The Locust Pose: Shalabhasana

Posted on October 15, 2008 in Latest News

In Sanskrit, ‘Shalabha’ denotes locust and hence the same ‘The Locust Pose’. The posture of ‘Shalabhasana’ is the opposite of the cobra posture of ‘Bhujangasana’. The asana is considered to be extremely beneficial for our digestive system as it can treat acidity, indigestion, etc. This can be possible by strengthening the abdominal muscles and toning the digestive organs. Shalabhasana can also treat diabetes by reducing stress and giving a calming effect to the mind and body.

How to Practice ‘The Locust Pose: Shalabhasana?’

You can lie in prone position (face down) with hands close to your thighs and heels and toes touching each other.

Gently make fists of your palms and place them below your thighs. Take notice that your wrists should be touching each other.

Take a deep breath and hold on to it while you are placing your chin on the floor, keeping your head straight.

You can now tighten and raise the legs as high as you can without bending your knees. Your wrists should carry your entire bodyweight.

Try to stay in this position for about 5 seconds. Initially, you may find it difficult to remain in this position.

Now, you can exhale and gently lower your legs to normal position.

Relax and try to breathe normally.

Experts suggest that beginners should practice ‘Shalavasana’ under an expert’s guidance in half-locust posture. In half-locust posture, one needs to raise one leg at a time which can be comfortable than raising two legs simultaneously. Unless one is at ease with raising his legs to a certain height, one should not try to raise them higher. People with hernia, heart or lung diseases should avoid doing this asana as it can aggravate their symptoms.

Comments

The Locust Pose: Shalabhasana

Comments

Leave a Reply

Comments

Archives

Categories

Latest Additions