Halasana
Halasana ( Sanskrit : हलासन, IAST : halāsana ), in German: plow , is a classic yoga exercise that is performed in most yoga directions according to Sarvangasana , the shoulder stand . The Sanskrit name is made up of the words hala "plow" and āsana "seat" or more generally translated "posture". In fact, the physical image of the position is reminiscent of a plow as it was clamped in earlier times: the upper body forms a shovel that cuts into the earth and the pulling takes place over the legs and feet.
Physical execution
Swami Vishnu-Devananda begins the position in the supine position with legs closed. The arms are positioned along the body with the palms facing down. “Then, without bending your legs, lift your hips and lower back and bend your legs over your head until your toes touch the floor behind your head. Keep your knees straight and close together [...]. ”He also advises you to press your chin against your chest and breathe slowly through your nose.
The instructions from Swami Sivananda are basically identical to those from Vishnu-Devananda.
If, at the beginning of the practice, the feet cannot yet reach the ground, the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center instructs you to keep your legs stretched backwards in a horizontal line in the air and thus to enter the static phase.
André van Lysebeth makes a conscious decision to differentiate between a dynamic and a static phase. First the stretched legs are led up to the vertical - then the lower part of the back is lifted and the legs are slightly bent until the knees brush against the face - finally the legs are stretched further backwards, with the feet pointing backwards and with you toenails touch the ground. This preparation must be carried out three times before the body then goes into the static phase.
BKS Iyengar gives the idea that in the final phase legs and hands are stretched in opposite directions, which stretches the spine perfectly. It is important to him for the execution that the back is not formed round, but is straight from the beginning perpendicular to the floor. The pelvis also develops a dynamic backwards that continues down to the toes.
The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga integrates Halasana at the end of the series of exercises in the so-called final sequence. The entire back is led vertically upwards. The body expresses a clear geometric shape.
In his instructions, Heinz Grill draws attention to the third energy center in the upper abdomen, the so-called manipura-chakra. He therefore suggests resting quietly for about half a minute to a minute when the legs are horizontally above the head in the dynamic phase. The attention is now directed to this energy center, because “it forms the gathering point and at the same time the flowing, dynamic moment of movement for this exercise”. Then the end position is further shaped from this idea.
Halasana is not mentioned in the Hathapradipika , which was written in the 14th century.
Guiding attention in the exercise
André van Lysebeth distinguishes between yoga and gymnastics when performing: “Western gymnastics readily accepts a purely mechanical and also unfocused execution of the exercises. In yoga, on the other hand, the attention must be constantly focused on the sequence of the asanas. ”When performing the plow, he suggests, e. B. to observe the correct sequence of movements or the coming and going of breath. The focus of attention can also be placed on the relaxation of all muscle parts that can be relaxed or the absolute immobility in the static phase.
A thought about the meaning of the plow may also move into the center of concentration. Swami Kriyananda , a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and founder of Ananda Yoga, teaches that according to Yogananda every asana expresses an inner quality of being human. With Halasana, the following affirmation can therefore be thought in the final position: "Nuova vita, nuova coscienza inondano il mio cervello", which translates as: "New life, new consciousness floods my brain."
Mental meaning of the exercise
“The practitioner experiences himself in the reverse posture on the one hand open, but on the other hand constricted by the movement and seeks the way to earth from this tension. The image of the change is expressed in the inverted posture and in the entire dynamic movement, in which the feeling for the ground, for the earth and the longing for space are lively pressed into one another in a sense of the spirit. "
Reports on healing effects
According to André van Lysebeth, the plow has a very strengthening effect on the entire spine and the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system. This refreshes, regenerates and rejuvenates the position. The thyroid is compressed and subsequently receives an increased blood flow. This normalizes their function. The inner abdominal organs are massaged, cleaned and strengthened.
"People who suffer from stiff elbows and shoulders, lumbago, and arthritis find relief from this asana," writes BKS Iyengar .
Karen Welters, who studied various yoga styles, specifies the positive effect on back pain: "Halasana stretches the vital nerve ( sciatic nerve ) that runs through the hips, which feels very liberating in the lower back and can relieve back pain."
Swami Sivananda mentions: "This asana prevents premature hardening of the vertebral bones."
Morten Jon Jepsen, who teaches in the style of the Scandinavian Yoga School, reports: “In an experiment carried out in 1975 at the Institute of Medical Science in Benares, Dr. KN Udupa the influence of the plow on the hormonal glands and the metabolism . ”After that, Halasana managed“ a considerable reduction in body weight, a reduction in the waist circumference and a reduction in blood pressure […]. ”
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Swami Vishnu-Devananda: The Great Illustrated Yoga Book . 6th edition. Aurum Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-591-08183-3 , p. 121 .
- ↑ a b Swami Sivananda: Hatha Yoga . 2nd Edition. Heinrich Schwab Verlag, Gelnhausen, p. 134 ff .
- ↑ Sivananda Yoga Center (ed.): Yoga for all stages of life . 11th edition. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, ISBN 3-7742-6200-4 , p. 42 .
- ^ A b c André van Lysebeth: Yoga for people of today . Mosaik Verlag, TB issue no.1690, ISBN 3-442-16164-9 , p. 143 ff .
- ↑ a b B. KS Iyengar: Light on Yoga . 7th edition. Nikol Verlag, 2017, ISBN 978-3-86820-175-8 , pp. 196 ff .
- ↑ The final sequence: This is how every Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga practice ends. Retrieved April 12, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Heinz Grill: The Soul Dimension of Yoga. 5th edition. Lammers-Koll-Verlag, 2018, ISBN 978-3-941995-48-2 , pp. 148 ff .
- ↑ Hathapradipika . Hamsah-Verlag, ISBN 3-923713-35-5 .
- ↑ Swami Kriyananda: Raja-Yoga, Il manuale completo di yoga e meditazione . Ananda Edizioni, Lezione 2, Copyright © 2011.
- ↑ Asana of the month: Halasana - the plow. Retrieved April 12, 2019 .
- ↑ The plow - a yoga position that regulates your body weight. Retrieved April 12, 2019 .