Yoga – The Bridge (Setu Bandha)

More Yoga Asanas To Shape Your Body:

3. The Bridge (Setu Bandha): In this asana, you are working on your hips and thighs.
i. Lie on your back, arms by your sides with palms facing downwards. Bring your heels towards your torso, hip-width apart. As you breathe in, raise your buttocks as high as possible, pushing upwards with your pelvis till you are resting on your feet and shoulders. Tuck your chin in and let your head rest on the floor.
ii. If this is very easy, try an advanced version, with upper arms on the floor, bend your elbows and as you breathe out put your hands under your waist for support. Do not flop down onto your hands or push your spine up too high. If its hard to keep your back raised, come down gently.

4. Lying Down Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana): This works trimming the waist while releasing tension from muscles in the back.
i. Lie on the floor with arms outstretched, palms down. Bend your knees and raise them to your chest. Keep your neck and spine in a straight line.
ii. On an outbreath, lower your knees to the floor on one side and turn your head to the other. Hold for as long as is comfortable, then slowly come back to the centre on an outbreath, pause for a moment and repeat on the other side.