Shalabasana
Techniques
Lie on your stomach with you chin touching the ground. Stretch both arms along your sides. Stiffen you body and raise you legs as high as possible. Stretch the soles of your feet. Raise your legs, thighs and lower part of the abdomen. Hold this position for five to thirty seconds and rest the breath. Lower both legs to the ground slowly and then exhale smoothly. If you feel uncomfortable in the final position, support you thighs, with the help of both hands.
Benefits
- It is a very fine exercise for the pelvis and the abdomen
- The pose may be repeated 3 to 7 times to derive maximum advantage
- The pose lends one the appearance of a locust or (grass-hopper) with its tail standing at an angle to the ground.
- Also do half locusts pose with the raising of one leg
- Shalabhasana aids digestion and relieves gastric troubles like flatulence. As the spinal column is stretched back, the spinal cord become elastic and the pose relieves pain in the sacral region as well as lumber regions.
- The prostate glands and the bladder remain healthy due to this Asana
- It could also give relief to persons suffering aches of the lower back.
Cautions
When the student finds that he can no longer hold his breath, he slowly lowers his legs, releases his muscles and gradually proceeds to exhale. When respiration becomes normal, the student is ready for the next attempt. Care should be taken not to strain the lungs by unduly prolonging the posture. Of all the Asana, it is only Shalabhasana which requires a sudden movement of the lower extremities during practice. But here too, no violence should be done to the legs. The action entire though sudden should be perfectly smooth.
