🧘♀️ Baddha Hasta Utthita Stiti Shalabhasana – Hands Bound Rising Standing Locust Pose (Steps, Benefits, Meaning)
Focus Keyword: Baddha Hasta Utthita Stiti Shalabhasana
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Meta Description: Learn how to practice Baddha Hasta Utthita Stiti Shalabhasana (Hands Bound Rising Standing Locust Pose) with step-by-step instructions, benefits, chakra activation, and safety tips.
🧾 Sanskrit Name & Meaning
Sanskrit Name: Baddha Hasta Utthita Stiti Shalabhasana
Pronunciation: (BUH-duh HUH-stuh UT-ti-tuh STI-ti shuh-luh-BAHS-uh-nuh)
Meaning:
- Baddha = Bound
- Hasta = Hand
- Utthita = Extended or Raised
- Stiti = Standing
- Shalabha = Locust
- Asana = Pose
➡️ Translation: Bound Hands Extended Standing Locust Pose
🧍♀️ Pose Type, Drishti, and Chakra Focus
- Pose Type: Standing, Backbend
- Drishti (Gaze Point): Urdhva Drishti (Upward) or Bhrumadhye Drishti (Third Eye)
- Primary Chakras Activated:
- Muladhara (Root): Enhances grounding and stability
- Anahata (Heart): Encourages emotional openness
- Vishuddha (Throat): Supports self-expression and communication
✅ How to Do Baddha Hasta Utthita Stiti Shalabhasana (Step-by-Step)
- Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), feet hip-width apart.
- Exhale and clasp your hands behind your sacrum. Palms press inward; thumbs point down.
- Inhale, draw your shoulders back, expand your chest.
- On the next exhale, push your arms downward and lift your chest upward, entering a gentle standing backbend.
- Lift your gaze toward the ceiling, keeping neck long and shoulders soft.
- Engage your thighs and core to stabilize the backbend.
- Hold the pose for 3–5 deep breaths, feeling the heart open.
- Slowly release, untangle your arms, and return to neutral Tadasana.
💪 Benefits of Baddha Hasta Utthita Stiti Shalabhasana
🔹 Physical Benefits:
- Expands the chest and shoulders
- Increases thoracic spine flexibility
- Strengthens glutes, back extensors, and hamstrings
- Enhances posture and spinal awareness
- Stimulates abdominal organs and digestion
🧠 Mental & Energetic Benefits:
- Builds courage and confidence
- Activates heart and throat chakras for emotional expression
- Relieves fatigue and energizes the nervous system
- Encourages upward energy flow and alertness
🔍 Muscles Worked or Stretched
| Muscle Group | Action in the Pose |
|---|---|
| Erector Spinae | Spinal extension and support |
| Gluteus Maximus | Hip extension, supports pelvic lift |
| Hamstrings & Quadriceps | Stability during the backbend |
| Pectoralis Major/Minor | Chest and shoulder opening |
| Deltoids & Biceps | Arm extension and chest lift |
| Rectus Abdominis & Obliques | Core support to avoid lumbar collapse |
🧘♂️ Modifications & Props
- Use a yoga strap between hands if interlacing is difficult
- Keep a micro-bend in the knees to reduce low back strain
- Interlace hands higher up the back to reduce shoulder intensity
- Gaze can be kept neutral if neck sensitivity is present
🧘 Preparatory & Counterposes
| Type | Recommended Poses |
|---|---|
| Preparatory | Anuvittasana (Standing Backbend), Bhujangasana (Cobra), Gomukhasana Arms |
| Counterposes | Ardha Uttanasana (Half Forward Fold), Malasana (Garland Pose), Balasana (Child’s Pose) |
⚠️ Contraindications & Safety Tips
❌ Avoid if:
- You have recent spinal disc injuries or chronic lower back pain
- Suffering from vertigo, glaucoma, or uncontrolled hypertension
- Have rotator cuff or major shoulder issues
✅ Safety Tips:
- Engage your core (draw navel in) to protect lumbar spine
- Avoid collapsing into the low back; focus on chest lift
- Maintain even weight across both feet
- Release the pose if dizziness, pain, or strain arises