Scared of Plow (Hala) pose

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

At my yoga class last week the instructor quite suddenly showed us the Plow pose. I cannot really do a “forwards roll” because I find it scary to do that to my neck, so I was quite apprehensive before trying this pose.

I think I may have been doing it wrong but it was pretty terrifying. Is it “normal” to feel like you’re about to lose balance and injure your neck? It feels very dangerous and at one point I freaked and discontinued. Not sure if it’s relevant but my hamstrings are extremely tight which makes straightening the legs impossible. Should I avoid this particular pose?

Thank you.

#2

Since part of yoga is a movement to take full responsibility for our living (read: choices) it is more appropriate that this question be offered to the teacher you have selected.

If you were doing it incorrectly AND you have chosen a skilled teacher, THEN it is up to them to actually do some teaching. Skilled teachers do not allow students to do poses they are not prepared to do, not able to do, when the doing is also dangerous, which it is in Halasana.

In my teaching we do not teach the pose with the entry you allude to (but do not specify). Furthermore, the pose is done in a similar way to Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) with folded blankets or foam pads under the neck and shoulders. DOing the pose flat on the floor is ill-advised.

Whether YOU should avoid the pose or not cannot be fully determined from your post. However trepidation going into a pose and freaking out going into a pose are two different things. In the first case it might be sound to move forward. Freaking out however cannot possibly set a stage for a beneficial posture.

#3

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;28386]Since part of yoga is a movement to take full responsibility for our living (read: choices) it is more appropriate that this question be offered to the teacher you have selected.

If you were doing it incorrectly AND you have chosen a skilled teacher, THEN it is up to them to actually do some teaching. Skilled teachers do not allow students to do poses they are not prepared to do, not able to do, when the doing is also dangerous, which it is in Halasana.
[/quote]
I didn’t really choose the teacher. I’m a postgraduate student and I do yoga at my university. I may try a different class and see if the combination of teaching methods can help.

What you have just described - going from Sarvangasana to the Plow is precisely what we did. Actually I cannot properly do Sarvangasana since I feel I will lose balance and topple (potentially causing injury).

The pose was done without blankets or pads on a wooden floor.

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;28386]
Whether YOU should avoid the pose or not cannot be fully determined from your post. However trepidation going into a pose and freaking out going into a pose are two different things. In the first case it might be sound to move forward. Freaking out however cannot possibly set a stage for a beneficial posture.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for your advice, I will ask the teacher again this week (after class) and probably avoid doing the plow for a while.

Alan.

#4

Of course you chose the teacher Alan. We choose everything, the school we go to, the classes we attend, the people we attract…these are all choices, though some of them are conscious and others are not. But it is critical in the yoga context to understand and embrace the concept that we have choice.

So to understand you, you were in Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) then went into Plough (Halasana). That is a common and safe transition FOR THOSE WHO CAN DO IT. For those who cannot, it is not. Hamstrings certainly can inhibit Halasana.

In the yoga in which I study, train, and teach, we do not do Sarvangasana flat on the floor, though it is very clear that some teachers do. Additionally, beginning students are taken up into Sarvangasana at the wall until they have built the requisite actions for doing the pose with safety and effect in the center of the room. Again, not all teachers have this approach.

gordon

#5

I also have a problem with the Plow pose. I am just past basic yoga and can easily achieve plow pose but i am very uncomfortable in my neck. Am i doing something wrong? In my classes i was never corrected for it so i’ve continued the same way. Hopefully somebody sees this post and it isn’t forgotten haha. Thanks!

#6

ktlynn27,
Do you use blankets/pads to support the shoulders and neck in halasana?
I too have tight hamstrings, and when going into plow, I have to move slowly, keep my knees a bit bent, and only go as far as is comfortable. I also use neck support to avoid discomfort in that area.
Don’t try to push so you look like “others” and don’t be worried about getting those legs straight. Just doing the pose as far as your own body wants to do it is beneficial, and I don’t think it can be stressed enough that we need to listen to our bodies. Some days, I can actually straighten my legs in plow and get my toes down on the floor! Others, ain’t no way! :slight_smile:

#7

i don’t use support no, what type would i use for neck pain? a blanket or towel rolled under my neck? and i don’t normally force the pose and my legs are comfortable it’s just my neck… i did run cross country years back, is it possible it’s a pinched nerve?

#8

Here is an excellent article that details the need for and purpose of support in shoulderstand, and can of course should be also transferred to plow pose as well. It's much better than I could explain to you. :slight_smile:
Do read it, and there are details about how to support the neck and shoulders:
http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/1091

#9

Awesome, thank you very much! :]

#10

I always tell my student : do not do the pose if you dint feel like you want to do it today! Maybe you will do it next time if you wish.

From my personal experience :

There is a time for every pose. When I started my yoga practice I was falling off a triangle pose. It took me a year to master it:) Now, after almost 10 years of continuous practice, I can do things I would not dream about when I started.

Of course when one has tight hamstrings (and as it is always the case tight hip flextors and other posterior level muscles ) one need to avoid certain poses since they can be dangerous.

GOOD that you have your inner feeling of what is good for you and what is “scary” .

Intuition is essential in Yoga