Shoulder Stand & Plough Pose Yoga Benefits.

How they work, & how to do them, including shoulder stand variations.

Shoulder stand benefits: the short answer

Shoulder stand (Salamba Sarvangasana) is an upside-down pose where you balance on your shoulders with your legs straight up, and plough pose (Halasana) follows it with the feet taken over the head. Mr BKS Iyengar called shoulder stand the queen of poses. Iyengar teaching holds that it calms the nervous system, eases fatigue and helps sleep, and many of our students tell us it is the pose that settles them most. It is learnt in steps, with folded blankets under the shoulders to protect the neck, at Flametree Yoga Studio in Darwin and live online.

Take care first. Leave shoulder stand and plough pose out during a period, and also if you have a headache, an eye problem such as glaucoma, high blood pressure that is not well controlled, a heart condition, or a neck injury. Talk to your yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and your doctor if you wish. Supported bridge pose is the usual alternative (see below).

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. This page sits in our Poses And Practice notes.

This article follows in short form:

• What it is: the queen of poses, with plough pose as its partner.
• Shoulder stand benefits: what tradition teaches, and what research has tested.
• Safety first: neck, eyes, headaches, blood pressure and periods.
• How beginners learn it: chair arch, a wall, blankets and a belt, step by step.
• How long to stay: 30 seconds at first, building slowly.
• The chin lock: the action that makes the pose calming.
• Shoulder stand variations for when you are ready.
• Plough pose benefits and its own variations.
• Practise it: in the studio or LIVE online.

When I come down from a shoulder stand, or plough pose, I especially love the massive relaxation I feel. However, these two poses deliver you hugely more than just relaxation and de-stressing. Here’s how to do shoulder stand, & plough pose, plus benefits of shoulder stand pose, & more. There’s also many tips on shoulder stand yoga. Plus the best way to start, or re-start, yoga.

Shoulder stand (Salamba Sarvangasana) is an important asana (pose). In this tiny video of shoulder stand you’ll get a sense of why it is important. The video shows how to do it (with variations), as well as summarises some of the key benefits.

@flametreeyoga Shoulder stand, with variations, by Chris Lalor, of Flametree Yoga Studio

Mr BKS Iyengar wrote in “Light on Yoga” that “this asana strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system”.

He went on to call it “a panacea for most common ailments”. That is the voice of tradition, from a lifetime of practice and teaching, rather than a research finding. The benefits of shoulder stand pose are a key part of the many benefits of yoga.

Why is shoulder stand called the queen of poses, and the mother of asanas?

Because it does so many things at once. Mr Iyengar called headstand the king of poses and shoulder stand the queen. Headstand is energising and shoulder stand is calming, so the two balance each other in a practice. In Light on Yoga he also called shoulder stand “the Mother of asanas” and “one of the greatest boons” given to humanity by the ancient sages.

At its simplest, the pose turns gravity around. You go upside down, so the legs and belly get a rest from holding blood against gravity. Many students say they come down feeling calmer and more rested. The pose also asks for patience and close attention. You cannot rush it, and you have to listen to your body. That is a good part of why it settles people.

Some students find shoulder stand steady and comforting from the start, and say their mind slows and the inner noise softens. Many feel the opposite at first. Going upside down is new, and feeling anxious or a little scared is natural, especially when you first slide back over a chair. If that is you, ask your teacher to help you set up. That is what the steps below are for.

Shoulder stand benefits: what tradition teaches

The shoulder stand benefits below are those taught in the Iyengar tradition, drawn from Light on Yoga. They are known from practice, and most have not yet been tested by modern research.

