Health Benefits of Halasana and How to Do It with Precautions

What is Halasana?

The word “Yoga” originates from the Sanskrit root “Yuj,” meaning union, yoke, joining, and directing one’s attention. It is a form of mind-body fitness practice that combines muscular activity with a mindful focus on self-awareness, breath, and energy. It is the best way to start the day. It teaches us how to live a healthy life by enhancing our concentration, flexibility, creativity, brain function, and memory. If you are finding a way to enhance the flexibility of your spine, get rid of digestive issues, and reproductive problems and increase blood flow to lower body parts, the Halasana or Plough pose is very effective. It is a seated yoga posture that stretches multiple body parts at once, including the ankles, hips, thighs, shoulders, underarms, triceps, and chest.

Keep reading to learn more about Halasana yoga, Halasana benefits, Halasana steps, and more Halasana information. 

Halasana Steps

Let’s master the Halasana steps:

1. Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat with your arms resting beside your body, palms facing down. Keep your legs straight and together.
2. Inhale deeply and use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs off the floor, keeping them straight.
3. Raise your legs to a 90-degree angle, perpendicular to the floor. Continue to lift your legs over your head, bringing your toes towards the floor behind your head.
4. Support your lower back with your hands, keeping your elbows on the ground and close to each other.
5. Gradually lower your legs further over your head until your toes touch the floor. Keep your legs straight and your back perpendicular to the floor. If your toes don’t touch the floor, you can use a folded blanket or yoga block for support.
6. Once in position, release your hands from your back and extend your arms on the floor with palms facing down.
7. Breathe deeply and hold the pose for 15-30 seconds or as long as comfortable.
8. To come out of the pose, support your back with your hands and slowly roll your spine down to the floor, one vertebra at a time.
9. Lower your legs back to the 90-degree angle and then gently bring them down to the floor.
10. Lie flat on your back and take a few deep breaths, allowing your body to relax.

Top 10 Benefits of Halasana? 

Halasana improves the flexibility of the spine, neck, shoulders, legs, and hip. These body parts are stretched during the pose, thus improving the flexibility of the muscles. This asan is also helpful to shed extra weight around the thighs, abdomen, hips, and neck. You will see the results with repeated practice of this pose. This pose is also good for the leg muscles, back muscles, abdominal muscles, hamstring muscles, and neck. It works on almost the entire body muscles starting from the tip of the toes to the cervical. The other benefits of Halasana include:

1. Improves the function of Thyroid, Parathyroid, Pituitary Glands, Endocrine Glands: Halasana stimulates these glands by increasing blood circulation to the neck and throat area. This will help in maintaining hormone balance and in turn improve the function of endocrine glands.

2. Halasana benefits abdominal organs (including spleen, pancreas, liver, and kidneys): Halasana, being an inversion, massages and stimulates these organs. It improves their function, reduces accumulated stress and toxins through increased blood circulation, and improves the person’s metabolic efficiency.

3.  Halasana benefits reproductive organs: Halasana increases blood circulation to the pelvic region. So, it will help females regularise menstrual cycles, increase fertility rates, and generally improve the health of the reproductive system.

4.  Halasana benefits digestion: It is the best asana for cleansing the digestive system. It activates digestion by increasing blood circulation to the digestive system. It helps people get rid of constipation, release gas, and reduce discomfort in the upper body because of food not digested. It should not be practised by a person with severe indigestion.

5.  Halasana benefits asthma, cough, and cold: It opens the chest. Regular practice of this asana improves lung function. As a result, it helps relieve Asthma, reduce cough, and remove congestion from colds. So, it is one of the very few asanas that is useful in preventing colds.

6. Halasana benefit for menopause: The increased blood circulation to the neck will stimulate the glands in the neck. This in turn will improve the hormonal balance. It will reduce stress and will give relief from hot flashes, mood swings and other symptoms of menopause.

7.  Halasana benefit for headaches and sinusitis: Halasana will reduce the blood supply and the tensions in the head by embracing other regions of the body. The increased blood circulation to the head will reduce the intensity and the frequency of the headache and will also reduce the sinus congestion.

8.  Halasana benefits for insomnia: The increased blood circulation to the neck and the changed breathing pattern will help the person calm down and will give relaxation to the mind. This will give relaxation to the body and will help people in sleep well in the night and will not get sleep in all the time.

9.  Halasana benefit for diabetes: As already explained, it will stimulate pancreas by the pressure received in the asana and in turn will help in insulin production.

10. Halasana benefit for piles: The reduced blood supply to the lower abdomen will get increased. In the pose, the body is hanged, and it will ease the pressure in the anus region, giving relief from piles.

Tips For Practicing Halasana?

Here are some safety tips and precautions to keep in mind:

• Start with a warm-up pose: Always begin your practice with gentle warm-up poses to prepare your body for the deeper stretches of Halasana. Start with a Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose). This helps to prevent injuries and allows for greater flexibility during the pose.
• Avoid overexertion: Listen to your body and avoid pushing yourself too hard in the pose. If you feel any pain or discomfort, gently release the pose and rest. Avoid forcing your body into a position that feels uncomfortable.
• Use props if a beginner: Place a folded blanket under your shoulders for support and to protect your neck, especially if you’re a beginner.
• Breathing: Maintain smooth and steady breathing throughout the pose to promote relaxation and ease. Avoid holding your breath or straining during the pose.
• Safely exit the pose: To come out of the pose, slowly lower your legs back down while keeping your spine supported, and avoid jerks to protect your neck and spine.

