. 00:04:55.996 --> 00:04:57.097 I'll inhale, again, 00:04:57.097 --> 00:04:59.666 pressing into all four corners of the feet. 00:04:59.666 --> 00:05:02.702 Let this movement, rather than just hiking the hips up, 00:05:02.702 --> 00:05:05.038 let's enjoy this journey, right? 00:05:05.038 --> 00:05:08.909 You get a nice, solid back massage out of this, as well. 00:05:08.909 --> 00:05:10.310 But let it start from the tailbone, 00:05:10.310 --> 00:05:11.778 like we do in our Cat-Cow. 00:05:11.778 --> 00:05:14.748 It starts here, the movement starts here. 00:05:14.748 --> 00:05:16.249 I'll scoop the tailbone up, 00:05:16.249 --> 00:05:18.485 lower back becomes flush with the mat. 00:05:18.485 --> 00:05:20.320 And then I'm slowly gonna travel up my spine 00:05:20.320 --> 00:05:23.623 as I lift up into my Bridge pose. 00:05:23.623 --> 00:05:24.958 And actually for this one, 00:05:24.958 --> 00:05:26.459 I'm gonna draw my heels a little bit closer, 00:05:26.459 --> 00:05:29.729 in case you wanna try that to go a little bit deeper. 00:05:29.729 --> 00:05:31.531 So heels draw in towards the sit bones, 00:05:31.531 --> 00:05:33.166 toes pointing forward. 00:05:33.166 --> 00:05:36.136 Knees up towards the sky and in line with the hips. 00:05:36.136 --> 00:05:37.237 Pressing into the palms 00:05:37.237 --> 00:05:38.572 or, again, sometimes it's nice 00:05:38.572 --> 00:05:41.908 to grab the outer edge of the mat for a little stability. 00:05:41.908 --> 00:05:44.444 Or if we're really going for the ease, the grace today, 00:05:44.444 --> 00:05:46.046 I'll go palms up. 00:05:46.046 --> 00:05:47.581 So you can experiment with that. 00:05:47.581 --> 00:05:50.050 Inhale (inhaling loudly) 00:05:50.050 --> 00:05:52.686 and on an exhale (exhaling loudly) 00:05:52.686 --> 00:05:54.221 scooping that tailbone up. 00:05:57.490 --> 00:05:58.892 Moving with your breath. 00:06:00.260 --> 00:06:01.895 We don't have to do this all in one breath, 00:06:01.895 --> 00:06:04.898 we can breath in and out nice and easy. 00:06:04.898 --> 00:06:08.001 Slowly lifting the hip points up, 00:06:08.001 --> 00:06:10.570 but thinking about drawing these sit bones 00:06:10.570 --> 00:06:11.871 to the backs of the knees. 00:06:11.871 --> 00:06:15.242 Knees really moving forward, energetically even. 00:06:15.242 --> 00:06:17.043 (inhaling loudly) 00:06:17.043 --> 00:06:19.312 Pressing into the inner arches of the feet, 00:06:19.312 --> 00:06:21.181 pressing into the ball joints of the big toe 00:06:21.181 --> 00:06:23.016 will really help you figure out 00:06:23.016 --> 00:06:24.584 what the hell (chuckles) I just meant 00:06:24.584 --> 00:06:27.254 by drawing your knees energetically forward. 00:06:27.254 --> 00:06:29.589 (chuckles) 00:06:29.589 --> 00:06:30.423 (humming) 00:06:30.423 --> 00:06:31.625 Now to go a little bit deeper, 00:06:31.625 --> 00:06:34.894 I'm gonna continue, nice, strong in the legs here, 00:06:34.894 --> 00:06:37.264 continue pressing into the inner arches of the feet. 00:06:37.264 --> 00:06:40.066 Continue to scoop my tailbone up toward the sky. 00:06:40.066 --> 00:06:43.270 But this time I can walk my shoulder blades in together, 00:06:43.270 --> 00:06:44.371 one at a time. 00:06:45.338 --> 00:06:48.508 And perhaps interlace the finger tips 00:06:48.508 --> 00:06:51.144 underneath my bridge. 00:06:51.144 --> 00:06:53.413 Walking the shoulder blades in 00:06:53.413 --> 00:06:56.316 and really stretching through the front body, 00:06:56.316 --> 00:06:58.418 neck is nice and long. 00:06:58.418 --> 00:07:01.021 I find that softness in my face here. 00:07:01.021 --> 00:07:03.757 (loud breathing) 00:07:04.858 --> 00:07:06.426 Can take a couple breaths here. 00:07:06.426 --> 00:07:08.695 Sometimes we can also use the thumbs here, 00:07:08.695 --> 00:07:10.096 the hands to support. 