Plow Pose with Hands Under Head

How to do Plow Pose with Hands Under Head

1. 1Lie on your back with your legs extended together and your arms resting alongside your hips.
2. 2Engage your core, lift your legs to vertical, and smoothly roll your hips and spine off the floor to bring your feet overhead toward the floor behind you.
3. 3Walk your shoulder blades gently toward one another to establish a stable foundation across the tops of your shoulders.
4. 4Press through the balls of your feet or the tops of your toes to keep your thighs engaged and lift your sit bones toward the ceiling.
5. 5Bend your elbows and interlace your fingers comfortably behind the base of your skull.
6. 6Allow your elbows to rest open naturally while keeping your throat soft and your gaze steady toward your navel.
7. 7Remain in the posture for five to eight balanced breaths without turning your head.
8. 8Release your hands to the mat and slowly unroll your spine down onto the floor, one vertebra at a time.

Benefits

• Deeply lengthens the entire posterior myofascial chain from calves to upper neck
• Gently stretches and decompresses the thoracic and cervical spine
• Stimulates abdominal organs and supports healthy digestive motility
• Enhances venous return and lymphatic drainage from the lower extremities
• Soothes the sympathetic nervous system to reduce mental fatigue and stress

Common mistakes and cues

• Turning the head

  Keep your gaze strictly vertical, as rotating your neck under inversion load risks strain and injury.

• Collapsing onto the neck

  Root firmly into your shoulder girdle rather than allowing your body weight to press directly onto your cervical spine.

• Pulling on the skull

  Cup the base of your head lightly with your hands rather than yanking the chin aggressively into the chest.

• Losing leg engagement

  Keep your quadriceps active and lift your kneecaps to prevent heavy compression into your lower back.

• Forcing feet to the ground

  Never bounce or strain to reach the floor if your hamstrings are tight; instead, support your feet on a prop.

Modifications and props

• Feet on a chair

  Place a sturdy chair behind your head and rest your feet on the seat to accommodate tighter hamstrings and spine.

• Blanket stack under shoulders

  Place two folded blankets beneath your shoulders with your neck floating off the edge to maintain natural cervical curve.

• Block under toes

  Place a yoga block behind your crown to shorten the distance to the floor and reduce low back strain.

• Hands on lower back

  Keep your palms supporting your lumbar spine if bringing the hands behind your head destabilizes your balance.

Cautions

• Cervical spine conditions

  Avoid this posture if you have herniated discs, chronic neck pain, or severe spinal degeneration.

• Elevated intraocular pressure

  Skip deep inversions if you have untreated glaucoma, detached retina, or acute sinus inflammation.

• Uncontrolled high blood pressure

  Do not hold this posture if you have unmanaged hypertension, as inversions temporarily increase cranial blood pressure.

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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