Full Moon Yoga - Half Moon Pose

Full Moon Yoga – Half Moon Pose

Half Moon Pose

Half Moon pose, or Ardha Chandrasana in Sanskrit, is a really open and expansive balance. The whole body is balanced on one leg and there is a powerful feeling of wideness and openness which is very invigorating and allows us to contemplate opportunities and the wonder of the world around us. This pose is great for the Full Moon when we often feel energised and animated, ready to expand and explore. The pose requires us to want to be open, to lift the body and expose our whole selves, which can make us feel vulnerable, so taking this pose enables us to overcome that and feel empowered and able to face any challenge. At the same time the balance element of the pose encourages us to remain calm and focused.

Physically, this pose offers a full-body stretch whilst also improving balance. It strengthens the abdominals, core and back, the legs, arms and shoulders. Half moon pose is a chest opener, stretching out the pectorals on the front body. The muscles around the shoulders are strengthened as we hold our upper body open and keep particularly the top shoulder from listing downwards. The pose is also a hip opener and a standing balance, strengthening the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and calves as well as the ankles and feet. The arms and even the neck are also strengthened as we find, and hold, the open alignment of this posture. 

At the same time, this pose is great for flexibility as well as strength, as the leg is lifted and opened, and the arms reach wide, helping increase the range of movement in the shoulder and hip joints.

How to find Half Moon pose

There are a couple of ways into this pose, but one transition in particular keeps us mindful of the openness of the body which is key to this pose and finding your balance in it. Starting in Warrior II the body is already open to the side and what will become the supporting leg foot is facing forward in the correct orientation. This means that the major focus then is to transfer the weight over the supporting leg and find the balance.

Noticing and maintaining the 2-dimensional sideways openness in Warrior II and Triangle poses which lead to a successful Half Moon balance

So how is this achieved? From Warrior II, keep the arms open at shoulder height, and the gaze towards the front middle finger. Imagine yourself sandwiched between two panes of glass, i.e. maintain as 2-dimensional a profile as possible, as you bend into the front knee deeply. Shift your weight over into the front supporting leg, spreading the toes and thinking about stacking the pelvis sideways on top of the leg. On the side shown in the photos, this means really concentrating on keeping the left hip up high. As the balance moves over to the right foot straighten the right leg and let the left leg pop off the ground and float up. The body and arms tilt over as one unit and the right hand comes down to the floor – finger-tips only if possible. The left arm thus floats up towards the sky at the same time.

To maintain the balance and to find the strength that is needed in this pose, several key things help: Flex the ankle of the lifted foot and push away through the heel, strong through the straightened knee – that really helps with stability. Keep the top hip high, so the pelvis faces the side rather than drooping down at an angle. Keep the chest open to the side too, rather than letting the top shoulder droop down. Pull up through the supporting leg, particularly the muscles around the knee and the quads of the thigh. Reach the arms out wide, sending energy out through the finger-tips. 

The whole of the body should be open to the side, and the weight should be firmly over the supporting foot. The stacking upwards of the hips and shoulders makes this pose much easier to hold – if the hip or shoulder drop forward, the weight will pull you off balance. Similarly, keeping control of the head is important so it stays in line with the body, or its weight will pull you off balance. The main photo illustrates the head looking down towards the ground which tends to be the most straightforward for initially finding balance. Once you are more at ease in the pose, or if you have approached Half Moon balance from Triangle pose, then try taking (or keeping) the gaze towards the top hand instead.

Instead of coming from Warrior II, the pose can also be found from Triangle pose, again by bending the front knee and shifting the weight over that leg, letting the back leg float up, and keeping the body open, in the same way as described above. Flex the foot and lengthen the body as you extend the hand along the floor. 

Other options

There is no doubt that Half Moon pose is a challenging balance, so there are some modifications which can make a massive difference to finding this position. 

