Home arrow Yoga Poses arrow Standing Poses arrow Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Yoga Pose) tones the lumbar and sacral spine and the nerves connected with the leg muscles. It helps rotate and flex the vertebral joints, keeping the spine supple and well aligned. It strengthens the knees and improves circulation in the feet. Ardha Chandrasana cures gastric troubles, enhances concentration and improves co-ordination and motor reflexes.

Benefits:

This pose relieves:
  • Damaged or infected legs
  • Backache
  • Dysmenorrhoea
  • Misaligned shoulders
  • Sciatica
  • Gastritis and stomach acidity
  • Prolapsed uterus.

Contra-indications:

Do not practise Ardha Chandrasana if you:

  • have stress-related headaches or migraine
  • have eye strain
  • have varicose veins
  • have diarrhoea
  • have insomnia
  • have chronic fatigue syndrome
  • are tired
For those prone to stomach acidity or dizziness, practice this asana with the legs positioned slightly apart.

Instructions

  • Stand in Tadasana.
  • Inhale, and then while exhaling, jump the legs 3 to 3.5 feet apart and extend the arms horizontally in line with the shoulders (Utthita Hasta Padasana).
  • Go down to Utthita Trikonasana on the right side.
  • Take one or two breaths.
  • Exhaling, bend the right leg slightly.
  • Rest the tips of the fingers of the right hand on the floor, about one foot in front of the right leg, bringing the left foot nearer the right one.
  • Bring the weight on the body forward, over the right foot and hand.
  • Exhaling, place the left hand on the waist with a bent elbow.
  • Move the trunk in the direction of the head so that the left heel comes off the floor.
  • Take a breath.
  • Exhaling, extend the trunk towards the head and raise the left leg up until it is parallel with the floor.
  • Straighten the right leg and keep it straight and firm and perpendicular to the floor.
  • Stretch the right arm and the right leg up.
  • Raise the left arm up in line with the shoulders, the fingertips pointing towards the ceiling.
  • Turn the chest to the left and balance.
  • Slowly turn the head to look up at the left thumb.
  • Breathe normally in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds while focusing on the following points.
  • Keep the right leg perpendicular and the left leg parallel to the ground.
  • Extend the toes of the left foot.
  • Synchronise the action of raising the left leg and straightening the right leg.
  • Tuck the shoulderblades in and expand the chest.
  • Align the back of the left leg, the back of the trunk and the back of the head.
  • Maintain the weight of the body on the right foot and hip. The right hand is only a support to control the balance.
  • Turn the left side of the trunk to face the ceiling.
  • Widen the pelvis by turning the front left side of the pelvis up.
  • Exhaling, bend the right leg slightly at the knee, and lower the left leg to the ground.
  • Come back through Utthita Trikonasana to Tadasana and repeat the posture on the left side, reversing the instructions so that the left leg becomes the standing leg.
  • Come back to Tadasana.

BKS Iyengar is generally acknowledged to have refined and systemised the yoga poses that those in the West know today. The above instructions are a consolidation of those given by BKS Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar and senior Iyengar Yoga teachers, both from their books and from classes personally attended. We pay our deepest respect to BKS Iyengar and to his senior teachers, and recommend books by the Iyengar family as the most authoritative sources of yoga instruction.