Bridge Pose Ankle Grip Variation

Instructions

1. 1Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip-width apart and close to the sitting bones.
2. 2Press firmly through all four corners of both feet and inhale to lift the hips toward the ceiling.
3. 3Clasp both ankles with your hands, drawing the heels slightly closer to the body to deepen the hip opening.
4. 4Roll the shoulders underneath you, pressing the upper arms into the mat to broaden the collarbones.
5. 5Lift the sternum toward the chin, maintaining a natural space between the back of the neck and the floor.
6. 6Hold for 5-8 breaths, then release the ankle grip, lower the hips slowly, and rest with knees together.

Contraindications & precautions

• ⚠Acute lumbar herniation or spinal stenosis — the backbend extension and grip-assisted traction can aggravate nerve compression.
• ⚠Knee ligament injuries — gripping the ankles places a sustained pull on the knee joint that strains the medial structures.
• ⚠Neck injuries or recent cervical surgery — the shoulder roll creates pressure on the cervical vertebrae that may cause pain or damage.