If tilting the body over so far is a concern then place a block on the floor a little bit in front of the supporting foot for the hand to settle on, so the “floor” is not so far away. The block can be used in its 3 different orientations as your tilt gets more confident, until maybe it’s not required. Remembering the pose is a balance rather than a lean into the floor helps us to not be reliant on the hand, but instead to build strength in the body and legs to hold us no matter how far sideways we are tilted. You can also move into the pose holding a block in the front hand if that helps with confidence for the tilt, but in my experience this encourages a reliance on leaning on the hand whereas the balance is better achieved by keeping the top hip and shoulder up and open to the side, even if this means the hand gets nowhere close to the floor.

What can help with finding this openness is to practice the pose against a wall. Stand with a wall very close behind you so the back gently touches it. Turn the front foot forwards along the wall and the back foot out pointing away from the wall. Reach the arms and back leg out and tilt, keeping the supporting leg straight and the whole back body, including the shoulders and bottom, in touch with the wall. The heel of the lifted leg will also maintain contact with the wall as it slides up, as will the back of the arms and hands. This option can massively improve confidence in the pose, but also importantly it allows recognition of how wide open the body needs to stay, and how the stacked alignment of the pelvis, hips and shoulder girdle definitely assists with the balance. I encourage everyone to try this at least once.

If you are starting from a seated position, the same variation of Triangle pose can be taken as a Half Moon option, the details of which are in the Triangle pose blog. 

Seated variation of Half Moon pose

Alternatively, if standing is accessible but steadiness is a concern, then a chair can be used to assist with balance. Use the back of the chair under the lower hand. As the feeling of ease with the pose improves you can stand a little further away to increase the tilt over towards the chair, or turn the chair around and take the hand or forearm to the chair seat instead.

Chair-assisted variation of Half Moon pose

Breathing in the pose

Mostly, in yoga when the body is opened the breath is drawn in, and as the body closes in the breath is expelled. However in a demanding balance like Half Moon pose then we will probably take several breaths to find stillness and balance and then maybe hold the pose for a few more breaths. The key thing here really is to notice the breath. Often the subconscious reaction to such a challenge is to hold the breath, lift the shoulders and go stiff. So simply try to notice what your body is doing, and ensure you are breathing not holding the breath. Try to lengthen and deepen the breath, releasing the shoulders and chilling into the position, wherever it is for you. How you feel is more important than how far over you tilt or raise your leg. Your leg can be just a few inches off the floor, and your hand can be on a chair-back, but if you can find stillness, balance and the joy of simply breathing, then that is a perfect pose. Our yoga is about calming the fluctuations of the mind, not becoming human pretzels – it’s a personal practice, not a competition.

Moving on

Whether part of a sequence or as a stand-alone pose, make sure you practice Half Moon pose on both sides. 

To come out of Half Moon pose, bend the supporting leg at the knee and float the lifted leg back down to the ground, re-finding Warrior II once your foot is grounded. Try to take this transition with control, and, once you are back in the relative security of Warrior II, breathe and let go of any emotions arising from the demands of a Half Moon balance. That moment has now gone – find peace where you are now, and then move on. From here, stepping back into Downward-Facing Dog or forward into Mountain pose are obvious options, but the great thing with yoga is the number of poses we have to choose from should something else draw your attention, like Revolved Half Moon or the bind of Sugarcane pose. Maybe today a wide-legged Forward Fold would feel good before taking Half Moon on the other side. Whatever you choose, enjoy – and breathe! ☺

Make sure you always look after yourself when doing yoga.

It’s important to always listen to your body and only work within your personal limitations. You are fully responsible for your own safety and wellbeing. Make sure your surroundings and your practices are safe. Do not attempt to take a physical posture that is outside of the scope of your practice. If you have any specific medical conditions, injuries, surgeries or are pregnant you should check with your GP or appropriate medical professional before starting any exercise. Keep in mind that yoga might be challenging at times, but it should never be painful. You must stop if you experience any pain, and you should consult your GP if you experience anything untoward such as dizziness or feeling faint. Rest or leave anything out that you need to avoid or that does not feel right.