• It is taught as a pose for your hormonal system. The chin lock made in shoulder stand is said in the tradition to nourish the thyroid and parathyroid glands in the throat.
• Turning yourself upside down changes how blood flows to the heart. It can be done without strain. Iyengar teaching recommends it for people troubled by breathlessness and throat complaints. Anyone with a medical condition should learn it with a teacher first.
• The chin lock is taught to soothe the nerves, and some students find it helps with headaches. Leave it out if you have a headache on the day.
• Iyengar teachers use it for irritability and poor sleep. If you have high blood pressure, learn it with a teacher: plough pose is done first, and supported versions are used.
• The abdominal organs are massaged, which the tradition links with constipation.
• The tradition lists urinary disorders and menstrual disorders, and says it is useful for women through menopause. It is not done during a period.
• Light on Yoga also lists digestive complaints among the traditional uses. These are the tradition’s claims, not tested medical treatments, so talk to your doctor about any digestive condition.
• Practised regularly, it is said to bring back your energy.
• It builds strength and leaves many students feeling calm, confident and happy.

Students often tell us they feel calmer afterwards, and that sleep comes more easily when they practise inversions in the evening. These are experiences, not test results. The pose also needs and builds core strength on the front and back of the body. That is why the basic core poses in beginner yoga make shoulder stand easier later.

Regular or standard shoulder stand

Is shoulder stand safe? Who should take care

Shoulder stand is safe for most people when it is learnt in steps, but it is not a pose to copy from a picture. In Iyengar classes the shoulders rest on folded blankets so the neck is never squashed, and beginners start with a chair or a wall.

Research has measured one thing directly. A 2015 study of 20 people in PLOS ONE found that pressure inside the eye rose within a minute in four head-down poses, including plough pose, and returned to normal within two minutes of sitting up (Jasien and colleagues, doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0144505). So if you have glaucoma, or a detached retina, ask your eye doctor before doing inverted poses.

Take extra care, and tell your teacher, if you have a neck or shoulder injury, migraines or tension headaches, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a heart condition, or are pregnant. During a period, Iyengar teachers suggest supported bridge pose instead (see below). Once you are up, do not turn your head to the side, because that is how necks get hurt.

Avoid inversions when menstruating

Women should avoid Shoulder stand when menstruating.

I’ve written elsewhere about this on the Flametree blog. Essentially, its about not interfering with the impact of gravity, and also avoiding any pooling.

Practise inversions up until when bleeding starts, then start it again after menstruating.

Instead, do poses like Bridge pose over one of two bolsters, with feet to the wall.

Use Bridge pose when menstruating

How do beginners learn shoulder stand, step by step?

Slowly, and in this order: chair arch, a wall with blankets, then away from the wall. Beginners learn shoulder stand before headstand, and in the Iyengar order shoulder stand is practised after headstand once both are learnt (our headstand note has that learning path, and why the order of poses matters explains the rest). Allow a few months of beginner yoga first, to build core strength, balance and confidence.

The preparation comes before the pose. Standing poses such as Mountain Pose (Tadasana), Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana) and Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) build strong, steady legs and open the shoulders and side chest. Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) opens the shoulders and builds the abdominal strength you need to hold yourself upright.

The chin lock (Jalandhara Bandha, explained below) is first learnt gently in Chair Arch, Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani) and Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). Little by little the body and nerves learn that being upside down can feel safe and supported.

The steps with a wall, blankets and a belt

This is a merged sequence from Chris Lalor’s teaching. Learn it with a teacher, in the studio or LIVE online, because it is hard to see your own shape.

1. Chair arch first. Hold the chair, breathe out and lift the buttock crease. Do not move your head. Repeat a few times until the feeling of being upside down and the chin lock become familiar. A belt around the front legs of the chair helps if you cannot hold on.
2. Make a parcel. Fold 3 or 4 blankets, or use two shoulder stand pads, and wrap a mat around them for grip. Lie with your shoulders about three or four finger-widths in from the edge of the pads, so they cannot roll off.
3. Tie a belt the width of your outer shoulder tips and place it above both elbows. The first few times this is tricky. Stay calm.
4. Hands on your back, fingers pointing towards each other. Press the hands in and lift the buttock crease.
5. Go to a wall. Set the pads about a hand-spread from the wall. Walk the feet up the wall until they sit a little higher than your knees. Wait for a good lift of the back body, with the chest, waist and hips all lifting. It may take a few attempts. Do not rush.
6. Take one foot off the wall. Stretch up through that leg and line it up with your hip. Change legs.
7. Take both feet off. Walk your hands lower, towards your shoulders, to keep the chest lifted. Balance, stretch the legs and watch your breath.
8. Come down. Remove the belt, lower slowly and rest there with the shoulders and head supported, and let the effects settle.

