Plow Pose or Halasana has been named after the posture your physique assumes within the ultimate pose. It resembles a plow or plough, which is a well-liked farming software utilized in Indian agriculture. And because the identify suggests, the phrase Hal is Sanskrit for a plow.
The Plow Pose is an intermediate-level light inversion & a stretching pose. It primarily stretches the backbone and offers flexibility to the entire physique. It additionally works in the direction of the muscle mass of your neck, core, hips, and hamstrings.
Because of this, it additionally removes laziness, lethargy, and fatigue and retains you energized.
In line with BKS Iyenger, Halasana is the continuation of Sarvangasana (shoulder stand).
It will increase the blood movement to your head and improves your mind energy, reminiscence, and mind. It is a wonderful pose to open up the thoughts and physique.
The Plow stance is a yoga posture that folds you over and twists you want a pretzel!
Nonetheless, due to the pressure it locations in your cervical backbone and neck, some practitioners and lecturers select to skip it regardless of its a number of benefits corresponding to lengthening the backbone and soothing the thoughts.
However when you begin performing this pose, you’ll find that its advantages supersede its difficult posture.
Allow us to see how one can carry out this asana appropriately and the advantages you’ll acquire.
Apply Information to Plow Pose
Preparatory Poses
The way to Do Plow Pose(Halasana)
- Lay down flat in your again in your yoga mat. Place your arms beside your physique with palms dealing with downwards.
- Inhale, and raise your legs utilizing your stomach muscle mass. Increase the legs to create a 90-degree angle to the ground.
- Bending your knees and exhale whereas bringing your fingers to your toes and your brow nearer to your knees or legs. Really feel the stretch in your neck and shoulders.
- After taking a couple of deep breaths, slowly chill out your neck, decrease your head, and raise your legs larger in order that your decrease again is raised off the ground.
- Utilizing your core muscle mass, inhale deeply and transfer your toes behind your head to position the toes on the ground. It will make your hips raise off the mat making your again perpendicular to the mat.
- Transfer the legs slowly and gently whereas protecting them straight and stretched.
- Maintain the again of your thighs for a couple of seconds to take care of the leg place.
- As soon as you might be positive assured of the leg place, straighten your arms and interlace fingers behind your again.
- Shut your eyes or gaze straight on the tip of your nostril. Be sure you usually are not holding your breath at any level of performing this pose.
- Maintain this pose for a minimum of 10-15 seconds initially or for so long as you’ll be able to. Progressively enhance the holding time.
- If you end up performed, launch your fingers and produce them to carry the decrease again for help.
- inhale and deliver your hips down as you slide your fingers to the again of your legs. Carry them to a 90-degree angle and step by step deliver them to the mat as you end your exhale.
- Lengthen the legs & arms and chill out.
Newbie’s Suggestions
- Since this can be a difficult pose that locations strain in your cervical and shoulders, it is best to study it underneath the strict steerage of an knowledgeable yoga instructor earlier than performing it by yourself.
- To push your self up onto the tops of your shoulders when beginning this place, clench your shoulder blades collectively. As soon as you might be within the place, increase your sternum by extending your shoulder blades throughout your again.
- As an alternative of your neck and head, attempt to place your weight in your higher shoulders. To keep away from inserting an excessive amount of pressure in your neck, interact your shoulder and arm muscle mass.
- Put somewhat strain in your chest by tucking your chin in.
- You possibly can put a folded blanket underneath your neck, head, and shoulder for added help and luxury. Additionally, be happy to ask a pal or teacher for assist to get into this asana.
Precautions
- Don’t rush into the posture. Carry out it slowly and gently with out skipping any step.
- Whereas performing Plow Pose, don’t flip your head or go searching, as it could possibly trigger hurt to your neck.
- Don’t power your physique for stretching. Perceive the bounds of your physique and stretch it accordingly.
- Carry out this asana on an empty abdomen or a minimum of after 4-6 hours of getting a meal.
Contraindications
- Don’t carry out Halasana in case you are affected by slipped discs, sciatica, or diarrhea.
- When you’ve got any current harm or have undergone surgical procedure in your neck, shoulders, backbone, or legs, don’t carry out this asana.
- Ladies in being pregnant or present process menstruation ought to keep away from Plow Pose for time being.
- On condition that this yoga pose places a whole lot of pressure on the decrease stomach, those that have enlarged thyroid, spleen, or liver ought to keep away from it.
