Shalabhasana

Benefits
· Strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, and backs of the arms and legs · Stretches the shoulders, chest, belly, and thighs · Improves posture · Stimulates abdominal organs · Helps relieve stress
Contraindications/Cautions · Headache · Serious back injury · Students with neck injuries should keep their head in a neutral position by looking down at the floor; they might also support the forehead on a thickly folded blanket. Weak heart High blood pressure Peptic ulcer Hernia

Step by Step
1. Lie on your belly with your arms along the sides of your torso, palms down, hands clenched, chin resting on the floor. Turn your big toes toward each other to inwardly rotate your thighs, and firm your buttocks so your coccyx presses toward your pubis.
2. Firm your buttocks and reach strongly through your legs, first through the heels to lengthen the back legs, then through the bases of the big toes. Keep the big toes turned toward each other. Slowly raise the legs as high as possible, keeping them straight and together.
3. The elevation of the legs is produced by applying pressure with the arms against the floor and contracting the lower back muscles.
4. Gaze forward , being careful not to jut your chin forward and crunch the back of your neck. Keep the base of the skull lifted and the back of the neck long.
5. Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release with an exhalation. Take a few breaths and repeat 1 or 2 times more if you like.

Anatomical Focus
· Buttocks · Hamstrings and calves · Lower back · Lungs · Upper back · Upper arms · Neck Therapeutic

Applications
· Fatigue · Flatulence · Constipation · Indigestion · Lower-back pain

Modifications & Props
Beginners sometimes have difficulty holding this pose. You can support the area around your lower sternum with a rolled-up blanket to help maintain the lift of your upper torso. Similarly you can support the front of your thighs with a blanket roll to help support the lift of your legs.