00:07:10.096 --> 00:07:10.964 Or if we have blocks, 00:07:10.964 --> 00:07:14.401 we can do a more restorative version of this posture. 00:07:14.401 --> 00:07:17.103 But this is a great heart opener here. 00:07:17.103 --> 00:07:19.372 I'm still really strong in my legs here. 00:07:19.372 --> 00:07:21.675 (inhaling loudly) Breathing into my belly, 00:07:21.675 --> 00:07:25.211 lifting those hip points up towards the backs of the knees. 00:07:25.211 --> 00:07:26.379 (inhaling loudly) 00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:28.548 (humming) 00:07:30.050 --> 00:07:31.651 To come out of this posture, 00:07:31.651 --> 00:07:33.653 I'll release the fingertips with grace 00:07:33.653 --> 00:07:34.487 (exhales loudly) 00:07:34.487 --> 00:07:39.392 and then let that be my cue to slowly release down. 00:07:41.094 --> 00:07:43.897 Walking down the spine nice and slow. 00:07:53.039 --> 00:07:55.241 And then pelvis releases. 00:07:56.109 --> 00:07:57.310 As a quick counter-pose, 00:07:57.310 --> 00:07:59.579 I'll hug my knees in towards my chest, 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:01.614 wrap my arms around my shins, 00:08:01.614 --> 00:08:03.416 and just take a couple seconds here 00:08:03.416 --> 00:08:05.118 to rock a little back and forth. 00:08:05.118 --> 00:08:06.252 Careful you don't get too tense 00:08:06.252 --> 00:08:07.654 in the shoulders here as you do that. 00:08:07.654 --> 00:08:10.390 Remember, (loud inhale) to relax them down 00:08:10.390 --> 00:08:12.125 and away from the ears. 00:08:12.125 --> 00:08:13.526 We can do this a couple times, 00:08:13.526 --> 00:08:15.328 we can even draw a couple circles with the knees, 00:08:15.328 --> 00:08:17.364 just massaging the lower back. 00:08:17.364 --> 00:08:20.066 And then I can release the soles of my feet to the ground 00:08:20.066 --> 00:08:23.303 and sometimes it feels great to do it with a thud. 00:08:23.303 --> 00:08:24.237 (exhaling loudly) 00:08:24.237 --> 00:08:26.906 And then I'm here for another Bridge pose. 00:08:26.906 --> 00:08:27.741 (inhaling loudly) 00:08:27.741 --> 00:08:29.476 We can do this as many times as feels good 00:08:29.476 --> 00:08:31.544 or often we'll begin or end class 00:08:31.544 --> 00:08:34.714 with a couple different variations of this posture, 00:08:34.714 --> 00:08:37.283 which we'll do at a later date. 00:08:37.283 --> 00:08:39.419 (humming) 00:08:41.087 --> 00:08:46.092 Okie doke, so that was Bridge pose, super yummy posture. 00:08:46.760 --> 00:08:49.929 I love bridge because it's active and relaxing, 00:08:49.929 --> 00:08:53.099 and so we can practice balancing those two. 00:08:53.099 --> 00:08:55.068 Also, really great for the ladies. 00:08:55.068 --> 00:08:55.902 (clicking tongue) 00:08:55.902 --> 00:08:58.304 Really therapeutic for the women, 00:08:58.304 --> 00:09:00.273 but really therapeutic for everyone. 00:09:00.273 --> 00:09:02.675 I'll list all the benefits on the blog, 00:09:02.675 --> 00:09:06.846 so visit the blog at poccox.com. 00:09:06.846 --> 00:09:09.916 Make sure you subscribe, leave comments, questions below. 00:09:09.916 --> 00:09:12.552 And enjoy your Bridge pose. 00:09:12.552 --> 00:09:14.821 Thank you and namaste. 00:09:14.821 --> 00:09:17.891 (upbeat indie music) 00:09:34.307 --> 00:09:37.610 A really awesome pose for the ladies. 00:09:37.610 --> 00:09:38.878 (clicking tongue) 00:09:38.878 --> 00:09:42.348 In terms of therapeutic relief for lady problems. 00:09:42.348 --> 00:09:44.818 Not problems, I can't say problems, dammit.