- Folks with weak or injured cervical muscle mass mustn’t carry out this asana.
- Sufferers with bronchial asthma, hypertension, migraines, or complications ought to proceed with warning.
- This place is usually not suggested for practitioners who’ve glaucoma, an eye fixed ailment that damages the optic nerve. The strain already positioned on the optic nerve by this place might grow to be much more acute.
Modifications
- Within the preliminary phases, you’ll be able to put a chair behind your head and place your toes on it as an alternative of inserting them on the ground. The identical will also be performed with a cushion, a stack of yoga blocks, or bolsters.
- It’s also possible to place your toes towards the wall as an alternative of inserting them behind the pinnacle. Your legs will make a 90-degree angle with the hips whenever you place the only of the toes on the wall.
Plow Pose Variations
- Karnapidasana (Ear Strain Pose) – You must proceed with this variation when you may have gained enough flexibility in your again and hips and energy in your neck and shoulder. Within the ear strain pose, after staying within the ultimate pose of the plow pose, you bend your knees and place them close to your ears.
- Parsva Halasana (Facet Plow Pose) – On this variation, you could transfer your legs to the aspect. That is once more a sophisticated variation that ought to be performed solely after attaining some degree of experience within the authentic plow pose. For help, proceed to maintain your fingers in your again. Slowly transfer your toes to the fitting and keep right here for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Subsequent, deliver it to the middle and pause. Now transfer your toes to the left and maintain for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Retrace your steps to the center.
Comply with-Up Poses
Advantages of Plow Pose(Halasana)
Plow pose comes with a whole lot of advantages to the physique. It improves physique posture and tones the muscle mass of the complete physique. It removes the stiffness from the again and hip muscle mass and enhances blood circulation. Along with this, you’ll be able to work in the direction of strengthening your core muscle mass and skill to help the spinal column.
Listed here are some advantages of Plow Pose.
- Stretches and strengthens the muscle mass of the again.
- Boosts blood movement to the backbone making them supple, toned, and versatile.
- Helps to handle diabetes by growing circulation, regulating blood strain, and decreasing blood sugar ranges.
- Aids in stopping and treating again, neck, and shoulder ache.
- Improves muscle mass and becoming a member of flexibility and mobility.
- Nourishes the cervical neck muscle mass by stretching them and making them extra versatile and strengthened.
- Tones and strengthens the stomach muscle mass thereby strengthening the core.
- Reduces collected stress and stiffness from the hip and pelvic muscle mass.
- Massages the reproductive organs for higher performance which prevents menstrual discomfort and painful signs of menopause in ladies and infertility in males.
- Will increase blood movement all through the physique, which aids in detoxing.
- Enhance digestion and reduces digestion-related points like constipation, gasoline, and many others.
- Improves the metabolism which additional helps in decreasing fats from the stomach and thigh space.
- Energizes the physique and removes fatigue, stress, and lethargy.
- Enhances mind energy by boosting blood and oxygen movement to the pinnacle.
- Calms the thoughts and removes unfavourable feelings like anger, melancholy, and many others by soothing the central nervous system.
- It stretches the leg muscle mass and improves the flexibility of the thighs, knees, calves, and toes.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid to try this complex-looking pose. Despite the fact that it seems to be troublesome, following the directions to the, and utilizing some props, will make it simpler in your to overcome your fears and follow this pose.
Steadily Requested Questions
What are the disadvantages of Plow Pose?
Halasana shouldn’t be a beginner-friendly pose. Many individuals merely don’t get pleasure from practising this posture due to the odd angle, which may make them extra anxious. They’re generally discouraged to follow this pose merely y taking a look at it.
Furthermore, the compression of the throat that outcomes from pulling the shoulders too removed from the ears could make it troublesome to swallow and trigger signs of suffocation. And except you might be utilizing props in your backbone, you’ll be able to threat straining your again muscle mass and injuring your spinal column.
Does Plow Pose/Halasana scale back stomach fats?
Sure, when carried out appropriately, it could possibly scale back stomach fats.
You set strain in your intestine and midsection whenever you purchase this pose. It aids digestion and controls urge for food by massaging the digestive system. Moreover, it impacts the thyroid, which reinforces metabolism. Your breath will grow to be extra highly effective when you follow halasana continuously.
All of those mixed make it a incredible software to assist with fats chopping.