Asana 8 - Halasana (Plough Pose)

Halasana (Plough Pose)

Technique: (Should be learned under supervision)

Ø  Lie on the back, hands to the side. Breathe in.

Ø  Breathing out, lift the legs off the floor over the face to the rear of the head.

Ø  Slowly, taking care not to jerk the neck, begin to stretch the leg as far as possible. Ensure that there is equality in the stretch of the legs and that there is no distortion in the balance between the legs when stretching.

Ø  Initially the legs will bend and not stretch out straight. Over time and with practice, the final posture will be reached.

Ø  At this point, the shoulder will support the back and will lock with the neck.

Ø  The degree to which the legs are straightened and the distance of the leg from the face is an indication of the expertise in this asana.

Ø  Maintain shallow breathing if unable to sustain a “breathing out” situation.

Ø  Slowly, release the pressure on the back and bring the feet closer to the face

Ø  Breathing in, lift the legs and bring them back to the ground. Straighten the body

Ø  Relax. Breathe deeply. Repeat 3 to 6 times.

Benefits:

Ø  This exercise is excellent for toning up nerves and muscles of the entire spine - neck, shoulders, upper and lower back, lower thigh muscles and hamstrings.

Ø  This pose energises the cardio vascular system to a lesser extent.

Ø  In the final pose, where there is a chin lock, the carotid artery is squeezed, thereby diverting blood to the thyroid. This improves the functioning of this critical component of the endocrine system.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø  While this exercise is very good for energizing the endocrine system, those with cervical or lumbar spondylosis should avoid this exercise completely. Those with cardiac problems should increase the intensity of exercise slowly and stop when there is discomfort.

Ø  Some would be tempted to use the hand to support the back when lifting and returning the leg to its original position. Whilst this is acceptable when one is learning the exercise, over time one should try to lift the leg and take it over the face to the rear without support as this strengthens the muscles of the lower back.

Ø  The use of the back to lift the leg also results in increased sense of balance between the left and right halves of the torso but one should be careful not to jerk or move too rapidly.