If the pose is rushed, or the chest and shoulder blades are not lifted onto the back, the waist collapses and the back rounds into what we call the banana shape. Then it is hard to breathe and hard to stay. Bananas usually come from too little core strength, elbows splayed too wide, or no pads under the shoulders. A belt keeps the elbows in. A teacher can see all three, and can adjust you into a more upright line.

Another way in: feet on a chair

Some students find it easier to flip the feet onto a chair. Lie with your head on the blankets facing the chair, and place the chair so your feet land on it. Put your buttocks on a bolster, press your hands onto the bolster, breathe out, bend the knees and flip the feet onto the chair. Check your shoulders are a few finger-widths in from the edge, place the belt above both elbows, then roll onto the tops of your shoulders and place your hands on your back. Walk the hands down towards the armpits and lift the back ribs. Later you can lift one leg at a time, then both. This version is a good way to learn the lift, but it builds less core strength than the full pose.

Beginner yoga preparatory steps to shoulder stand

What is the chin lock, and why does it matter?

The chin lock (Jalandhara Bandha) is the gentle lift of the chest towards the chin that happens in shoulder stand. It is the key action of the pose. In the Iyengar tradition it is taught to protect the neck, quieten thoughts and draw the mind inward. The tradition also teaches that it works on the throat glands and the nerves, though that is knowledge from practice and most of it is not yet tested.

What we can say plainly is what students report: many feel calm in the pose. Why that happens inside the body has not been tested for this pose, so we leave it as an experience rather than an explanation.

The same action carries on into plough pose and ear to knee pose. The most advanced poses of the whole group, Niralamba Sarvangasana, make the chin lock very deep. That is why the group is built up in steps.

How long should you stay in shoulder stand?

Beginners start with about 30 seconds and build up slowly. With experience you can stay longer, adding a little time as the pose becomes steady. Plough pose builds up the same way. Come down at once if your neck hurts or you feel pressure in your head or eyes.

Many Iyengar students practise the whole shoulder stand cycle together: shoulder stand, its leg variations, plough pose and ear to knee pose, each with a deep chin lock. Because the poses are held for a while, the body has time to settle. Many students say the longer they stay, the more inward they become.

To reap the full benefits that come from shoulder stand, build up the time you stay in the pose a little at a time. Then add in leg variations. You’ll find it easier to stay in the pose when you focus on the variations.

Supported shoulder stand over a chair can also be done as part of a restorative yoga practise, or when feeling low in energy. In turn, it can help restore your energy and bring back a quiet, peaceful state of mind. It gives less of the core work than the full pose.

Supported shoulder stand when low in energy, or with injury

Different variations in shoulder stand, including Niralamba Sarvangasana

Below, I have shown a few different variations of shoulder stand. The shoulder stand variation below is harder than the standard or regular Shoulder stand shown above.

This variation is done to help build additional strength in the neck and back muscles.

Shoulder stand variation with arms behind

Niralamba Sarvangasana

Shoulder stand without any support at all is called “Niralamba Sarvangasana”. It’s shown below, in two variations. I’m in my green tights.

It is more difficult than regular Shoulder stand, and the Shoulder stand variation above. In it you balance on the upper shoulders and the back of the neck, and it needs focus and a strong core.

These two further variations of Niralamba Sarvangasana are for more experienced practitioners. Most importantly, you should only do it if you have no current neck issues.

Mr BKS Iyengar says that these variations “stimulate one like tonics”. I agree.

In the Iyengar tradition they are taught to tone the whole body and to help recovery after periods of weakness.

Niralamba Sarvangasana variations of Shoulder stand

Another Niralamba Sarvangasana variation is with the arms beside the trunk.

Both of these variations create an extreme (and delightful) chin lock… the great benefit of shoulder stand yoga.

In the process, you get an even greater amount of the benefits that flow from it.

Arms beside the body variation of Niralamba

Shoulder stand with different leg variations

Below, I’m demonstrating different and additional shoulder stand leg variations.

