Half Sun Salutation

How to do it

Stand in Mountain. Inhale, sweep arms overhead into Upward Salute. Exhale, fold forward into Standing Forward Fold. Inhale, lift halfway — spine long, fingertips to shins or floor. Exhale, fold again. Inhale, rise back to Upward Salute. Exhale, return to Mountain. That's one round, six transitions. Repeat for as many rounds as the practice asks for.

Why it's good for runners

It's a quick spine-and-hamstring wake-up — the standing-only version of Sun A, useful when you don't want to commit to the full flow. No floor work means no transitions to the floor; you stay standing and the warm-up flows straight into walking out the door.

Common mistakes

Don't drop the chest in Halfway Lift — the spine is meant to be long and parallel to the floor, not a slumped half-version of Forward Fold. Bend the knees as much as you need to keep the spine straight; the point is the spine, not the legs.