2100-Asanas_-The-Complete-Yoga-Poses-Daniel-Lacerda

BRIDGE: ONE LEG TO THE SKY
One-Legged Upward Hands Bound Tip Toe
Bridge Whole Body Pose
Eka Pada Urdhva Baddha Hasta Prapada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
(EY-kuh PUH-duh OORD-vuh BUH-duh HUH-stuh PRUH-puh-duh SEY-tu BUHN-duh suhr-vuhng-GAHS-uh-nuh)
Pose Type: supine, backbend
Drishti Point: Angusthamadhye or Angustha Ma Dyai(thumbs)
How to Perform the Pose:
1. Begin by lying with your back flat on the floor. Keep your arms by the sides of your torso, hands
by the sides of the hips, palms facing down. Engage your mula bandha, uddhiyana bandha, and
ujjayi breathing.
2. Exhale, bend your knees, and slide your feet toward your sitting bones. Keep your feet flat on the
floor, parallel to each other and in line with your sitting bones.
3. On the next exhale, push into your arms and feet and lift your hips off the floor until your thighs are
parallel to the floor.
4. Inhale, interlock your fingers behind your back, and press your palms together. Exhale as you push
through your chest and straighten the arms.
5. Exhale, bring your ankles and feet together. On the next exhale, lift your right leg, pointing your
right toes up to the sky (Pose #2).
6. Exhale, bring your left heel up. Inhale, release your arms and bring them out in front of your chest.
Exhale as you interlock your fingers, rotate your palms up to the sky and straighten the arms (Pose
#1).
7. Hold the pose for at least 30, and up to 90, seconds in order to receive the full benefits of the
stretch. Inhale, lower your right leg, and repeat on the opposite side.
8. On the next inhale, lower your spine to the floor and stretch the legs out in front of you, coming
back to the starting position.
Modification: arms extended up to the sky, fingers interlocked, palms facing up, heel up
eka = one
pada = foot or leg
urdhva = upward
baddha = bound
hasta = hand
prapada = tip of the feet