By Subodh Gupta
When the locust
(salabhasana) pose
is demonstrated it resembles a locust (grasshopper)
moving its rear end up and down, hence the name.
The locust is one of the
backward bend asanas usually
performed in a sequence; first the cobra is practiced, than the locust
followed
by the bow. The locust is a posture that turns the body out, expanding
the
chest to face the world. It is a very stimulating, powerful and dynamic
asana,
one of the most demanding but also one of the most unnatural postures
in Hatha
yoga.
The locust pose requires
the muscles of the lower back,
abdomen and legs to work with each other to achieve the lift in the
lower body.
Before attempting the
full locust, try to do the easier
version (half locust), which involves lifting only one thigh at a time
instead
of both of them simultaneously.
As a beginner you may not
have enough strength to make any
movement of lifting the thighs, but you will still benefit from the
effort.
As an intermediate
student you will be able to lift your
legs higher than the beginner student, but it will require more
strength in the
arms, forearms and shoulders.
As an advanced student
you have to be careful not to hurt
yourself by falling out of the posture by trying to toss yourself up
into the
full pose before developing sufficient strength and control.
To maintain this asana,
an intense whole-body muscular
effort is needed.
The locust is a counter
pose to sitting forward Bend (paschimottanasana),
plough (halasana) and shoulderstand (sarvangasana), which bend the
spine
forward.
This asana greatly
compliments the cobra (bhujangasana),
lifting the lower part of the body rather than the upper, but it is a
more
difficult pose because it is less natural and more strenuous to lift
the lower
extremities (legs) from a prone position (lying face downwards) than to
lift
the head and shoulders.
The locust brings a large
supply of blood to the kidneys,
cleansing and regenerating them. It strengthens the shoulders, arms,
pelvic
organs and lower back muscles. It tones the muscles of the abdomen,
tights and
legs. It tones the sciatic nerves, providing relief for people with
backache,
mild sciatica and slipped disc (as long as the condition is not
serious).
However beneficial the
locust is, there are some health
conditions in which the locust should be avoided.
Three important reasons
(out of many) not to do the locust:
1) People with high blood
pressure should avoid this pose.
2) As the asana puts lots
of pressure on the abdomen, it is
strongly advisable for pregnant women not to attempt this asana.
3) Anyone suffering from
peptic ulcer should not do this
posture.
YOGABODY
NATURALS
