Its variations include Karnapidasana with the knees by the ears, and Supta Konasana with the feet wide apart.The name Halasana comes from Sanskrit हला hala, "plough" and आसन āsana, "posture" or "seat".[6] The pose is entered from Sarvangasana (shoulderstand), lowering the back slightly for balance, and moving the arms and legs over the head until the outstretched toes touch the ground and the fingertips, in a preparatory variant of the pose.The arms may then be moved to support the back into a more vertical position, giving a second variant pose.[10] All these variations may be performed as part of a cycle starting from Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand).
The completed pose resembles a traditional
plough
.