Plow Pose (Halasana): How to Do It, Benefits & Cautions
An inversion that takes the legs over the head, deeply lengthening the spine.
Level: Intermediate · Hold: 30 seconds · Type: Inversion, Forward Bend · Target areas: Spine & Back, Shoulders & Neck
Benefits ✨
- Stretches the spine and shoulders
- Aids circulation through inversion
- Calms the nervous system
Step by step 🧘
1) Lie on your back with arms alongside your body.
2) Exhale and lift your legs, lowering them slowly over your head.
3) Bring your toes to the floor behind you and support your back with your hands.
4) Avoid putting weight on your neck and keep breathing.
Breathing and cautions 🌬️
Exhale to take the legs over and breathe evenly.
- Keep weight off the neck; avoid with any neck injury
Helpful props: Blanket
How Yoga Play recognizes Plow Pose 📱
Yoga Play finds your shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles in the camera image, then measures the height and angle of each joint relative to your torso length and compares them with the rules for the pose. When every rule is met, the skeleton turns green and the hold timer starts running.
If you drift out of the pose, hints like these appear on screen:
- Lift your hips and roll up into the plow
- Bring your legs up overhead
- Lower your feet toward the floor behind your head
Joint angles read from the sample photo above: knee about 170°, hip about 46°, elbow about 160°. These come from a single photo, so they vary with body proportions and camera angle.
This sample photo passes every recognition rule in the app, so the skeleton is drawn in green.
Related guides 🔗
A good pose to follow with: Bridge Pose
A gentle backbend that lifts the hips and opens the chest from lying down.
Yoga Play Pose Guide - All 26 Yoga Poses at a Glance
Browse all 26 yoga poses by level, each with the skeleton recognized by the app.
Yoga Play - Auto Pose Tracker
A yoga app that recognizes your pose with the camera in real time and automatically logs how long you hold it. Practice properly at home with 26 poses, 10 flows, and voice guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long should I hold Plow Pose?
Yoga Play sets a default target of 30 seconds. The timer runs only while the pose is recognized, and you can adjust hold times in flows.
Is Plow Pose suitable for beginners?
Plow Pose is an intermediate pose. Warm up with basic poses first, and reduce the range or use props if it feels like too much.
How does Yoga Play check Plow Pose?
It finds your key joints in real time with the phone camera and compares them with the rules for the pose. While the rules are met, the skeleton turns green and your hold time is logged. Video is processed only on your device.