SALABHASANA:
Salabhasana ("locust pose") is a yoga posture. It is a form of back bend, or spine stretch, using the strength of the upper and middle back to lift the weight of the legs as high as possible from a starting position face down on the floor. Most people find Salabhasana to be a very "strong" i.e. difficult and challenging posture to practice, and as such it not only improves flexibility and coordination, but also has strength and stamina benefits.
In several styles of yoga (e.g. , Astanga Yoga, Salabhasana is commonly performed after Bhujangasana, "cobra pose", which is a related posture working a different part of the spine.
Many beginners find that their shoulder and elbow flexibility is not sufficient to allow them to get the hands palm down right underneath the body, or that it is quite uncomfortable or even slightly painful to be in that position.
(sha-la-BAHS-anna) salabha = grasshopper, locust
Benefits
Strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, and backs of the arms and legs
Stretches the shoulders, chest, belly, and thighs
Improves posture
Stimulates abdominal organs
Helps relieve stress
Contraindications/Cautions
Headache
Serious back injury
Students with neck injuries should keep their head in a neutral position by looking down at the floor; they might also support the forehead on a thickly folded blanket.
Step by Step
For this pose you might want to pad the floor below your pelvis and ribs with a folded blanket. Lie on your belly with your arms along the sides of your torso, palms up, forehead resting on the floor. Turn your big toes toward each other to inwardly rotate your thighs, and firm your buttocks so your coccyx presses toward your pubis.
Exhale and lift your head, upper torso, arms, and legs away from the floor. You'll be resting on your lower ribs, belly, and front pelvis. Firm your buttocks and reach strongly through your legs, first through the heels to lengthen the back legs, then through the bases of the big toes. Keep the big toes turned toward each other.
Raise your arms parallel to the floor and stretch back actively through your fingertips. Imagine there's a weight pressing down on the backs of the upper arms, and push up toward the ceiling against this resistance. Press your scapulas firmly into your back.
Gaze forward or slightly upward, being careful not to jut your chin forward and crunch the back of your neck. Keep the base of the skull lifted and the back of the neck long.
Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release with an exhalation. Take a few breaths and repeat 1 or 2 times more if you like.
Anatomical Focus
Buttocks
Hamstrings and calves
Lower back
Lungs
Upper back
Upper arms
Neck
Therapeutic Applications
Fatigue
Flatulence
Constipation
Indigestion
Lower-back pain
Modifications & Props
Beginners sometimes have difficulty holding this pose. You can support the area around your lower sternum with a rolled-up blanket to help maintain the lift of your upper torso. Similarly you can support the front of your thighs with a blanket roll to help support the lift of your legs.
Salabhasana ("locust pose") is a yoga posture. It is a form of back bend, or spine stretch, using the strength of the upper and middle back to lift the weight of the legs as high as possible from a starting position face down on the floor. Most people find Salabhasana to be a very "strong" i.e. difficult and challenging posture to practice, and as such it not only improves flexibility and coordination, but also has strength and stamina benefits.
In several styles of yoga (e.g. , Astanga Yoga, Salabhasana is commonly performed after Bhujangasana, "cobra pose", which is a related posture working a different part of the spine.
Many beginners find that their shoulder and elbow flexibility is not sufficient to allow them to get the hands palm down right underneath the body, or that it is quite uncomfortable or even slightly painful to be in that position.
(sha-la-BAHS-anna) salabha = grasshopper, locust
Benefits
Strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, and backs of the arms and legs
Stretches the shoulders, chest, belly, and thighs
Improves posture
Stimulates abdominal organs
Helps relieve stress
Contraindications/Cautions
Headache
Serious back injury
Students with neck injuries should keep their head in a neutral position by looking down at the floor; they might also support the forehead on a thickly folded blanket.
Step by Step
For this pose you might want to pad the floor below your pelvis and ribs with a folded blanket. Lie on your belly with your arms along the sides of your torso, palms up, forehead resting on the floor. Turn your big toes toward each other to inwardly rotate your thighs, and firm your buttocks so your coccyx presses toward your pubis.
Exhale and lift your head, upper torso, arms, and legs away from the floor. You'll be resting on your lower ribs, belly, and front pelvis. Firm your buttocks and reach strongly through your legs, first through the heels to lengthen the back legs, then through the bases of the big toes. Keep the big toes turned toward each other.
Raise your arms parallel to the floor and stretch back actively through your fingertips. Imagine there's a weight pressing down on the backs of the upper arms, and push up toward the ceiling against this resistance. Press your scapulas firmly into your back.
Gaze forward or slightly upward, being careful not to jut your chin forward and crunch the back of your neck. Keep the base of the skull lifted and the back of the neck long.
Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release with an exhalation. Take a few breaths and repeat 1 or 2 times more if you like.
Anatomical Focus
Buttocks
Hamstrings and calves
Lower back
Lungs
Upper back
Upper arms
Neck
Therapeutic Applications
Fatigue
Flatulence
Constipation
Indigestion
Lower-back pain
Modifications & Props
Beginners sometimes have difficulty holding this pose. You can support the area around your lower sternum with a rolled-up blanket to help maintain the lift of your upper torso. Similarly you can support the front of your thighs with a blanket roll to help support the lift of your legs.
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