Ardha Halasana – Half Plough Pose, How to do, Benefits

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S

Ardha Halasana, in this pose the practitioner assumes the shape of half a plough. There is a pose called as halasana i.e. plough pose wherein the practitioner assumes the shape of a plough. Ardha Halasana is half of that pose or rather stops midway of halasana. The midway of halasana is ardha halasana and is also the point of completion of this pose. It is also called as Upward Stretched Legs Pose.

Ardha = half
Hala = ploug
Asana = pose
Read – Halasana – Plough Pose, How To Do, Benefits, Effect on Doshas

Preparation for Ardha Halasana

• Ardha Halasana i.e. ‘half plough’ pose should be done on empty stomach, preferably in the early morning.
• If it is to be done at any other part of the day as in evening because of not being possible to do it in the day, one needs to take food 3-4 hours before doing the asana.
• One needs to keep their bowel and bladder empty while taking on to the pose.

Method of doing Ardha Halasana

Positioning for the Asana

• Lie down on the Yoga mat comfortably on your back and come to Shavasana – the corpse pose.
• Stretch your legs to full length. Keep both the feet together. Keep your heels and big toes together. Place your hands alongside your body with palms facing down.

Performing and getting to the Ardha Halasana

• Slowly breathe in.
• Gradually raise both legs up such that they are perpendicular i.e. at 90 degree angle with the ground. While rising your legs make sure your knees are straight and in line with your legs.
• Now hold on to this position.
• Slowly breathe in and breathe out normally keeping yourself in this position.
• Be here as long as you are comfortable doing in. If you are a beginner, be in this position for 3-4 breaths.

Release from the asana

• Exhale
• Slowly bring down your legs to the mat.
• Keep your legs straight.
• Keep your hands alongside your body.
• Take deep breath and relax.
• You may repeat this pose for 8-10 times for better results.

Pose Variation

If you feel difficult to raise both legs at a time, try it with one leg at a time. First lift right leg slowly and keep it perpendicular to the ground. Stay here for few moments or breaths. Release your right leg to the ground and relax. Repeat the same steps with left leg. Keep doing this with alternative legs until you are comfortable in raising legs to right angles and staying in that pose for at least few breaths. Once you are good with doing this you can try lifting both the legs together and perform half plough pose.

You may try doing 3 turns with right leg up, three with left leg up and 3 or 4 turns with both legs up.
Read – Health Benefits Of Yoga: Mind And Body

Other method

• Start by sitting in dandasana – staff pose. Your legs are stretched out in front of you, spine elongated and arms stretched out on your thighs and hips placed evenly on the floor. Take few breaths keeping your eyes closed.
• Now get into Paschimottanasana. Take your torso onto your thighs and legs. Stay here for 8 breaths. Repeat twice and come back to staff pose.
• Next fold the knees. Bring the feet in front of you and get into bound angle pose (baddha konasana). Now flap your thighs for about 20-25 times keeping your eyes closed and diverting your awareness on your breath. Relax and repeat this step again. This will open your thighs, knees, hips and feet and keep them ready to perform half plough pose.
• Now stretch your legs in front of you. Lie down in corpse pose (shavasana). Stretch your arms on the floor beside your body. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly and deeply.
• Bring your feet together and place your arms closer to your body. Open eyes and shift your awareness to breath. Place your heels and toes together.
• Start to raise right leg up to 30 degrees, then to 60 and later to 90 degrees. Your knee should not be bent. At each 30 degree rotate your feet clockwise and anticlockwise. With deep exhalation, slowly bring the right leg down to the ground. Relax. Make sure that your spine is completely settled on the floor.
• Repeat the same steps with your left leg.
• While lifting your legs your shoulders should not be raised. Chin should be close to your chest. Your chest should be firm and tummy is pulled in. This would bring lower back close to the ground. Breathe from upper diaphragm.
• Repeat the steps for 2-3 times with each leg. This will open up your legs and make them ready to go into half plough pose.
• Now placing the feet close, pull your tummy in. inhale from your chest. As you exhale lift both legs up at a time while pushing your palms deep onto the floor. Bring both legs up to 90 degrees while completely exhaling.
• Keep legs in position with knees extended. Stretch legs out completely upwards. Stay here. Breathe slowly and watch your shoulders. Use the core strength to maintain your legs at right angles with the floor. Now you are in half plough pose.
• Be here for about 8 breaths or more or as long as you can hold in. Loosen your legs while inhaling and expand and extend your legs upwards while exhaling. While doing so push your lower back closer to the floor. Tighten the entire belly along with your thighs and hips.
• Release – Exhale and bring your legs down slowly moving it 90 to 60 degrees and then to 30 degrees and finally to the floor. Relax and loosen the entire leg. Breathe to contract your muscles completely.
• Repeat this again. This time take both your legs directly to 90 degrees. Ensure that your feet, thighs and knees tight to go into the pose and remain therein easily.
• Repeat this for 2 rounds. In each round try and hold on to the pose for about 8-10 breaths.
• Relax in corpse pose completely.

Uttana Padasana and Ardha Halasana

Half Plough Pose is similar to Raised legs Pose. In Raised Legs Pose the feet are taken high about 30 degrees. In Half Plough Pose the legs are taken to 90 degrees.

