Halasana - Plough Pose
Plow Pose| Halasana for Spine
Hal =
plow, Asana = posture or pose
This yoga pose gets its name from the plow –
a popular farming tool commonly used in Indian agriculture to prepare the soil
for sowing crops. Like its namesake, this pose prepares the ‘field’
of the body and mind for deep rejuvenation. Halasana is pronounced as
hah-LAHS-uh-nuh.
Parsva Halasana is an advanced
variation of the Halasana.
How to do Halasana (Plow Pose)
1.
Lie on your back with your arms
beside you, palms downwards.
2.
As you inhale, use your abdominal
muscles to lift your feet off the floor, raising your legs vertically at a
90-degree angle.
3.
Continue to breathe normally and
supporting your hips and back with your hands, lift them off the ground.
4.
Allow your legs to sweep in a
180-degree angle over your head till your toes touch the floor. Your back
should be perpendicular to the floor. This may be difficult initially, but make
an attempt for a few seconds.
5.
Hold this pose and let your body
relax more and more with each steady breath.
6.
After about a minute (a few seconds
for beginners) of resting in this pose, you may gently bring your legs down on
exhalation.
Tips for Halasana (Plow Pose)
·
Do this asana slowly and gently. Ensure
that you do not strain your neck or push it into the ground.
·
Support your back on the tops of
your shoulders, lifting your shoulders a little towards your ears.
·
Avoid jerking your body, while
bringing the legs down.
Suggested preparatory asanas/poses before
Halasana
·
Poorva Halasana or the
preliminary plow pose is a preparatory asana before you
practice full Halasana pose. It is relatively easy to
perform.
·
Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana) is
usually done before the Plow Pose (Halasana) in
the Padma Sadhanasequence.
To do Sarvangasana, when you lift your legs and hips off the floor, instead of
taking your legs 180 degrees over your head, stretch them upwards in the air,
so that you come up high on your shoulders, supporting you back with your
hands. Halasana goes hand-in-hand with Sarvangasana.
·
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) is
another asana that can be done before Halasana.
Suggested follow-up asanas/poses after
Halasana
·
It can also be followed by gently
rocking the body in Wind-Relieving
Pose (Pavanamuktasana).
5-Benefits of the Halasana (Plow Pose)
1.
Strengthens and opens up the neck,
shoulders, abs and back muscles.
2.
Calms the nervous system, reduces
stress and fatigue.
3.
Tones the legs and improves leg
flexibility.
4.
Stimulates the thyroid gland and
strengthens the immune system.
5.
Helps women during menopause.
Halasana Contraindications (Plow Pose)
·
Avoid practicing Plow Pose (Halasana) if
you have injured your neck or are suffering from diarrhea and high
blood pressure.
·
Ladies should avoid practicing Plow
Pose (Halasana) during pregnancy and
during the first two days of their menstrual cycle.
·
Consult a doctor before practicing
Plow Pose (Halasana) if you have suffered from chronic diseases or spinal
disorders in the recent past
Yogesh Managaonkar |Indian |Engineer | Blogger |
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