Supported Plough Posture: Halasana

Hala means 'plough'. This graceful posture, which superbly stretches the whole body, is one of the most important basic poses of Yoga. It is often performed as a continuation of the Sarvangasana, to which it is closely related. In both the Shoulderstand and the Plough Posture the body is supported by the neck and shoulders, with steadying support from the arms in beginners' versions. In the Shoulderstand the legs are held straight up, perpendicular to the floor. In the Plough Posture the legs are lowered together overhead until the toes rest on the floor. As the Shoulderstand is described among the inverted postures to follow, we give the Plough Posture here as a separate asana.

Lie flat on the back, the legs fully extended together. Swing the legs overhead, straightening them, and supporting the body on the neck and shoulders. Use the backs of the upper arms as props pressing the fingers on the backs of the ribs, with the thumbs separate and placed below the hips. Keep the elbows in close to the body, as the picture in the Shoulder-stand Posture shows. Now slowly lower the straight legs behind the head: their own weight should take them down until the toes rest on the floor. Keep the toes down on the floor for at least six seconds. Respiration is restricted in the pose, so breathe without holding the breath, making short and rather rapid inhalations and exhalations through the nostrils.

Common faults: i. The elbows are placed too far out from the sides, ii. The trunk and legs are not in a straight line and perpendicular to the floor, iii. The toes are pointed, tensing the leg muscles; the legs should be relaxed, iv. The pose is not held steadily; legs and trunk are moving, v. The descent from the inverted position is too abrupt, so that the head lifts off the floor. Coming out of asanas should be given just as much care as going into them.

Common faults: i. Bending the legs. ii. Holding the elbows out too wide; keep them in against your sides, iii. Effortful, jerky movements. Performance of this pose should be graceful and flowing, both in going into the posture and in unwinding out of it. iv. Pushing the hips and legs beyond the head with the arms. The arms should serve only as props. Their support is dispensed with in Group B practice.

The posture is not suitable for persons with weak vertebrae. Do not force yourself in the early stages of practice. Let the feet fall only as far as the body finds comfortable. Practice soon brings correct performance and an accompanying sense of achievement in a posture that is not as difficult as it looks.

The Plough Posture keeps the entire spine supple and youthful, and stretches the whole body. It slims the abdomen, hips, and legs. It activates the circulation, nourishing the roots of the spinal nerves, the facial tissues, and the scalp. It aids digestion and bowel action. It is held to be excellent for the endocrine glands, the liver, the spleen, and the reproductive organs, and to correct menstrual disorders.