Salabhasana, also known as locust pose it emulates a locust with a backward bending pose. The name of this asana has been derived from two words from Sanskrit ” Shalabh “meaning grasshopper, and asana, meaning posture. As because its name has been derived from the Sanskrit language, therefore it is believed it is being practiced for many years.

The most important benefit of practicing Salabhasana is it helps in strengthening your pelvic portions. This post is best for both beginners as well as advanced yoga practitioners.

Stepwise instructions for doing Salabhasana or Locust yoga pose

People suffering from some injuries and other kinds of health conditions are mainly recommended for practicing yoga. It’s best when you practice it under the supervision of a good yoga teacher.

A yoga training in Rishikesh can assist you in learning this pose perfectly, along with other restorative Yoga poses.

How to prepare for the pose?

  • At first, spread a yoga mat on the floor.
  • Lie on your belly over the yoga mat by keeping your arms in the side of the torso. Your forehead must rest on the floor.
  • Your palms should face up with legs and feet very close to each other.
  • It would help if you kept your feet soles in the uppermost position.
  • Your buttocks should be held in a firm position in the direction of the pubis.
  • Then close your eyes and relax your entire body by taking deep inhalation.

How to perform Locust yoga pose?

  • While lifting your head off the ground, exhale. Raise your arms and legs while resting on your belly, pelvis front portion, and lower ribs.
  • Hold the buttocks firm and stretch the back, thinking a weight is pressing down the upper arms. Contract the low back muscles and then carry out the following steps:
  • At first, a push-up is done against this resistance.
  • While gazing forward. Lift your skull towards the back of the neck. While doing this step, never make the mistake of protruding your chin forward and crunch your neck back.
  • Stay in this position for at least thirty seconds to about one minute, and then you can release the posture by exhaling.
  • Take some more breaths and then repeat the whole process at least two or three times. This is entirely optional and relies on the performer’s staminal level.

There are several benefits of doing Salabhasana. Have a look at a few of them:

  • It helps in enhancing the person’s posture. It is a good posture for someone having spine-related issues and backaches.
  • While performing this posture, you have to lie on your belly, for which all organs in your abdomen are stimulated, thereby making it healthy. All problems concerning digestion and stomach are resolved quickly if you practice salabhasana pose regularly.
  • Salabhasana helps relieve the stress levels of your body by generating some good vibes for mental health.
  • Salabhasana poses stretch your shoulders, thighs, belly, and chest to a greater extent in such a way that it helps in gaining more flexibility.
  • This pose helps in strengthening the muscles of your spine, legs, buttocks, and spine. It assists you in getting rid of all joint pains and muscular pains in your body.
  • Salabhasana benefits and assist people having slipped disc, sciatica, and also back pain.
  • A Locust pose enhances your appetite.
  • With regular practice of this pose, your stomach and liver start functioning effectively.
  • Irregular bowel symptoms are also corrected, and it generates an increased functioning of the bowels.
  • Locust pose helps in the proper maintenance of the acid-base balance in your body.
  • It enhances blood circulation in the human system.
  • It helps in the proper regulation of metabolism and assists in weight loss.
  • Decreases hypertension.
  • A locust pose helps boost your concentration level and, thus, is highly recommended for young children.
  • It assists in resolving knee arthritis and injuries that are caused by hamstrings.
  • Your entire nervous system is stimulated, mainly by the parasympathetic outflow.

Side effects of Salabhasana:

There are some ill effects of locust pose when it is not done correctly or if a person having some health issues does it.

  • People who have fragile spines and a very low bone density are prone to get affected by performing this pose.
  • People who are suffering from neck injuries and other such neck issues should take proper care to hold their neck in a neutral posture by looking to the ground. Or else that can avoid any unnecessary strain by using forehead support using a folded thick blanket.
  • Salabhasana or locust pose causes headaches in some people that lead to tremendous and unavoidable fatigues.
  • The stomach also creates some problems like flatulence, indigestion, and constipation while doing salabhasana.
  • A salabhasana posture might lead to some lower back pain and other such back-related health issues when done imperfectly.

What are precautions you should take while practicing Salabhasana yoga?

There are few precautions you should take while performing Salabhasana yoga. Have a look at a few of them:

  • Do it slow and never get hurry with these moves.
  • Never push hard and strain your body.
  • People suffering from blood pressure and a weak heart should never try salabhasana yoga as it will not suit their health conditions.
  • Patients having abdominal tuberculosis, stomach problems, and ulcers must not practice Salabhasana.
  • Never bend your knees, and always keep it straight.
  • So not raise your chin above the floor and try hard to hold it against the ground.

A yoga teacher training in Rishikesh offers you a good knowledge of performing and what precautions you need to take to do Salabhasana.

It would help if you did some asana before and after practicing salabhasana yoga posture.

It’s like a warm-up before any physical activity. Some of the essential preparatory poses are

  • Gomukhasana
  • Bhujangasana
  • Supta virasana
  • Virasana.
  • Virabhadrasana

Similarly, once you have done practicing Salabhasana, you can follow up some poses like

  • Ustrasana
  • Sarvangasana
  • Bharadvaja twist
  • Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Wrapping up

Salabhasana is a very challenging pose, and you need to practice a lot to gain mastery over it. To get the best results, it’s best to practice it early in the morning even though you can practice at other hours. But the only thing is you must have an empty stomach as it is an ab-strengthening posture.