Pose library · Halasana
Plow Pose (Halasana)
Hala means plough and asana means posture. Lying on your back, you lift the hips over the shoulders and lower the feet behind your head, so the body takes the shape of a traditional plough.
Pronunciation and meaning
Halasana: hah-LAHS-uh-nuh. Hala rhymes with the start of holiday, and the stress falls on LAHS.
Hala means plough and asana means posture. Lying on your back, you lift the hips over the shoulders and lower the feet behind your head, so the body takes the shape of a traditional plough.
How to do Plow Pose
- Fold two or three blankets into a firm stack and lie with your shoulders on the stack and your head on the floor, so the neck is off the edge and free.
- Bend your knees, feet flat, and press your arms into the floor beside you.
- On an exhale, roll the knees toward the chest and lift the hips, supporting your back with your hands if that helps.
- Lower your feet toward a chair or the floor behind your head only as far as the neck feels free. Keep the gaze straight up and never turn the head.
- Stay for five to ten slow breaths. If the breath feels squeezed, bring the knees closer to the forehead or use a higher support.
- To come out, bend the knees and roll down slowly, one part of the spine at a time, with the hands or arms braking the movement.
Make it easier
- Rest the feet on the seat of a chair or on blocks behind you instead of the floor.
- Keep the knees bent and let them rest near the forehead for a gentler shape.
- Skip the pose and take Legs Up the Wall, which gives some of the calm of an inversion without weight on the neck.
Pregnancy and after birth
Pregnancy. Avoid. Plow folds the belly and loads the neck. Legs Up the Wall with support, or a side-lying rest, are kinder choices. Check with your OB or midwife.
After birth. Avoid at first. Wait until your doctor or midwife has cleared you and the core feels steady again, then return slowly with blankets and a chair, ideally with a teacher watching.
Before adapting a pose, read is yoga safe during pregnancy on joahnnalee.com.
Common mistakes
- Practising on a flat floor with no blankets, so the weight falls onto the neck.
- Turning the head to look around once the hips are up. Keep the head still.
- Pushing the feet to the floor when the neck or lower back is complaining.
Plow Pose is a deep forward fold done upside down. In many Hatha classes it comes near the end, often after a shoulder stand, and it is usually followed by a gentle backbend such as Fish.
It is an advanced pose because the weight sits near the neck. Learn it with a teacher, set up the blankets every time, and count the version with feet on a chair as the main pose rather than a step on the way.
What makes plow pose safer?
A firm blanket stack under the shoulders so the neck keeps its natural curve, a chair or blocks for the feet, and a head that stays still. Afterwards, a short Fish Pose, the counterpose with the chest lifted, and a few minutes in Legs Up the Wall let the body settle.
Who should skip it?
Anyone with a neck or back injury, high blood pressure, glaucoma or a heavy cold, and anyone who is pregnant. Bridge Pose, a gentle back-lying lift, is a calmer choice for most days. The neck stretches routine is a better plan if the neck already feels tight.
Plow Pose questions
Is plow pose bad for your neck?
It can load the neck heavily, which is why careful set up matters. Blankets under the shoulders, a chair for the feet and a still head make it gentler. If you have any neck injury, or feel pain or tingling, skip it and see a doctor or physio.
Why does the breath feel tight in plow pose?
The folded shape presses the belly toward the chest, so the breath naturally feels smaller. Bring the feet onto a chair or bend the knees to make more room. If you feel panicky or dizzy, come out slowly.
Should beginners try plow pose?
It is best learned with a teacher who can set up the blankets and watch your neck. Many beginners are better served by Bridge Pose and Legs Up the Wall until the back and shoulders are used to inversions.