At first you learn to lower one leg half way down, as I’m doing in the picture below.

At Flametree, you start learning such variations in the levels after Beginner yoga.

The leg is lowered down in front of the face. Meanwhile, you keep your trunk lifted and both legs firm.

Learning shoulder stand yoga… bring one leg down

As you become more experienced, stronger, and more flexible, you can take your leg lower.

Taking legs to the ground has even more benefits

Benefits of variations

As I have already indicated, the shoulder stand variations add to what the pose gives you.

For example, one leg down in front, as you can see in these two pictures, is traditionally taught to tone the kidneys and leg muscles.

Furthermore, one leg to the side is traditionally taught for constipation.

Traditional uses: toning legs & kidneys, and constipation

Plough Pose (Halasana): how to do it and what it gives

This is part of the shoulder stand cycle. It is done after a shoulder stand, and the same cautions apply: it comes out during a period, and with headaches, eye problems, a neck injury or uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Halasana can look hard, but it is learnable with sensible sequencing, patient practice and the right props. Core strength and hamstring length help, and props make all the difference. Support the shoulders well, sit the buttocks on bolsters, flip the feet to a chair or a Halasana box if needed, or lower the feet to a wall after shoulder stand and walk them down gradually. Beginners should stay just a few breaths at first. Longer versions are best done with a teacher, especially if you have neck concerns or feel fearful.

At first most people take the feet to a chair or a wall. It’s more difficult to immediately take the feet to the floor.

Learning plough pose in steps

As you become stronger, more flexible and confident, you can take your feet lower down.

First, walk your feet down a wall

Finally you can move away from a wall, into a full plough pose. Notice the even tighter chin lock. It therefore brings out even more of the quiet, settled feeling many students describe.

Full plough pose with very tight chin lock

There are also many different arm positions in Plough pose.

They help to lift and open up the back of the chest.

I have shown just two variations here.

Plough pose variation with arms stretched out

Another variation involves turning the palms out.

This variation is traditionally taught for stiff shoulders and elbows.

With palms turned out in plough pose

Benefits of plough pose

Mr Iyengar taught that regular practice of plough pose and shoulder stand gives strength, vigour, joy and confidence. Plough pose has all the traditional benefits of shoulder stand. In addition, Iyengar teaching lists extra plough pose benefits, such as those below.

1. The abdominal organs contract, which the tradition describes as a deeper rejuvenation of them.
2. Extra supply of blood to the spine, due to the forward bend aspect of the pose.
3. Taught to ease backache, and many students find it does.
4. Taught for stiff shoulders and elbows. Interlocking the fingers behind the back is especially good.
5. Taught to relieve the gripping of the stomach that comes with wind.

Plough pose also prepares you for forward bends.

Most importantly, if you have high blood pressure, learn it with a teacher and check with your doctor first. Iyengar teachers have such students do plough pose before shoulder stand, with the feet supported.

Other variations of Plough pose

Here are two more variations of plough pose.

First, Legs wide Plough pose Supta Konasana, & Legs sideways Plough pose (Parsva Halasana)

This pose contracts the abdominal organs and tones the legs further.

Leg Wide Plough pose

Benefits of Legs sideways Plough pose (Parsva Halasana)

This pose is shown immediately below, with me (Chris Lalor), in green tights. The traditional benefits are:

1. Makes the spine very elastic
2. Taught for elimination, especially for those with chronic constipation.

It is a strong pose so take your time.

You can take legs to a chair, and over time take them lower.

First take your legs to a yoga bolster

Ear to Knee Pose (Karnapidasana)

In this pose, at first, some people feel anxious with the deep chin lock, especially in Ear to knee pose.

If you experience this try with your legs higher on a chair.

It can take time to get used to the sensations that you will experience in the head, neck, throat.

Start with the legs to a chair

Benefits of Ear to Knee pose (Karnapidasana)

The traditional benefits of Ear To Knee pose are:

1. It is a very restful pose as it rests trunk, heart and legs. Its well worth working your way into this pose.
2. The Ear to Knee pose stretches your spine more than all other plough pose variations, and helps circulation of blood around the waist.
3. Helps relieve tension around the neck, and back.
4. Calms the mind and helps draw the mind deeply inward.

