Part of an ongoing series offering yoga postures for men, women, and children to practice at home, school, on the road or in the office. With special thanks to Ross Pottinger of Wink Photo Design in Brisbane, Australia for the photos and the support in this project. And many thanks to Louisa Dick for taking part in the project. Do check with your health care practitioner before beginning a yoga practice. Many postures are not suitable for pregnant women, people with joint replacements, those with hypertension or other medical conditions. If you have a posture that you would like to see in this column, I welcome your suggestions. Namaste, H
Halasana – The Plough
To
Begin: From lying on the back, first slide the shoulder
blades in towards the spine to feel the shoulder blades flat
against the ground. Extend the legs over the body, bringing
your weight into shoulders and arms as you reach the legs
overhead. Note: it is common and beneficial to move into Plough
from Sarvangasana-The Shoulderstand. The Pose: With hands
flat on the back, fingers pointing up, allow the shoulders
to stretch down into the ground to open the chest and bear
the weight in shoulders and arms. The neck should be relaxed.
Keep the core and hips lifting up to the ceiling, the legs
strong, and imagine creating a long line through the spine.
To Intensify: Once your
feet can reach the ground in this pose, you can release the
hands from the back and interlock the hands, extending the
arms out on the ground for an added chest stretch. Be sure
the weight doesn’t shift to the neck.
Breathing: Hold for
5-10 long deep breaths. Focus the breath throughout the abdomen
and back body to facilitate the massage of internal organs.
To Modify: Place a chair
or large bolster behind head to rest legs on raised surface
until your flexibility allows you to bring the legs to the
ground.
Focus: It is said that
the plough helps to relieve stagnation in the body. Just like
a plough tills a field to break up the soil and prepare it
for planting, this pose helps to break up toxins, stiffness
and resistance in the body, and prepare it for new growth
and development.
Cautions: Bearing the
weight in the cervical spine is not recommended at any level
of practice. In this pose be sure that your upper arms and
shoulders are bearing your weight, and your core muscles are
stretching up and away from the ground to keep the pose active.
Benefits: The plough
helps to stretch and release the back of the body, stimulates
the endocrine system, and inverts the body for better spinal
expansion and mobility
