Half Moon Pose
Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)
I don’t know how I’ve been writing about poses [asana] on this website for 11 years and somehow omitted Half Moon Pose.
It just shows that you can’t do everything perfectly all the time.
I love this pose and it has something to offer beginners and advanced yogis.
For teachers, you’ll want to make sure the student has experience with:
Half Happy Baby or Full Happy Baby
Cobbler’s Pose
Reclined Hand to Big Toe Pose
Once a student has a grasp of the engagements above, but especially Hand to Big Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana), we start Half Moon Pose prep at the wall.
In the below directions, the student has an unobstructed wall (no windows, framing or shelves) on their right side.
ALIGNMENT
A. Start in a shortened Warrior II with a yoga block at the tallest setting at the top right of your mat.
Place your right hand on the block and transfer weight into your right leg.
Engage your right glute.
Keeping the right knee softly bent, practice lifting the left leg in space.
Set the left leg down.
Repeat this act of stepping into and out of the posture. This will ensure safety as you refine the pose later.
B. Once comfortable stepping in and out, lift the left arm and stack the shoulders.
BENEFITS
Strengthens belly, spine, thighs and ankles.
Opens shoulders, chest, hips, inner legs and groin.
Builds balance and focus.
WORK IN THE POSE
Reach through the lifted leg’s heel.
Lift the arch of the standing foot while pressing its four corners down.
Extend through your crown.
*Advanced Yogis – lift the hand off the floor or a block.
**Super Advanced Yogis – gaze at the lifted hand’s thumb.
VARIATIONS
Chapasana – grab the lifted leg’s foot (around the outside) and lift the heart.
POSES TO FOLLOW HALF MOON POSE
WARROR II
STANDING PYRAMID
TRIANGLE
If you like the expansive feeling of Half Moon Pose, have you tried Anantasana, Pose of Infinity? They have a similar feel. Let me know if you remember the first time you got into either of these poses. I especially love hearing experiences from beginner yogis.
Namaste,
Catherine
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Catherine Tingey
Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.
About the Author
Catherine Tingey+ Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.
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