Plow Pose

How to do Plow Pose

1. 1Lie flat on your back with your arms along your sides, palms pressed firmly into the mat.
2. 2Inhale to engage your core and lift both legs perpendicular to the floor.
3. 3Exhale and use your abdominal strength to lift your hips, swinging your legs up and over your head.
4. 4Rest your toes on the floor behind your crown, keeping your legs active and your quadriceps engaged.
5. 5Walk your shoulder blades closer together and either interlace your fingers on the mat or support your lower back with your palms.
6. 6Press the tops of your shoulders down into the floor to keep your cervical spine free from direct pressure.
7. 7Hold for five to ten steady breaths while lifting your sit bones toward the ceiling.
8. 8Release your hands to the mat and slowly unroll your spine vertebrae by vertebrae back to the floor.

Benefits

• Lengthens the entire spine from the base of the skull to the sacrum.
• Provides a deep stretch across the hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
• Gently massages abdominal organs to support healthy digestion.
• Relieves chronic muscular tension across the upper back and shoulders.
• Encourages mental stillness and nervous system regulation by turning sensory input inward.

Common mistakes and cues

• Turning the neck

  Keep your head centered and gaze vertically upward to protect the cervical vertebrae from strain while bearing weight.

• Collapsing into the chest

  Actively press down through the upper arms and outer shoulders to keep the chest spacious and the airway open.

• Bending the knees prematurely

  Engage your thighs and press through the heels to maintain length along the posterior chain unless modifying.

• Resting body weight on the neck

  Ensure your weight is distributed across the tops of the shoulders and triceps rather than compressing the cervical spine.

Modifications and props

• Toes on a chair

  Rest your feet on the seat of a sturdy chair placed behind your head if your toes do not touch the floor.

• Shoulder blanket support

  Place folded blankets beneath your shoulders with your head resting on the floor to preserve your neck's natural curve.

• Hands on lower back

  Keep your elbows on the mat and support your pelvis with both hands to reduce hamstring and spinal load.

• Wall-supported plow

  Set up with your head away from a wall and walk your feet down the wall until you reach a comfortable elevation.

Cautions

• Cervical spine issues

  Avoid this pose if you have active neck injuries, disc herniations, or untreated whiplash.

• High blood pressure or glaucoma

  Skip this posture if you need to avoid elevated intraocular or intracranial pressure.

• Late pregnancy

  Refrain from deep inversions with abdominal compression during the second and third trimesters.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

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