Halfway Lift

Ardha Uttanasana

This therapeutic posture will stretch your hamstrings, tone your upper back, and rejuvenate and lengthen your entire spine.

Other Names

• Flat Back Position

Benefits

• Helps maintain healthy curvature of your spine

• Lengthens spinal muscles, hamstrings, and calf muscles

• Strengthens back, core, and thigh muscles

• Helps prepare your body for deeper forward folding postures

Contraindications

• Low back injury

• Neck injury

Modifications

• Place your hands on two blocks positioned in front of your feet to allow for more length. Press down slightly into the blocks as you lift your chest and lengthen your spine

Chakras

This posture activates the Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana), which governs intimacy and creativity, as well as the Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura), which governs confidence level and personal power. Practicing this pose can help one feel more connected and confident, and also help tame the ego.