223Half Sun Salutation (Ardha Surya Namaskar)
- Begin in mountain pose
with hands in prayer po-
sition. Take a few deep
breaths in and out through
the nose, activating ujjayi
breath.
2. Inhale and slowly sweep
the arms overhead to up-
ward salute.
3. Exhale and slowly dive
down into standing for-
ward bend.
4. Inhale and pull the
spine up and out into half
forward bend. You can
leave the fingers on the
floor or bring the hands to
the shins. - Exhale and slowly return to
standing forward bend. - Inhale and rise to standing
and reach the arms overhead. - Exhale and return the hands
to prayer position in mountain
pose. - Repeat as often as you like.
Half sun salutation is the shortest of the yang sequences. Although it is simple, it
effectively loosens both the front and back of the body, especially the hamstrings
and low back. It gently promotes circulation of breath and blood. Although it is
listed as a yang sequence, it has a sweet yin quality. Treat it as a prayer and medi-
tation in motion. You can flow through this sequence five times or more. This is
one of my favorite sequences to do first thing in the morning.