LOCUST - SALABHASANA

*Lying on your stomach, bring your arms underneath your body, palms flat on the floor. 
*Place your elbows into the stomach, arms in-between your hip points and reach your hands down toward your knees.
*Spread your fingers out wide, pressing into the floor with the fingertips. 
*Place your chin on the floor, gazing forward and lift your right leg to a 45 degree angle, keeping the leg straight, toes pointed, and muscles strong and engaged. 
*Square your hips, keeping the right hip point touching the right forearm.  Hold for 15 seconds and repeat on the left side.

Both Legs:
*Bring your chin down, press your mouth into the mat and drop your shoulders to the floor if possible. 
*On the inhaling breath, bring both legs up to a 45% angle with your toes pointed.
*As a beginner separate your legs just a few inches for help, but keep the legs straight at all times. Once you have gone as far as possible bring your legs together.
Advanced:
*Only go to 45 degrees in the first set. In the second set lift as high as possible, eventually bring your legs vertical to the ceiling, then bend and separate your knees, keeping your toes together and touch your feet to your head in scorpion. Hold for 15 seconds each side and set.

JIMMY'S TIPS:

Beginners one-legged:

When lifting your right leg up, make sure your hip bone touches your arm. Students have a tendency to raise their leg up as far as possible, for the best results keep it at a 45 degree angle. You want to be able to see your raised leg in the front mirror. However, if you find it torques your neck, modify by bringing your chin down toward your chest.

Beginners two-legged:

“But it really hurts my elbows”. Sound familiar? At first it can be very difficult and borderline painful. I couldn’t even lift my legs off the floor for the first two weeks when I started 27 years ago. My teacher kept encouraging me to do the best I could and in a very short period of time I achieved results. If you can lift your legs off the floor one inch for one second, that’s a start! Aspire to improve one inch and one second per day. Just think about it…that means in ten days you’ll be holding for ten seconds, ten inches off the ground. Have faith and keep trying!

Intermediate/advanced one-legged:

When looking in the mirror, check out your alignment. Your body should be in one line; shoulder, hip, knee, ankle and foot. Engage the muscles of the lifted leg to build strength and tone.

Intermediate two-legged:

Reach your fingers down toward your feet and really grasp the floor for better leverage. Inhale, taking a good ujjayi breath right before lift-off.   Keep your legs straight at all times. You’re better off giving up some height to maintain straight legs. So next class, lift up as high as possible, and then lower your legs one inch. If you bend your knees you eliminate all the benefit.

Advanced one-legged:

Interestingly enough, you will achieve more strength holding your legs at a 45 degree angle then lifting to a vertical position. When vertical there is not much strength involved, just leverage and flexibility. So if you are able to lift up to vertical don’t do it until the second set and build strength in the first set.
If you are ready to lift past 45 degrees here’s a good tip. Try to “ali-oop” your legs toward the ceiling at first. Take a deep breath and kick your legs up one at a time. Eventually, with time, you will be able to lift both legs up simultaneously in one very smooth motion.