Health Benefits

• Tightens and strengthens the core muscles, makes the abdomen muscles flexible, which further enables one to practice the plough pose comfortably
• Strengthens the abdomen
• Muscles around hips and thighs become flexible, tones the thigh and hip muscles
• Improves flexibility and elasticity of the spine, reduces the stiffness of the spine
• Strengthens hips and legs and muscles therein, improves blood circulation in this region,
• It is a good exercise for pelvic region
• Helps prevent injuries to spine, hips and legs while doing exercises and workouts
• Helps in curing lumbar spondylosis and arthritis
• Relieves pain, irritation and stiffness of low back region
• Helps burning extra fat and excessive calories
• Helps removing excessive fat that had accumulated around hips, thighs and abdomen
• It is a good exercise for physical fitness
• Helps in improving blood circulation to the entire body
• Helps improvising the functioning of the abdominal organs, mainly the digestive system
• Relieves swelling and pains associated with varicose veins
• The pose stimulates sexual organs, improves blood circulation to the sexual organs, enhances sexual health and performance
• The pose strengthens the reproductive system, tightens the pelvic muscles and supports the uterus. Relieves issues related to PMS and beneficial for those women in stages of menopause.
• The pose improves your digestive health, helps in prevention of many diseases related to digestion system such as constipation. It also improves bowel movements. It promotes production of digestive juices and enzymes that helps in digestion of complex proteins and carbohydrates.
• Expels accumulated gas from stomach and intestines
• Improves cardiovascular health, prevents cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, high cholesterol etc.
• Improves kidneys and liver functions
• Cures indigestion, obesity, urinary disorders and constipation
• Relieves insomnia and sinusitis
• Prevents hernias
• Prevents prolapse of uterus in women and rectum in men
• Relieves anxiety
• It encourages body awareness to a great extent

Preparatory Poses

The below mentioned poses helps in opening up your legs, hips and thighs and helps you to perform half plough pose comfortably.

• Paschimottanasana – Seated Forward Bend Pose
• Baddha Konasana – Bound Angle Pose
• Supta Matsyendrasana – Supine Spinal Twist Pose
• Supta Padangusthasana – Reclined Big Toe Pose

Follow up Poses

After half plough pose relax in corpse pose before doing few rounds of Pawana Muktasana. This will ease your lower back and legs. Keep your body loose.

The below mentioned poses can be taken up as challenge to further strengthen your core muscles and for better flexibility of hips and legs.

• Sarvangasana – Shoulder Stand Pose
• Halasana – Plough Pose
• Uttana Padasana – Raised Legs Pose
  Read –

Modification

If you have your breathing under control and if you can lift your legs comfortably, the pose appears easier to do. If the pose is difficult to do, you can use blankets below the lower back and shoulders. This will provide you the confidence of keeping your legs at 90 degrees to the ground. You can also use the wall for support until you gain confidence of lifting and balancing your legs without support.

What time should be spent in the pose while doing Ardha Halasana?

Hold in the final pose for 3-4 breaths if you are a beginner. You may stay in this pose for 8-10 breaths or as long as you can if you are comfortable being there for long time. Repeat the pose 4-5 or even 8-10 times for better results.

Related Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JBr-LRtO2c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqKbLaXSfWE&t=13s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbdRs_DIUGI

Impact on Chakras

Ardha Halasana stimulates and balances Manipura Chakra i.e. Solar Plexus.

Contraindications, Precautions

Patients suffering from below mentioned conditions should avoid doing Ardha Halasana –

• Sciatica
• Acute or chronic / severe low back pain
• Hip and shoulder injury
• Recent surgery on the back or waist
• Spinal column ailments on the lower vertebrae
• High or low blood pressure
• Severe headache
• Heart problems
• Detached retina
• Pressure in head or neck
• Those recovering from any kind of stomach infection or surgery around the abdominal area

Caution

Pregnant woman should not practice this pose.
Practice under expert guidance
Read – Low Back Pain – Ayurveda View Point And Treatment

Impact of Ardha Halasana on doshas and tissues

Impact on Doshas and its subtypes – Ardha Halasana improves digestion and tones the digestive system. Therefore it balances pitta, pachaka pitta precisely. It also balances samana vata related to the digestive functions. This is supported by the fact that half plough pose activates the solar plexus which is also related to digestion, pitta and internal fire. The pose also balances the fire element in the body.

Since the pose strengthens the reproductive system and is a remedy for menstrual disorders, it balances apana vata functions. Since it is good for the heart it balances udana vata, vyana vata, sadhaka pitta and avalambaka kapha. Since it is used to treat constipation and gases it balances apana vata. It relieves anxiety and is a remedy for insomnia and also generates a feel of self awareness, it balances prana vata and tarpaka kapha.

Impact on tissues – Half Plough Pose strengthens and stretches the muscles and spine, improves the flexibility, it is good for the muscles and bone tissue and also for the channels transporting these tissues. This pose also disposes off the excessive fat from the body and hence is good for the fat tissue and fat carrying channels of the body. It enables good circulation of blood in the body and good for cardiovascular health and is hence good for rasa tissue and related channels.

Click to Consult Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ayu)