Monday, May 27, 2019

The After Effects Of Bridging Exercise

For nearly 14 years off and on, I've done bridging exercises and experienced different benefits and what it felt like afterwards. Some variations are better than others and the basic ones seem to work the best. The gymnastic bridge to me is one of the greatest isometric exercises in existence because it's much more than just a skill; it is a gateway to understanding strength & flexibility on a whole other level and learning the ideals of what a meditative exercise can really be. However, it isn't what gave me the most blissful moments after holding the exercise. That belongs to the Back Bridge or in other words Nose To Mat Bridge with Feet Flat and Hands Off The Ground. 

Lately I've slowly been getting back to bridging at night before bed because when I'm done after holding the Front Bridge & Back Bridge for 3 minutes each, I experience something I don't get from any other form of exercise (Isometric or Dynamic). When I lay back down after coming out of the bridge, it feels like time has stopped, i'm in a complete relaxed state, my mind doesn't wander and I feel completely at peace. Maybe it's the effects from stretching in that position or feeling comfortable with deep breathing added in but the very moment I come out of it, that's where the meditation really begins and nothing feels forced or dragged out, but blissful and letting my entire being just be.

Bridging goes beyond just holding a position and stretching the body out, it's more than just strengthening muscles and ligaments, it's well beyond the norm for meditative practice in this day and age, it's a state of tapping into yourself that is unique and having peaceful moments where nothing else matters but being completely present. It's concentrated on the here and now without much effort and letting everything flow. I don't think, I don't feel about holding onto anything and my body feels amazing. 

Now, does this have an effect on others? Well that's hard to say because not everyone can bridge, not because they don't want to but because they're not meant to but that's a small amount of the population. Most are afraid of the bridge and what they've been told what it'll do negatively. Most people who have given bridging a bad rap is mainly for two reasons; one, it didn't work for them so why should it work for anyone else and two, they never actually practiced it but seem to think what it does from an outside source and give people a reason not to do it and do something else instead. I do believe in safety and learning that if there's something going on and it doesn't feel right, you shouldn't do it. Listen to your intuition and listen to your body. Yes for some people bridging is a no go due to injuries in the spine, spurs in the neck, torn cartilage that never healed and you're disabled from the neck down but the majority can learn to bridge but it does take serious progression and it's not something to be rushed or taken lightly. 

It took me weeks to get my nose down to the mat when I first started and my longest bridge hold after that was less than 3 minutes. After a period, I held a nose to mat bridge for more than 7 minutes and that was more than enough. 3 minutes is my average time and I don't go any further than that. It's not an easy exercise but it has benefits many cannot grasp. I've been told time and time again that i'll break my neck, cripple my spine and when I get older my body will feel like crap but yet I'm still here, moving around, still doing things I love and keeping an eye on staying flexible, strong and agile as ever. I have had a back injury but not from bridging, it came from doing something stupid which I still feel today but it's more just tension in specific areas of my back now than what it was when it happened. If I didn't have a strong neck and back in the first place, this injury could've been much worse and more crippling, I do feel blessed that it isn't and it has kept me from needing a brace and not being able to get out of bed. 

Like I have said before, it goes beyond just an exercise, it can be a lifesaver and keep you from getting hurt worse if you weren't in shape. For more info on this form of exercise and strengthening the body in a unique manner, check out Logan Christopher's Advanced Bridging Course where you'll learn more than just holds, you'll learn to move your body in positions most can't comprehend and develop strength and flexibility that is beyond the norm. Become a master of the bridge and you'll be taking steps into a much larger world. 

Lost Empire Product Of The Day: Horny Goat Weed

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