International Yoga Day 2025: From spine to toe, why Shalabhasana (Locust Pose) is rated among best yoga poses

Shalabhasana, or the Locust pose, lends full-body strength and calm from the inside out. This simple yoga pose works your spine, shoulders, core, and even your lungs (Image: Canva)

A good posture is about allowing your body to breathe with ease and live without strain. It shapes the way you move through life, affecting your energy, your mood, and even how confidently you walk. Practicing yoga everyday teaches your muscles and joints to remember balance.

With every pose (asana) yoga rewires your body to hold itself with quiet strength, unlocking a shape that feels less like performance and more like peace. While there are countless yoga poses tailored for specific needs, Shalabhasana, or the Locust Pose, stands out as one that nurtures nearly every part of your body, from the spine to the toes.

Shalabhasana, or the Locust pose, is a holistic asana that activates the body from spine to toes while calming the mind,” says yoga expert Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, Founder, Akshar Yoga Kendraa. “Practised in the prone position, this pose stretches and strengthens the entire body, improves digestion, and tones the nervous system," he adds.

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Akshar explains how this pose should be performed and its benefits: “Lying face down, Shalabhasana involves lifting your legs, arms, shoulders, and head off the mat while anchoring the body at the abdomen and pelvic region. This builds serious back strength and improves spinal flexibility.”

The gentle pressure on the stomach, he says, activates digestive fire, while the deep engagement of glutes, thighs, and calves builds lower body power. “Meanwhile, shoulders open, breath slows, and the nervous system calms. It’s one of the rare asanas that simultaneously strengthens muscles and stimulates internal organs, making it both a fitness tool and a therapeutic practice, especially for those with sedentary lifestyles,” he adds.

Shalabhasana's benefits are more than the physical. “Holding this pose demands stillness, breath awareness, and body alignment. This mindfulness calms the brain, improves focus, and eases anxiety. The neck and thyroid gland get gently stimulated, helping balance hormones and improve strength,” explains Akshar.

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He lists the following 11 reasons to practice Shalabhasana everyday:

• Calms the mind and releases stress: Balance, breath, and awareness work together to calm the nervous system and quieten mental chatter.
• Strengthens the neck and improves thyroid health: Lifting the shoulders engages neck muscles and gently stimulates the thyroid gland.
• Corrects rounded shoulders: Great for reversing the posture damage caused by desk jobs and tech neck.
• Boosts upper-back mobility: Activates and strengthens upper-back muscles for better movement and posture.
• Expands the lungs: Lifting the chest improves oxygen flow and boosts respiratory health.
• Supports cardiac wellness: Calming breath and improved circulation benefit heart health and emotional balance.
• Ignites digestive fire: Direct pressure on the stomach stimulates metabolism and relieves sluggish digestion.
• Builds a flexible, strong spine: The entire spine is stretched and strengthened, aiding back pain relief and flexibility.
• Tones the core and glutes: Holding the pose engages deep abdominal muscles and strengthens the pelvic floor.
• Improves urinary and reproductive health: Rare among exercises, it tones the bladder and supports menstrual and pelvic health.
• Strengthens legs, hips, and feet: Glutes, calves, thighs, knees, ankles, and even toes benefit from this one pose.