Salabhasana

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Salabhasana ("locust pose") is a yoga posture. It is a form of back bend, or spine stretch, using the strength of the upper and middle back to lift the weight of the legs as high as possible from a starting position face down on the floor. Most people find Salabhasana to be a very "strong" i.e. difficult and challenging posture to practice, and as such it not only improves flexibility and coordination, but also has strength and stamina benefits.

In several styles of yoga (e.g. Bikram Yoga, Astanga Yoga, Salabhasana is commonly performed after Bhujangasana, "cobra pose", which is a related posture working a different part of the spine.

In the Bikram style, the posture referred to as Salabhasana has three stages which follow one after the other. The posture of the same name in Astanga corresponds to stage three of the Bikram style posture.

The Bikram style posture is described as follows:

Preparation: Lie on your front looking forwards. Turn your palms face down by your sides, then roll your body side to side to get the hands as far underneath the body as possible, palms down and little fingers touching if you can. The elbows should be underneath the body and straight, the feet next to each other, the legs straight. Straighten the right leg and point the toe, relax the left leg completely.

Stage 1: Keeping the left leg relaxed and the right hip in contact with the right forearm, lift the right leg, aiming for a forty-five degree angle. Hold the position, breathing smoothly, for 10 seconds, then bring the right leg down with control.

Stage 2: Repeat, lifting the left leg.

Stage 3: Turn your face to the floor to protect the neck and bring your weight into the tops of your shoulders, pressing the palms into the floor. Bring the feet together and straighten the knees. Using your back strength, and keeping both legs straight and together, lift both legs off the floor, raising them as high as possible into the air. Hold the posture for 10 seconds, breathing smoothly, then lower the legs with control. Roll from side to side to allow the arms to come out from underneath the body, allow the elbows to bend slightly with hands by your sides, bring toes together and allow the heels to fall outwards. Turn your left ear to the floor and relax, breathing deeply into the belly.

After a short break, the whole posture is repeated, finishing with relaxation on the stomach with the right ear on the floor.

As mentioned earlier, the Astanga version of the posture is essentially the preparation, followed immediately by stage 3.

Many beginners find that their shoulder and elbow flexibility is not sufficient to allow them to get the hands palm down right underneath the body, or that it is quite uncomfortable or even slightly painful to be in that position.