This three-posture series is a shortened version of a traditional yoga flow, or sequence of postures linked by transitional movements. This flow is a great warm up to activate and open the muscles in the whole body. If it is difficult to combine the breathing with the movements, practice just the movements first.
Half Sun Salutation Pose Target Areas
- Spine
- Arms
- Legs
Half Sun Salutation Pose Benefits
- Activates total body
- Releases spinal tension
- Relaxes muscles when you’re stiff or sore
How to Do Half Sun Salutation Pose
- Start in Mountain pose (link to mountain pose blog) with big toes touching and arms at your sides, palms facing forward. Inhale as you sweep your arms out to the sides and overhead, bringing palms together and looking up at your hands.
- Exhale as you hinge at the hips and sweep your arms wide, down to Standing forward fold, slightly bending your knees and relaxing your hands toward the floor. Keep core actively engaged. Tuck chin to look behind you.
- Exhale as you lower your torso back to Standing forward fold by hinging at the hips and reaching your hands to the floor. Use your core to pull torso toward thighs. This fold should feel deeper than the first one.
- Inhale to pull your chest forward and lift your torso to Half lift, forming an L-shape with your body. Lightly press hands to your shins, making back parallel to floor. Tuck chin toward throat, and look straight down.
- Lower your hips as if sitting down onto a chair, and use your core to lift your chest away from your thighs. Sweep arms out wide, palms facing the ceiling.
- Inhale deeply as you press down through your heels, extending hands as high as possible to stand as tall as you can, and pressing palms firmly together overhead. To end, exhale as you bring your hands to your sternum (called the “heart center” in yoga).
– click images to enlarge –
Cues for Half Sun Salutation
- Start in Mountain Pose
- Reach up to lengthen body as much as possible
- Use core to pull torso toward thighs
- Keep torso long
- Spine long and straight
- Tighten abs to pull torso toward legs
- Shift weight into hips
- Keep big toes touching
- Reach up as high as possible and stand tall
- Maintain length in back of neck
- To end, exhale as you bring your hands to your sternum (called
- the “heart center” in yoga).
If you like this pose, try some of our other step-by-step tutorials:
About Dean Pohlman, Founder & CEO of Man Flow Yoga, Author of Yoga Fitness for Men, Expert on Yoga Fitness for Men.
Dean Pohlman is an E-RYT 200 certified yoga instructor and the founder of Man Flow Yoga. Dean is widely considered to be an authority on Yoga for Men. He has worked with physical therapists to create yoga programs for back health and spinal recovery. His workouts and programs have been used by professional and collegiate athletes, athletic trainers, and personal trainers; and have been recommended by physical therapists, doctors, chiropractors, and other medical professionals.
Dean is a successfully published author through DK Publishing (Yoga Fitness for Men), selling 35,000 copies worldwide in English, French, and German; in addition to being a co-producer of the Body by Yoga DVD Series, which has sold over 40,000 copies on Amazon since its release in 2016.
Man Flow Yoga has been featured in Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Mens’ Health, The Chicago Sun, New York Magazine, and many more major news media outlets.