Side ways Ear to Knee Pose (Parsva Karnapidasana)

This is a deeper variation that is for more experienced practitioners, so take your time.

Use a chair, or take legs down to a bolster, before attempting to take legs to the floor.

Work slowly into this variation

Benefits of Sideways Ear to Knee pose (Parsva Karnapidasana)

The traditional benefits of Sideways Ear To Knee pose are:

1. Stretches the spine
2. Deep internal massage of abdominal organs
3. Intense stretch of the hips.
4. Opens and stretches shoulders, upper back, middle back and neck.
5. Rests trunk, heart, & legs
6. Taught for fatigue, stress and insomnia.

Student stories on shoulder stand yoga, & much more

For more on the benefits of the above poses, see the Flametree student reviews. Read what the customers say about the benefits and experiences they get from yoga.

On the benefits of yoga page you will find Dr Timothy McCall’s list of health conditions that have been studied in yoga research.

On the Facebook Page, or Flametree’s blog, or both, there are also many extensive stories by Flametree teachers and students, of the benefits they have received from yoga.

For instance, here are stories by Stuart, by Gary, and by M.

If you want the wider picture of going upside down, our guide to yoga inversions covers the benefits, the beginner poses and who should take care.

Shoulder stand and plough pose: common questions

What are the benefits of shoulder stand?

Iyengar teaching holds that shoulder stand calms the nervous system, eases tiredness, helps sleep and freshens the whole body, and Mr BKS Iyengar called it the queen of poses. These benefits are known from practice. Research on the pose itself is limited, so Flametree describes them in the voice of tradition rather than as tested medical effects.

Why is shoulder stand called the queen of poses?

Mr BKS Iyengar called headstand the king of poses and shoulder stand the queen. The idea is that headstand is energising and shoulder stand is calming, so the two balance each other in a practice. In Light on Yoga he also called shoulder stand the Mother of asanas.

What is the pose with legs over the head called?

Lying on your back with your legs taken over your head so the toes touch the floor behind you is plough pose (Halasana). With the knees bent beside the ears it is ear to knee pose (Karnapidasana). Both are done after shoulder stand, in the same sequence.

How do you go from shoulder stand to plough pose?

From shoulder stand, keep the hands supporting the back and lower both legs together over the head until the toes rest on a chair, a bolster, or eventually the floor. Keep the legs straight and the chest lifting toward the chin. Beginners take the feet to a chair or wall first.

How long should you hold shoulder stand?

Beginners start with about 30 seconds, supported by a chair or wall, and add time slowly as the pose becomes steady. Experienced students often practise the whole shoulder stand cycle together. Come down straight away if your neck hurts or you feel pressure in the head or eyes.

Is shoulder stand bad for your neck?

It can strain the neck if it is done flat on the floor with the weight on the neck. That is why Iyengar teachers place folded blankets under the shoulders, so the neck stays free, and why the pose is learnt in steps. If you have a neck injury, use a supported version or skip it until a teacher has checked you.

Who should not do shoulder stand?

Check with your doctor and tell your teacher first if you have glaucoma or other eye pressure problems, a neck injury, headaches or migraines, uncontrolled high blood pressure or a heart condition, or are pregnant. Iyengar teachers also suggest leaving inverted poses out during a period, and doing supported bridge pose instead.

How do beginners learn shoulder stand?

In steps. Beginners start with chair arch, then walk the feet up a wall with folded blankets under the shoulders and a belt above the elbows, then take one foot off the wall at a time. It usually takes a few months of beginner yoga to build the core strength, balance and confidence to come away from the wall.

Where can I learn shoulder stand safely in Darwin or online?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches shoulder stand step by step in Iyengar classes at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online. Beginners start with chair arch and wall shoulder stand. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree: in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more, and online, for anyone new.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

General information only, not medical advice. Sources: Iyengar BKS, Light on Yoga; Jasien JV et al 2015, PLOS ONE. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and live online.