Full Locust

Pūrṇa Śalabhāsana

Read what the gnome says

Full Locust! Lie on your belly and lift the chest, arms, and legs together, as high as you can with control. Lengthen the legs back, reach the arms back, keep the neck long and gaze down. Don't crunch the lower back. Breathe, and fly like a strong little gnome.

Works on Spinal erectors · Latissimus dorsi · Glutes

How to do it

Lie face down, arms alongside the body, forehead on the floor.
Inhale and lift the chest, arms and legs together, pressing the pelvis down.
Keep the neck long, gaze to the floor or slightly ahead; hold a few breaths and lower slowly.

Common mistakes

Don’t jam the neck: keep the chin lightly tucked.
Don’t lift higher than the lower back allows.
Don’t clench the glutes.

Benefits

Opens the chest, front of the hips and shoulders.
Strengthens the muscles along the back.
Counters long hours of sitting and rounding forward.

Take care: Go easy or skip if you have lower-back, neck or wrist pain, or are pregnant. Stay in the comfortable range and never force depth.

Not medical advice. Ease off if anything feels sharp or wrong.

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