Yoga

Locust Posture
(Shalabasana)

Posted: February 20, 2018

Locust Pose  Salabasana (SAA-laa-bahs-AA-SUN-aa) — Locust pose is a somewhat challenging back strengthening posture that engages the lower back, buttocks, and glutes. The pose gets its name from the Sanskrit words salabha, meaning locust and asana, meaning pose.

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Lie down with your belly on the floor and body in a straight line.

  2. Breathing in, raise your right leg up. Keep your leg straight and do not twist your hip.

  3. Hold and keep breathing.

  4. Breathing out, bring the right leg down.

  5. Repeat steps 3-5 with the left leg.

  6. Breathing in and with some momentum, lift both legs up as high as possible, keeping both knees straight.

  7. Hold and continue breathing for 5-7 breaths.

  8. Breathing out, lower your legs and place both arms beside your body. Rest here.

Benefits

  • Increases spinal flexibility
  • Strengthens the back, shoulders, and arms
  • Tones the nerves and muscles in the back and shoulders
  • Massages and tones the abdominal organs
  • Improves digestion

Precautions

  • Pregnancy
  • Fractured ribs or wrists
  • Abdominal surgery
  • Neck or back injury

Preparatory Poses and Follow up Poses

Browse our entire yoga poses library and learn more about each yoga pose in detail.

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