Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)
Half Moon Pose is a standing balance in which you stand on one leg with one hand on the floor or a block, the other leg lifted level with the hip and the chest turned to the side. Ardha means half and chandra means moon. It asks for steady legs, open hips and a calm gaze.
At a glance
- Sanskrit name
- Ardha Chandrasana
- Pronunciation
- AR-duh chun-DRAHS-uh-nuh. The ch is as in chair, and chandra rhymes loosely with Sandra.
- Family
- Balances
- Practised in
- Vinyasa yoga
- In pregnancy
- Adapt
- After birth
- Adapt
Half Moon Pose is where a standing pose turns into a balance. It grows straight out of Triangle, Trikonasana, and most of the work is in letting the hand and the standing leg share the weight.
In private Vinyasa with a block and a wall I teach it with your back to the wall first, so the shape is clear before the balance is asked of you.
It sits with Tree, Eagle and Dancer among the standing balances on one page.
How to do Half Moon Pose
Start in Triangle Pose with the right foot forward and a block ready beside the right foot.
Bend the right knee and place the block, or your right fingertips, about a foot ahead of the right foot and a little to the outside.
Shift your weight into the right foot and hand, and lift the left leg until it is level with the hip, foot flexed.
Straighten the right leg without locking it, and stack the left hip over the right.
Turn the chest toward the long edge of the mat and reach the left arm up, or keep the left hand on the hip.
Stay for three to five breaths, then bend the standing knee, lower the left foot back to Triangle and repeat on the other side.
My cues
- Press out through the heel of the lifted leg as if pushing it into a wall behind you. It steadies the whole pose.
- Let the block take real weight. A hand that hovers makes the standing leg do everything.
- Look at the floor first. Turn the gaze sideways or up only when the balance is easy.
Modifications
- Practise with your back against a wall, so the lifted hip and shoulder can rest on it.
- Use a block at its tallest height, or a chair seat, under the lower hand.
- Keep the top hand on the hip and the gaze down.
In pregnancy. Adapt. Practise only with your back against a wall and a tall block or chair under the hand, and leave it out later in pregnancy if balance feels uncertain. Check with your OB or midwife before you start.
After birth. Adapt. After your doctor or midwife clears you, begin at the wall with a tall block. Balance and core strength take time to feel familiar, and the wall makes that time easier.
Common mistakes
- Letting the lifted leg drift forward of the body, so the hips fold toward the floor.
- Locking the standing knee.
- Reaching for the floor with the fingertips and dropping the chest instead of using a block.
Pairs well with
- Triangle PoseTrikonasana
- Warrior PosesVirabhadrasana I, II and III
- Tree PoseVrksasana