This Simple Yoga Pose Strengthens & Stretches Your Body, For Better Posture
(It helps with neck and shoulder pain, too.)
JaneWalter
If you're looking for a yoga posture that can help both stretch and strengthen the body, look no further than locust pose, or Salabhasana in Sanskrit. All you need is yourself and your mat, plus it's modifiable to suit any skill level. Here's how to do it, as demonstrated by yoga instructor Emily Chen, plus tips, modifications, and benefits.
How to do Locust pose, Salabhasana
As a yoga instructor, I can't recommend locust pose enough—since there are so many benefits. It's tremendous for stretching out the front side of the body, while also strengthening a number of different muscles. Primarily, this posture works the glute and leg muscles, as well as the entire back and shoulders.
This gentle backbend helps to open up the chest (aka the heart center, or heart chakra) and strengthens the spine, as you stimulate all of your abdominal organs.
And as Chen notes, this posture can even relieve neck tension and improve posture, because it helps to stretch and strengthen the stabilizing, supporting muscles in those areas.
The bottom line is, whether you want to strengthen the back of your body, open up the front, or simply relieve some neck stiffness, this is a posture you don't want to skip.
