Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose)

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose)

To do this pose:

Come to lay on your back on your mat. Keep your knees bent and the soles of your feet planted on the floor. On an inhale, raise your hips up to the ceiling and hold them there. Make sure to pull your knees inward and don’t tuck your chin to your chest too much and focus on lengthening out your throat. On an exhale, lower back down to the floor. This pose is usually practiced in two rounds, you can repeat the same, do a more restorative form of the pose by placing a block under your sacrum, or step it up a notch. To do a level up, once your hips are up, start to walk your shoulders underneath you and interlace your fingers so that your arms are underneath you and supporting your weight on your shoulders. On an exhale, lower back down and sit in stillness. 

How this pose is especially beneficial for nurses: 

• It strengthens the low back, glutes, and legs! As we’ve discussed and as we all know, our jobs as nurses are very physically demanding. The stronger your back and legs are, the less likely you are to get injured at work! 
• It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, making it a restorative pose. This system is responsible for relaxation so doing a pose like this that stimulates relaxation helps you slip further out of the stress or anxiety you had been feeling much quicker and truly relaxes your mind, body, and soul. 
• It improves circulation. This pose helps circulate blood to all parts of the body, truly rejuvenating all your tissues, heals any aches and pains, and starts digestion to rid your body of waste and toxins. Do this pose when you feel burnt out and exhausted and let your body truly rejuvenate itself in just a few breaths.