Plow Pose
Halasana (Plow Pose) is a full-body stretch that's especially helpful before settling into meditation, pranayama, Savasana (Corpse Pose), or before going to sleep. This posture is good for relieving backache, stretching the shoulders, and lengthening the spine
Regular practice of Halasana nourishes the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine by increasing circulation and suppleness. It also releases tension in the neck and throat, reduces phlegm or mucus in the sinuses and respiratory system, and gradually lengthens and regulates the breath. Plow Pose basics
Sanskrit: Halasana (hah-LAHS-anna)
Pose type: Inversion
Targets: Upper body
Why we love it: “Plow Pose certainly gives you a new perspective on things. Almost every body part is doing something it doesn’t normally do: You’re looking up at your knees. Your hips are higher than anything else. Your feet are over your head. This is a pose that requires you to shift your thinking while you’re doing it. You begin in a restful reclined position, then have to use strength to lift the body up, flexibility to take the body over, and careful attention to assure that your neck is safe. I find that once I’m in the pose with my toes tucked overhead, it’s surprisingly restful. I could drop my knees down beside my ears and curl up like a Nautilus sea shell, feeling both protected and strong.” --Yoga Journal senior editor Tamara Jeffries
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Pose benefits
This calming pose reduces stress and fatigue. Additionally, it stretches your shoulders and spine--and can be therapeutic for backaches, headaches, insomnia and sinusitis.
Plow Pose: Step-by-step instructions
Set up with 3 blankets tidily stacked, their neat edges lined up at the back border of the mat.
Lie back on the blankets with your head on the floor and your shoulders an inch from the edge.
With your arms extended at your sides, bring your knees toward your chest, then straighten the legs toward the sky.
With your palms pressed into the floor, bend your legs back over your head until your toes reach the ground.
With your hips stacked above your shoulders, rest your toes on the ground, feet flexed. Press through the backs of your legs.
Plug into the floor with your big toe mounds to engage the quadriceps. Press your femurs toward the ceiling to create a more active and lengthened spine.
Without dragging your shoulders away from your ears, interlace your fingers, and press down with your outer upper arms and shoulders to create more lift along the spine.
Hold for anywhere from 5 breaths to 5 minutes.
To exit, unclasp your fingers, and place your hands on either side of the block palms down.
Using a combination of belly and arm strength, slowly roll out one vertebra at a time.
Teaching Plow Pose
These cues will help protect your students from injury and help them have the best experience of the pose:
When coming into this pose, squeeze your shoulder blades together to help yourself lift up onto the tops of your shoulders. But once situated in the position, broaden your shoulder blades across the back, into the resistance of the outer upper arms.
You can overstretch your neck if you pull your shoulders too far away from your ears. While the tops of your shoulders should push down into the support, they should be lifted slightly toward your ears to keep the back of your neck and throat soft. Open your sternum by firming your shoulder blades against the back.
Variation: Half Plow Pose
Try not lifting all the way up and coming into Plow Pose halfway. This puts less pressure on your neck. Stay a few breaths, then slowly lower down.
Preparatory poses
Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)
Counter poses
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Mastyasana (Fish Pose)