Locust PoseSalabhasana(Shah-lah-bhaa-suh-nuh)
salabha (locust) + asana (posture)
Also Known as: Locust PoseSalabhasanaOne-legged Locust PoseShalabhasanaSalambhasanaShark Pose
Pose Type: Backbend, StrengtheningCore Activating
Difficulty: Intermediate
Strengthen your back bodystabilize your coreand prepare for deeper backbends with Locust Pose
Locust Pose Fundamentals
Salabhasana may look simple at first glancebut this unassuming pose is sure to challenge you.
Although it is technically a baby backbendLocust Pose will test your core and strength along with your mental endurance. It’s not uncommon to find yourself wobbling after only a couple of seconds in Locust Pose.
For those that spend a good chunk of their day sitting at a laptopLocust Pose can serve to open up that upper backand strengthen your spine supporting muscles for a better posture on and off the mat.
Benefits of The Locust Pose
- Improves Posture. Counter the effects of hunched over sitting with this spine aligning pose.
- Strengthens Back Muscles. You’ll find that Locust Pose uses back muscles all the way along the spine.
How To Do The locust pose: Step-By-Step
How To Get There:
1. Begin lying face down on your mat with your hands palm down and reaching back.
2. Engage your quads by pressing down on the mat with the tops of your feet.
3. Leading with your inner thighsbegin to raise your headchestand straight legs uo towards the sky. Lift upwards.4. Keep your neck nice and longnot crunched upand your shoulders upback and away from the floorleading with your chest.
5. Avoid clenching hard with your glutes.
6. Slowly release back to the ground to come out of this pose.
Tips And Tricks
- If you focus exclusively on lifting up as high as you canyou may feel an uncomfortable pinching in your lower back. Instead, aim to distribute the lift evenly through your lowermidand upper back.
- Keep your legs locked. By bending the kneesyou’ll end up putting more pressure on your lower back.
Locust Pose Variations: Half Locust Pose
Lifting all four limbs in Locust Pose can prove to be very intense. Feel free to come into a Half Locust Pose by simply lifting the front body.
As you lift with the chestkeep the tops of your feet firmly plantedand focus on engaging the upper back.
Precautions & Contraindications:
Pregnancy:
Avoid Locust Pose when pregnant as it puts pressure on the belly.
Back Pain:
If you are suffering from back pain or a herniated diskit may be wise not to perform Locust Poseas it puts a significant amount of pressure on the lower back.
If you experience a pinching sensation when coming into the poseease lower your arms and legs down to a position that is comfortable for youor come into another pose.
Related Poses
Preparatory Poses
Bridge Pose
Counter Poses
For more in-depth asana resourcescheck out our free Yoga Pose Library. Here you’ll find complete guides to each and every yoga asana to deepen your yoga knowledge.
Each pose page features high-quality photosanatomy insightstips and trickspose instructions and queuesasana variationsand preparatory and counter poses.
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