Read Also: Discover the Health Benefits of Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

How to modify Halasana 

Before performing Halasana, you can start with Half Halasana or reclined legs raised pose with bolster or viparita karani bolster. This is best if you are a beginner. As you start Halasana there are alternatives and modifications that can be followed. 

• The first alternative is that you can use blankets underneath the shoulders and neck to help the neck of the pose easer and give you the required support. This will help keep the cervical to relax without pushing it too much that would crush it causing problems to the nerves. 
• The other alternative is that if the floor or toes are not easily reached, you can use blocks or blankets beneath the toes to give you the space required to achieve the full benefits of the yoga Halasana pose. 
• If you cannot stay in the pose for a long time, you can use the wall. The Halasana yoga pose can be achieved without lots of stress if your feet are against the wall. You can distance your head from the wall at the knee distance, place your feet up, and use your toes to support it on the wall. This will improve your grip, and you can hold the pose longer without any difficulties and relaxed breathing. 
• Alternatively, if your body is facing the wall at 90 degrees in front of you, you can have your legs 90 degrees onto the feet. Place both legs on the wall, with the lower back touching the wall. Then inhale and raise the legs up slowly on the wall. As you gain confidence, slowly take one leg back, and the other one follows.
• Your yoga instructor can help up your lower body with a slight push and raise the legs up and you with your arms, support and raise your lower back.

Counter poses of Halasana 

Halasana yoga is often difficult to attempt for maximum. It is considered as an advanced yoga pose. Once you finish practising Halasana, the body has to get relaxed and come to normal, so the body needs time for all the muscles to contract. Most injury happens if the muscles are not allowed to contract and one step into the next pose or repeat the same pose. Awareness of the body is very important in any yoga poses, this helps in bringing the body to relax faster and intelligently. It is performed in the last, followed by relaxing poses like Pranayama and Savasana. The relaxing poses that you can do after Halasana yoga are as follows:

• Pranayama
• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
• Savasana (Corpse Pose)
• Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose)
• Happy baby pose
• Wind release pose
• Fish pose 
• Bridge pose

Risks of Halasana  

While Halasana yoga offers numerous benefits, there are some risks associated with the pose that you should be aware of. These include:

• Do not perform it if you have back problems or a slipped disc
• Do not perform it if you have weak or injured cervical muscles
• Do not perform it if you have weak legs, weak hamstring muscles or calf muscles
• Pregnant women should not attempt this pose. It can harm the foetus
• Women during their menstruation time should also avoid this pose
• Those with enlarged thyroid, spleen and liver should avoid this yoga poses as a lot of pressure is put at the lower abdomen during this pose.
• Do not perform it of you have weak blood vessels in the eyes
• Do not perform it if you have a history of severe headaches or migraines
• Do not perform it if you have high blood pressure
• Do not perform it if you have sciatica problems
• Do not perform it if you have weak digestion

Precautions While Practicing Halasana

If you are a beginner to Halasana yoga, you should do it with caution to avoid strain or injury. Here are safety tips and precautions for the safe practice of this pose:

• Warm-Up Pose: Always begin with a proper warm-up activity to prepare your muscles and joints for the forward bend. Gentle stretches and rotations help prevent injuries.
• Know Your Flexibility Level: Be mindful of your flexibility level. Avoid forcing your body into the full stretch; progress gradually to prevent overexertion.
• Breathing Awareness: Coordinate your breath with the movement. Inhale while stretching the spine, and exhale while bending forward. Avoid holding your breath.
• Existing Medical Conditions: If you have lower back issues, herniated discs, or sciatica, consult a doctor or yoga instructor before attempting Halasana.
• Neck injuries: Those with cervical spondylitis (neck injury) should not do this asan.
• High Blood Pressure: Individuals with high blood pressure should approach the pose carefully. To prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure, it may be advisable to avoid bending too profoundly.

Wrapping Up

Halasana enhances the flexibility of the spine, neck, shoulders, legs, and hips by stretching these body parts during the pose. It helps reduce excess weight around the thighs, abdomen, hips, and neck with regular practice. This pose also benefits the leg muscles, back muscles, abdominal muscles, hamstrings, and neck. This is an intermediate-level yoga pose, so if you are a beginner, use blankets underneath the shoulders and neck, or use blocks or get support from the wall. Always follow a counter pose after Halasana. It is always advised to practice this yoga pose or asana with a general awareness of the body. If you find it difficult to go into this pose or stay long in this pose, you should work on the body with a yoga instructor. Halasana yoga also poses significant risks during pregnancy, including potential pressure on the abdomen and spine, which can harm both the mother and the baby. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid practising Halasana and consult with their doctor for safe yoga alternatives. 

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