Plow Pose
Halasana
Plow Pose is a forward-folding inversion in which your legs extend overhead and your toes touch the floor behind you. It stretches the back of the body and is often practised after Shoulder Stand.
- Hold
- 5-8 slow breaths
- Breathing
- Breathe slowly through your nose, softening your throat. The pose compresses the belly, so aim for gentle, smooth breaths into your ribs and back.
In Plow Pose you lie on your back and swing your legs overhead until your toes rest on the floor behind your head. Your weight stays on your shoulders and upper arms, while your neck keeps a gentle curve. It is a deep, calming fold that often follows Shoulder Stand near the end of a session.
The pose suits students with a steady practice and reasonably open hamstrings and shoulders. Because the neck is flexed, warm up first, use folded blankets under your shoulders and never turn your head. If your toes do not reach the floor, support your feet on a chair or blocks.
In this guide
How to do it, step by step
- Fold two or three firm blankets and lie back with your shoulders on them and your head on the floor, just off the edge.
- Rest your arms alongside your body, palms down, and bend your knees with your feet flat.
- Press your arms into the floor, draw your knees towards your chest and lift your hips.
- Support your lower back with your hands, fingers pointing up, and straighten your legs overhead.
- Lower your toes slowly towards the floor behind you. Stop wherever you can keep your legs active, even if your toes do not touch.
- If your toes reach the floor, release your arms along the floor, interlace your fingers or keep supporting your back. Keep your gaze at your chest and your neck relaxed.
- To come out, support your back with your hands and roll down one vertebra at a time, keeping your knees slightly bent. Rest on your back for a few breaths.
Benefits
- May stretch the hamstrings, back and shoulders.
- Can help you feel calm and quiet at the end of a practice.
- May lengthen the spine and ease a stiff upper back.
- Can improve your awareness of neck and shoulder alignment.
Common mistakes
- Turning the head: keep your gaze straight at your chest and stay still once your legs are overhead.
- Forcing the toes down: let your toes come only as far as your back and neck stay comfortable, or use a chair.
- Collapsing into the neck: lift your chest and keep weight on your shoulders, with blankets underneath.
- Locking the knees hard: keep a micro-bend if your hamstrings are tight, and stay active in the legs.
Make it easier
- Chair Plow: rest your feet on a chair seat behind your head instead of the floor.
- Knees to ears: bend your knees and let them rest beside your ears for a gentler fold.
- Legs Up the Wall: a simple, supported inversion without any neck flexion.
Go further
- Practise Seated Forward Bend, Bridge Pose and Shoulder Stand first to open the hamstrings and learn safe neck alignment.
- Once steady, release your hands along the floor behind you and stretch your arms away from your feet.
Questions people ask
What if my toes do not touch the floor in Plow Pose?
That is completely normal. Bend your knees, support your back with your hands or rest your feet on a chair or stack of blocks. The pose is about a lengthened spine and a steady neck, not about reaching the floor. Move into it gradually.
Is Plow Pose bad for the neck?
It places the neck in deep flexion, so it needs care. Use folded blankets under your shoulders, keep your head still and never turn it. If you feel pressure in your neck, come down. A teacher can check your alignment.
Should I do Plow Pose before or after Shoulder Stand?
Plow Pose usually follows Shoulder Stand, as you lower your legs overhead from it. You can also practise it on its own. Either way, warm up first and finish with a gentle counter-pose such as Fish Pose or a restful lie-down.
Be careful
Skip Plow Pose if you have neck or shoulder injuries, high blood pressure, glaucoma, a hiatus hernia, or are menstruating or pregnant. Avoid it with disc problems in the lower back unless guided by a teacher. Stop if you feel sharp pain, pressure in your head or numbness in your arms.
This guide is for general education and does not replace advice from a doctor. Practise gently, never into pain, and speak to a qualified professional if you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication.
