Plough Pose
HalasanaAn inversion with the legs taken overhead to the floor behind the head. Lengthens the whole posterior chain and is usually practised alongside Shoulderstand.
- 01Set up as for Shoulderstand, shoulders on folded blankets and head on the floor.
- 02Lift the hips and take both legs overhead until the toes reach the floor behind you, or a chair seat.
- 03Interlace the hands behind the back on the mat, or support the back with the palms.
- 04Lift the sit bones toward the ceiling and keep the legs active rather than hanging.
- 05Hold ten to twenty breaths, then roll down one vertebra at a time with the abdominals.
- 01Use a chair under the feet rather than straining the toes to the floor.
- 02Lift the hips up as the feet reach back.
- 03Keep the head still and the throat soft.
- 01Skipping the blanket support, which puts full flexion and load through the cervical spine.
- 02Letting the legs hang heavy, which drops the weight back into the neck.
- 03Coming out by flopping the legs down, which drags the lower back rather than controlling the descent.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.