Salabhasana (Locust Pose): Basics, Steps, Benefits & More

The Salabhasana popularly known as the Locust Pose which comes under the category of Hatha Yoga. The pose, like other seemingly simple poses, is a prone back bending yoga asana in modern yoga practice.

This is one of the “baby backbends” that effectively prepares beginners for deeper backbends exercises, opens their chest and shoulders, and strengthens the back, glutes and leg muscles, may find relief them from back pain-causing muscle.

Salabhasana Basics

Sanskrit Pronunciation	Salabhasana ( sha-la-BAHS-suh-nuh)
Meaning	‘shalabh‘ means ‘locust’ or ‘grasshopper’  Asana means pose or posture
Pose Type	Backbend, Heart Opener, Prone
Pose Level	Beginner-level asana
Style of yoga	Hatha yoga and modern yoga
Other Names	Locust Pose, Salabhasana, One-legged Locust Pose, Shalabhasana, Salambhasana
Stretches	Stretches the front of the body.
Strengthening	The back, glutes, and leg muscles
Duration	30 second to 3 minutes

Meaning

Salabhasana’s name is derived from the Sanskrit words. Here ‘Salabha’ means ‘locust’ and ‘Asana’ means ‘Posture’. Salabhasana (Locust Pose) is also called a Grasshopper pose. During this pose, the body shape is similar to the Locust pest, so it’s called the Locust Pose.

Shalabhasana described in various classical yoga texts and traditions, including Swami Vishnudevananda’s “The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.” In this pose, the practitioner lies on their abdomen and lifts their legs and upper body off the ground, resembling a locust in flight. It is a backbend that strengthens the back muscles and improves posture.

Practice Guide for Salabhasana (Locust Pose)

This guide provides practitioners with a systematic breakdown of the pose, offering clear instructions on body positioning, alignment, and breathing techniques.

Preparatory Pose

• Bhujangasana
• Gomukhasana
• Supta Virasana
• Virabhadrasana
• Virasana

Steps To Do Salabhasana Pose (Perform the Locust Pose)

• Laying the mat on the ground to do this posture, lie on its belly and forehead resting on the floor
• Place your hands along the sides of your body and palms up.
• Turn your toes toward and rotate your thighs.
• Now, with exhalation lift your head away from the floor.
• Keeping your pelvis and lower belly on the floor. lift your upper torso, arms, and legs away a few inches from the floor.
• After that lift your arms with few inches, parallel to the floor and stretch actively through your fingertips.
• Make sure your knees should be straight and gaze slightly upward.
• Stay in the final position 40 seconds to 60 seconds, then release with an exhalation.

Salabhasana Beginner’s Tip

If you are new to yoga practice then you may feel difficulty in doing this asana. That’s why you should do asanas in a simple way, it will make you feel comfortable. Before doing Salabhasana you should practice Ardha Salabhasana.

Lie down on your stomach on the ground. Make fists of your palms and place them under the thighs. Now while inhaling, lift your right leg up, lift as much as you can, if you are feeling pain, then you can keep a pillow or blanket under your thighs. While exhaling, lower the right leg. Now repeat the same process with the left leg.

Salabhasana Benefits

By doing Locust Pose, the body can get physical and mental benefits in many ways. At the same time, yoga can be practiced only to stay away from diseases and for a healthy lifestyle. It is not a quick cure for any disease.

• Locust Pose strengthens the muscles of the body, it strengthens the arms, buttocks, thighs, legs, and calf of our body, along it is a good yoga asana to strengthen the spine.

• This asana is a good for stretches the shoulders, chest, belly, and thighs along with stimulates abdominal organs and back muscles.

• This asana strengthens the nervous system and enhances its activity.

• Various types of diseases can be cured by Locust Pose, it fixes the digestive tract of our stomach, which does not cause stomach disorders.

• This asana is a good exercise for the pelvic area and abdomen. Its practice can improve the flow of blood and oxygen to the pelvic area, thereby improving menstrual disorders. It may be useful for women with irregular bleeding. It can also be beneficial in the problem of menopause. Also see: Yoga For Periods and Yoga for pregnancy

• Locust yoga can prove beneficial in the relieve stress, depression, fatigue.

• This asana can increase the flow of blood in the body. It can also be useful in purifying the blood.

• Along with improving Stretches, strength, and flexibility, it is best asana for improves body posture.

• Apart from these, It helps in improving urological disorders and more beneficial to get rid of constipation. This asana plays an important role in cure Sciatica. It controls the pancreases and manages the diabetes.

Precautions

According to the yoga experts, this asana is considered best when you practiced early in the morning. Mornings are preferred for yoga practice.

Due to some reason, if you cant practice in the morning, you can practice in the evening as well. But at least keep a 4-hour gap between your practice and meal.

• Salabhasana should be done only after defecation in the morning.
• While doing this asana, we should not breathe in the mouth, only breathe in with the nose.
• Avoid in case of abdominal surgery.
• Also, avoid doing this asana in Pregnant time.
• Do not overdo the exercises if you feel not comfortable in your body.
• Do not practice in case of Low and high blood pressure.
• Also avoid this asana if suffering from knee, hip, or spinal issues.
• You should always consult with a physician before starting asana and Pranayama.

Conclusion

There are many postures of yoga, out of which Salabhasana is a popular asana. With this asana, the muscles of the body are strengthened, Improves posture, relieves stress, and problems like back pain can be overcome.