Bridge Preparation anatomy

Bridge Preparation · Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Preparation) · Tư thế cây cầu chuẩn bị

Bridge Preparation mainly works rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, gluteus maximus; it stretches erector spinae, iliopsoas; hamstrings, adductors, triceps brachii stabilize.

Opening the 3D model…

Lie on your back with the knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and parallel, heels about a hand's length from the buttocks; the arms lie alongside the body, palms down. Exhale, draw the navel in and curl the tailbone up toward the knees: the lower back settles onto the floor, the pelvis tilts back and lifts only a few centimeters, while the upper back and shoulders stay down. Inhale and lower the pelvis back to where it started. This is the preparation for Bridge Pose: you learn to feel the abdominals tilt the pelvis and the glutes switch on before lifting the hips high. Once it feels familiar, press the feet and arms into the floor and keep peeling the spine up, one vertebra at a time, into Bridge Pose. Keep the knees parallel, neither splaying out nor knocking in; keep the neck long and don't turn the head. After the first trimester of pregnancy, avoid lying on the back for long.

Muscles in this pose

Working (contracting): Rectus abdominis, Transversus abdominis, Gluteus maximus

Stretching: Erector spinae, Iliopsoas

Stabilizing: Hamstrings, Adductors, Triceps brachii

Why these muscles work or stretch

• Rectus abdominis · Working (contracting): Tilts the pelvis back and settles the lower back onto the floor
• Transversus abdominis · Working (contracting): Draws the navel in on the exhale
• Gluteus maximus · Working (contracting): Begins to extend the hips, lifting the pelvis a few centimeters
• Erector spinae · Stretching: The lower back lengthens as the tailbone curls up
• Iliopsoas · Stretching: The fronts of the hips stretch gently
• Hamstrings · Stabilizing: Assist the glutes and keep the feet grounded
• Adductors · Stabilizing: Keep the knees parallel
• Triceps brachii · Stabilizing: Press the arms lightly into the floor

Practice cues

• Feet hip-width apart, knees parallel
• Exhale, draw the navel in and curl the tailbone up as the lower back settles down
• Lift the pelvis only a few centimeters; the upper back and shoulders stay on the floor

Benefits

• Trains control of the pelvic tilt with the abdominals and glutes
• Gently stretches the lower back and the fronts of the hips
• A safe preparation for Bridge Pose

Cautions / contraindications

• After the first trimester of pregnancy, avoid lying on the back for long
• Use caution with neck pain; don't turn the head while the pelvis is lifted
• Use caution with knee pain; place the feet a little farther from the buttocks

Easier variations

• Only tilt the pelvis, settling the lower back down without lifting the hips
• Squeeze a block or a rolled towel between the knees to keep them from splaying

General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.

Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 24/10/2026

How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)

Related poses

• Supine Tabletop Supta Bharmanasana
• One-Legged Wind-Relieving Pose Eka Pada Pavanamuktasana
• Wind-Relieving Pose Pavanamuktasana
• Bridge Pose Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
• Upward Extended Feet Pose (Leg Raises 90°) Urdhva Prasarita Padasana
• One-Legged Bridge Pose Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)