Locust II Pose (Shalabhasana B)

Locust II deepens the prone backbend family by lifting both the chest and legs simultaneously off the mat, extending the arms back alongside the body or reaching them forward to maximize spinal engagement from sacrum to crown. This variation demands greater posterior-chain strength than Locust I and serves as a meaningful bridge toward more advanced backbends like Bow or Wheel. The full-body extension ignites the back muscles, opens the chest, and cultivates the resilience and lift needed for peak backbending in a flow class.

Cues

• On your inhale, lift the chest, arms, and legs together in one unified movement rather than sequentially.
• Extend actively through the crown of the head and through the heels to create length at both ends of the spine.
• Roll the inner thighs up toward the ceiling to widen the sacrum and protect the lumbar vertebrae.
• Sustain the lift for the full duration of the hold and lower with control on the exhale.