The Sanctuary

Backbend · Beginner

Locust Pose

Salabhasana·शलभासन·śalabhāsana

Also called: Locust

Locust Pose (Salabhasana) demonstrated

Locust is the strength-building backbend. Where Cobra emphasizes spinal flexibility, Salabhasana works the muscles that hold the spine in extension — the chronic weakness behind most desk-related back pain. Three rounds of 30 seconds each, with a breath of rest between, is more useful than one long hold.

Benefits

  • Strengthens the entire posterior chain — lower back, glutes, hamstrings, upper back
  • Counters forward-head posture and rounded shoulders
  • Builds the postural endurance for longer backbends
  • Stimulates the abdominal organs through prone compression

How to practise Locust Pose

  1. Lie face down on a soft surface. Forehead resting on the mat.
  2. Extend the arms alongside the body, palms down or palms up.
  3. Press the tops of the feet into the floor, legs hip-width apart.
  4. Inhale and lift the chest, arms, and legs off the floor at the same time.
  5. Reach forward through the crown of the head and back through the toes.
  6. Keep the back of the neck long — gaze at the floor a foot ahead.
  7. Exhale and lower everything down. Rest with one cheek on the mat between rounds.

Suggested hold: 30s · Breath: Paced

How Locust Pose affects your doshas

In Ayurveda the same pose lands differently depending on your constitution. This is the lens the app uses to sequence your practice.

Effect of Locust Pose on each dosha
DoshaEffectNotes
Vata Neutral broadly neutral
Pitta Caution can aggravate this dosha — practise sparingly
Kapha Balancing a good fit — helps settle this dosha

Body focus: Lower Back, Glutes, Spine, Shoulders, Hamstrings

Who should avoid or modify this pose

  • Pregnant women shouldn't practice — prone position is unsafe
  • Don't practice with herniated disc, severe lower-back injury, or recent abdominal surgery
  • Skip with high or low blood pressure
  • Avoid with neck injury — keep gaze at the floor
  • Skip after eating — wait 3-4 hours

If you're pregnant, injured, or managing a condition, check with a qualified teacher or clinician before practising.

Modifications

  • Half Locust (Ardha Salabhasana) — lift one leg at a time
  • Lift only the chest OR only the legs, not both
  • Place the hands under the hips, palms down, for lower-back support
  • Practice on a folded blanket under the hip points

Traditional source: Modern hatha — Modern hatha asana. "Śalabha" = locust. Not enumerated in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika Ch. 1.

Related poses