Yoga For Mind and Body
Part 15

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

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