PlowSave PDF
Halasana
ha-LAH-sah-nah
Stretches shoulders and spine
Improves digestion
Calms nervous system
How to perform Plow
- Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body, palms down. Lift your legs and hips with an inhale, then support your low back with your hands.
- Slowly lower your legs overhead with an exhale, bringing your toes to the floor. Try to straighten your legs.
- If your toes touch the floor, release your hands from your back and press your palms into the floor.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Tuck your chin into your chest and with an exhale slowly roll down one vertebra at a time.
Alignment cues
- Align hips over shoulders
- Do not turn head
- Push tops of shoulders into floor
- Soften tongue and throat
Modification: Bring feet wide and hold onto ankles.
Avoid this pose if you have a neck injury.
More yoga poses to discover
Plow (Halasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the forward bends category. This asana targets hamstrings, shoulders and spine, and also involves neck & upper traps and triceps muscles. Plow improves digestion; stretches shoulders and spine and also calms nervous system. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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