"It's basically a false promise of relaxation. The only time I have ever practiced-well, fake practiced-Bridge was during class at my yoga studio. In the final minutes, the teacher would cue us to lie on our backs and I'd feel a flutter of excitement, assuming I'd soon be relaxing in Happy Baby or Reclined Twist-only to find out that I had to assert actual physical effort."
"Pressing my feet into the mat, I'd slowly raise my hips into the air as high as I could. The thoughts running through my mind were always either frustration ("When will the teacher cue us out of this?!") or defeat ("My hips used to lift sooo much higher. Am I too old for this?"). No amount of squeezing my lower back, glutes, and hamstrings would support my body for longer than a few seconds, so I'd collapse flat onto the mat, stare at the ceiling,"
"I've known for a while that sitting for prolonged periods of time tenses the hip flexors. But there came a point when I had to learn it from experience. When I'd stand up from my desk, I could feel my hip muscles pulling tight under my skin. When I'd take a walk after work, my strides were shorter, restricted by the tension in my hips, and afterward, I'd feel the muscles along my upper thighs pulsate."
Bridge Pose often feels undesirable because it requires unexpected effort during a moment commonly reserved for relaxation. Many practitioners fake the posture in class and experience frustration or defeat when hips fail to lift. Prolonged sitting tightens hip flexors, producing tightness, shorter strides, and pulsating upper-thigh muscles after walking. Practicing Bridge Pose at home through intuitive movement reveals and addresses hip tension. Pressing the feet and lifting the hips engages the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, requiring endurance and support. Consistent practice builds strength in those muscles and can alleviate sitting-related hip discomfort.
Read at Yoga Journal
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