Halasana (Plow Pose) registers as 4* on Iyengar’s scale of difficulty.
Halasana is arguably one of my favorite asanas because of the deep back body stretch it provides. In Halasana, your spine and hamstrings are fully extended and stretched. As Iyengar mentions, stretching the back body so completely helps prepare you for Paschimottanasana, another deep back body stretch.
Interestingly, Paschimottanasana is also one of my favorite poses. My love of these deep back stretches stems from their symbolism. As I mentioned in my post on Paschimottanasana, the back body represents the past. When we stretch our back bodies, we open up to and acknowledge the past, as well as let go of it.
This past weekend, I went to a folk music festival where one of the bands, The Swell Season, played a traditional Irish song at the end of the night. The song, “The Parting Glass” is typically sung at a wake, from the perspective of the corpse. That may sound a bit morbid, but the lyrics are a beautiful reminder of the importance of looking back on the past with equanimity and no regrets:
Of all the money that ere I had, I spent it in good company
And of all the harm that ere I done, alas ’twas done to none but me
And of all I’ve done for want of wit, to memory now I can’t recall
So raise to me the parting glass, goodnight and joy be with you all.
How can you, on your mat and in your life, gaze back upon the past with love, gratitude, and joy? The next time you catch yourself rethinking the pose you just did two minutes ago, or wishing that your day had turned out differently, pause. Be glad to be here, right now, and thank the past for ushering you forward.
Related posts:
- Parivritta Paschimottanasana (Revolved Intense Stretch to the West)
- Faith in the Future: Purvottanasana (Upward Plank or Intense Stretch to the East Pose)
- Bowing to the Past in Paschimottanasana (Intense Stretch to the West Pose)
- New Balancing Acts in Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I (Upward Facing Intense Stretch to the West Pose)
- Understanding the Body in Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana II (Upward Facing Intense Stretch to the West Pose II)
Tags: asana, equanimity, Halasana, Iyengar, joy, Light on Yoga, Paschimottanasana, past, yoga
What a great message about being present and not living in the past. I needed this reminder today – so thanks. Plow pose is still rather difficult for me. I have a very tight back, so I will continue to work on it until my feet can touch the floor.
Your photos are an inspiration to me! I’m not the most flexible yoga student, but I have seen amazing results in just the short time I have been practicing.
Thanks, Maria! I always need this reminder. Have you tried Plow Pose near a wall so that you can place the balls of your feet against the wall and work on extending your spine from there and begin walking your feet lower towards the floor as your back feels more open? Hope the suggestion helps!
[...] do this pose. I’m not sure which. The pose requires you to begin in a variation of Halasana with your hands planted on the ground, then gently roll your shoulders off the mat and roll onto [...]
This is the pose I have been looking for today, as I have a question. When in halasana, what angle should your back be at? Mr. Iyengar seems to be leaning a bit over his head. You seem pretty straight. I am confused because, depending on how far back I move my legs, there is quite a big range of angles I could be in! Aiming to keep perpendicular feels sort-of right (ie. strenuous).
Excellent blog post, Kat!
I strive to keep my back perpendicular to the floor. For me, this increases the sensation throughout my hamstrings and helps me feel poised in the pose. Iyengar’s definitely looks a bit different. Explore what feels best in your body!
Thanks Kat!
mt