Half Locust — One Leg at a Time

Quick Intro

Ardha Salabhasana (Half Locust — One Leg at a Time in English) is a yoga exercise performed lying face down, lifting the chest and only one leg off the floor at a time, alternating sides through the hold.

Equipment Needed

No equipment is needed to perform Ardha Salabhasana. A yoga mat is optional and mainly cushions the belly and hip points against the floor.

Why Ardha Salabhasana Matters

The muscles along the spine (erector spinae) drive the chest lift. The seat (gluteus maximus) and back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) of the working leg do the lifting one side at a time, and the rear shoulder (deltoid, posterior) draws the arms back to complete the shape.

Flexibility is the main demand, with a light strength and endurance load through the back of the body.

When to Do It

Ardha Salabhasana works well as the entry point into prone backbend strengthening, since lifting one leg at a time lightens the load on the lower back compared with lifting both legs together. Most sessions building toward a fuller backbend can open with this alternating version first.

New to prone backbend work or lifting both legs at once feels like too much load. Alternating sides keeps the strengthening effect while asking noticeably less of the lower back in any single moment.
A desire to notice a strength or control difference between the two sides. Working one leg at a time makes any asymmetry obvious in a way the bilateral version does not.
Building toward Salabhasana without overloading a lower back that is still adapting to backbend work. The alternating pattern is a bridge, not a permanent substitute.

For most people new to prone backbends, this alternating version is the more sensible starting point, and it exists to build the same lift pattern while asking less of the lower back at any one time.

Getting Ready

A few rounds of gentle prone backbends, such as a low cobra lift, warm the spine before it works this way. Lying face down and pressing the tops of both feet into the floor, without lifting yet, previews the leg engagement each side will need in turn.

Lift the working leg from the glute and hamstring contracting, not from twisting the pelvis for extra height. Keep both hip points pressed evenly into the mat throughout, even as one leg lifts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. The setup. Lie face down with the arms at the sides, legs together and extended.

2. The inhale. Inhale and lift the chest slightly off the floor, leading with the muscles along the spine.

3. The lift. Lift one leg off the floor while keeping the hips level and both hip points grounded.

4. The hold. Hold the single-leg lift, breathing steadily, for the target breath count, then lower and switch legs.

5. The release. Lower the chest and leg back down together with control after both sides are complete.

How Many, How Often

Ardha Salabhasana is dosed by breath count per side, since each leg gets its own turn under the same sustained lift.

Level	Where you’re at	What to do
Beginner	New to the prone lift	Hold for 3 breaths per side, keeping the lift modest while learning the shape.
Intermediate	The lift feels steady on both sides	Hold for 5 breaths per side, keeping the hips level throughout.
Advanced	Both sides feel controlled	Begin testing Salabhasana, lifting both legs together instead of alternating.

Keeping the hips level and both hip points grounded matters more here than how high either leg lifts, since a twisted pelvis undercuts the exact control this alternating version is meant to build.

Modifications and Variations

Ardha Salabhasana sits at the accessible end of its own progression, with one clear next step and no easier version below it.

For more difficulty, Salabhasana lifts both legs at the same time, adding to the load on the lower back at any one moment.

Progression path: Ardha Salabhasana → Salabhasana

Give both sides equal attention, even the leg that lifts more easily, since an uneven habit here tends to carry straight into the bilateral version.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Twisting the pelvis to gain extra height on the lifted leg. This trades hip extension for a cheat that can strain the lower back. Keeping both hip points pressed evenly into the mat is the fix.

Rushing through both sides without pausing to notice a difference. Skipping past any asymmetry defeats one of the reasons to practice the alternating version at all. Taking a breath between sides to register how each one felt is worth the extra moment.

Craning the neck to look further up than the lift reaches. This adds strain through the neck without adding anything to the leg lift itself. A neutral gaze, roughly level with the floor a few feet ahead, keeps the neck out of the effort entirely.

Holding the breath during the single-leg lift. The effort of the isolated lift tempts shallow, held breathing. A steady breath through the nose sustains the hold longer than bracing does.

After Your Set

Sitting back into a wide-kneed child’s pose releases the lower back after working each side in turn. A few gentle knee-to-chest hugs, one leg at a time, ease whichever leg carried more of the lift.

Going Deeper

This version is usually trained by anyone new to prone backbend strengthening, as a way to build the same lift pattern while asking less of the lower back at any given moment. The most common way it stalls isn’t a lack of leg strength, but twisting the pelvis to chase height on the lifted leg instead of keeping both hip points grounded, which quietly reintroduces the load this alternating version is meant to reduce. Keeping the hips level, on both sides evenly, is what makes the transition to lifting both legs together feel manageable later.

Someone new to this pose generally reaches a steady 3-breath hold on both sides within the first one to two weeks, and starts testing the full bilateral lift somewhere in the three to five week range.

How to Know You’re Improving

A 3-breath hold per side with both hip points staying grounded
A lift that feels roughly even in height and effort between the two legs
A comfortable 5-breath hold per side without the pelvis twisting
A confident first attempt at lifting both legs together

Hips staying level through each single-leg lift, not how high either leg rises, is what progress looks like here.

Muscles Worked

Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, lifting the chest with only one leg adding load)
Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, raising a single leg at a time)
Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, working on whichever leg is lifted)
Posterior Deltoid (the back of the shoulder cap, drawing the arms back along the sides)

FAQ

Why does this feel easier than I expected for a backbend? Lifting one leg at a time puts less load on the lower back than lifting both together, which is what makes this version a sound entry point.

Is it normal for one side to lift more easily than the other? Yes, most people have a slightly stronger or more coordinated side. Giving the weaker side equal practice time closes that gap over time.

How do I know when I’m ready for the full two-leg version? A steady 5-breath hold on both sides, with the hips staying level, is a reasonable signal. Moving to the bilateral lift before that point usually just brings the same instability back under a heavier load.

Can I practice this if I have a sensitive lower back? This alternating version is already a reasonable starting point for a sensitive lower back, though anyone with an existing back concern should still get individual guidance before loading it directly.

Next in this series: Salabhasana, the full two-legged Locust Pose this alternating version builds toward.