This is a fantastic posture for relieving back pain, and it’s a great way to warm up your spine for yoga practice, making it an essential part of vinyasa or “flow” yoga classes. If you’re a beginner, allow your knees to bend, and use a block to reach the ground.
Half Lift Pose Target Areas
Half LIft Pose Benefits
- Improves hamstring mobility
- Reduces risk of spine and hip injury
- Relieves back pain caused by tight hips
– click images to enlarge –
How to Do Half Lift Pose
- Stand in Mountain pose with your big toes touching and your heels about 1in (2.5cm) apart.
- Hinge at the hips, pulling your chest toward your thighs, and your thighs toward your chest, to move into Standing forward fold.
- Inhale as you pull your torso forward and up, making your spine straight and parallel to the floor. Lightly press hands into your shins to lengthen chest forward. Reach tailbone upward and tighten your abs to straighten your spine. Engage your thighs by lightly squeezing your legs toward each other. Hold the posture, inhaling as you lengthen the spine, and exhaling as you tighten the core and stretch the hamstrings.
Cues for Half Lift Pose
Step 1
- Elongate spine
- Hold arms at sides with palms facing forward
Step 2
- Engage core and hip flexors to fold safely
- Keep soft bend in knees
Step 3
- Look down or slightly forward
- Keep spine neutral
- Engage core to keep back flat
- Keep knees slightly bent
- Evenly distribute weight through balls of feet and heels
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL
- Engagement and stretch of hamstrings
- Engagement of hip flexors, core, and inner thighs
- Engagement of muscles on both sides of spine
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL
- Pain in lower back; if you do, engage core and flatten back
Half Lift Pose Pro Tip
Imagine yourself tipping forward slightly—this helps you properly engage your core, strengthen your spine, and work deeper into the hamstrings.
Half Lift Pose MODIFICATION
- If you can’t keep your back straight, rest your hands on a block in front of you, and bend your knees as needed.
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.
