Yoga
Practices - Positions, Postures, Asana
(The Best Practice to Perfect Health)
Vistrutapada Halasana (spread leg plough pose)
Pada - leg; Hala - plough
A pose that is similar to halasana, just that in this variation, the legs are spread apart and you have the arms holding on to the toes.
Taking the asana position
1.
Come to supine position.
2.
Inhale, lift the legs up to 90 degrees(perpendicular to the ground), coming to Uttanpadasana. Keep the shoulders and neck relaxed in this position. There is no strain/tension on the face.
3.
While exhaling, lift the waist& hips up and keep the legs floating behind the head, retaining a balance.
4.
Exhaling completely, touch the toes of the legs to the ground. The heels will be pointing straight up
5.
Keep the breath normal, raise both the arms over the head and hold onto the toes of the feet.
6.
Stretch the legs apart from each other with the help of the hands, maintaining a straight line at the knees. Breathe normally in the pose.
The asana position
1.
The heels should be kept pointing towards the sky at all times, maintaining a stretch at the back of the legs.
2.
Both legs should be kept straight at all times to balance the body while holding the pose. The points of contact with the ground are the shoulders, the vertebrae of the neck, the head, both the toes of the legs and the arms.
3.
There will be a compression between the chin and the chest, creating Jalandhar bandha automatically.
4.
Pressure is shifted onto the neck and shoulders, which might make it difficult to balance. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to maintain stability in this posture.
Releasing the asana position
1.
First, one should prepare ones mind for releasing the asana.
2.
Try to join the feet together first, while still holding on to the toes.
3.
Release the toes and bring the hands down to the ground, keeping them parallel to each other.
4.
Exhale, while inhaling, lift the legs off the ground while keeping them straight at the knees, bringing the legs down to Dwipada Uttanpadasana.
5.
Exhale, and slowly lower the legs down to the ground coming back to supine position.
Anatomical focus
1.
The shoulders
2.
Spinal column
3.
Hamstring
4.
Abdomen region
Awareness
1.
On balancing of the body in the posture.
2.
On maintaining a steady, smooth& controlled breathing.
Do's
1.
Keep the mind focused on the effects of the posture.
2.
Keep the legs straight at all times.
3.
Relax the facial muscles.
4.
Remain steady and comfortable in the posture.
5.
Take slow, long and deep breath.
Dont's
1.
Turn the head to either side, as this would cause injuries to the neck.
2.
Bend the knees, as this would defeat on of the purpose of practicing the asana.
3.
Let the arms move away from the ground as this would cause you to loose your balance.
Benefits
1.
The actions of stretching towards both the sides, help to shift the pressure onto the digestive system. With breathing movements of the diaphragm, posture would help in massaging all intra-abdominal organs and glands, and increasing its overall efficiency of the digestive system.
2.
When the legs are stretch apart, there is an increase of pressure on the muscles and joints of the waist thereby helping to tone the core region.
3.
The gravity allows a deeper stretch at the back of the legs. In addition, pulling the legs apart helps to stretch the anterior part of the legs.
4.
Blood flow to the face would improve complexion.
5.
This posture also helps to tone the arms as it is being stretch and strengthen with the pressure from the inverted body.
Therapeutic application
1.
All stress related disease
2.
Stress
3.
Fatigue
4.
Anxiety
5.
Insomnia
Precautions & contra-indications
1.
Posture is not to be performed by people with high blood pressure or brain diseases.
2.
Posture is not suitable for those with neck issues, such as cervical spondylities.
3.
People with recent abdominal surgery or have disorders like, stomach ulcers, hernia, should avoid doing this pose.
4.
As in inverted posture, it should not be performed by people who are menstruating nor is it suitable for pregnant women because of the intense pressure on the abdomen region.
Duration
Because of the intense pressure between the chest and chin, this pose is held for 30 seconds. Unlike Sarvangasana or Halasana, Vistrutapada Halasana would cause more pressure between the chest and chin because of the legs raising over the head and stretching them to the sides.
Variations & tips
1.
If the feet are not touching the ground, to maintain balance of the body and to enjoy the benefits of the pose, you can place your hands on the upper back for support.
2.
You can place a cushion/ block underneath the toes for better support.
3.
You can also place a cushion underneath the shoulder region (or the upper back region) for further comfort while holding the pose or for those with less flexibility in the upper spine and between the shoulder blades.
