Locust Pose A

Śalabhāsana A

Read what the gnome says

Locust A! Lie on your belly, arms alongside the body, palms up. Inhale and lift the chest and legs together, reaching the toes back. Glutes firm, neck long, gaze down. Don't crank the head up. Breathe, then lower slowly. Buzz on, gnome.

Works on Spinal erectors · Glutes · Hamstrings

How to do it

1. Lie face down, arms alongside the body, forehead on the floor.
2. Inhale and lift the head, chest, arms and legs together, pressing the pelvis down.
3. Reach back through the fingers and toes, keep the neck long and hold a few breaths; lower slowly.

Common mistakes

• Don’t jam the back of the neck.
• Don’t clench the glutes: use the back muscles.
• Don’t lift higher than the lower back allows.

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.

Suggest a correction

In ready-made sequences

Sivananda 12 Basic Poses 10 min

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

Similar poses Backbend

• Bow PoseIntermediate
• Bridge with Arms OverheadIntermediate
• Camel PoseIntermediate
• Frog Pose (backbend)Intermediate
• Half Bow PoseIntermediate
• Half Frog PoseIntermediate