Ardha chandrasana is a Sanskrit word which means Half Moon Pose. it is refers to the brilliance of the moon. In this pose you have to extent torso(upper portion of the body ) in one direction and the uplifted leg in the other draws a line that represents the flat edge of a half moon, while the energy in your extended arms and standing leg radiate out like beams in the night sky. Though this asana you will learn how to balance and grow awareness in about disorienting position. This asana help you in solving the lower-back problems, relieving sacrum pain, sciatica pain, and lumbar aches. Ardha Chandrasana start and end with extended triangle pose i.e Utthita Trikonasana, so you'll need to be comfortable with that pose first. Because of the external rotation of the standing leg, opening of the chest, and lateral extension of the spine, Ardha Chandrasana is like a balancing version of Triangle, and you may just find that your Triangle improves because of Half Moon.
The idea of
"radiating out" in a balancing pose may sound out of reach.
But I've found that if you concentrate on creating stability in your
standing leg, hip, shoulder blades, and tailbone, you'll have a
strong foundation from which to extend and expand in all directions.
The variations here will help you build that foundation so you can
balance with confidence and shine in all directions. In the first
variation, with your back against the wall, you can experience the
shape of the pose without having to struggle to keep your balance; in
the second variation, you'll focus on the stretch of the torso and
top leg in opposite directions. In the final pose, you can put all of
the components together, so that with strength and stability, you can
stretch and expand like a brilliant moon.
Benefits of Ardha
Chandrasana
:
- Helps with some kinds of lower back pain
- Strengthens back, legs, hips, and abdomen
- Increases flexibility of spinal muscles
- Eases premenstrual tension
Contraindications(not advisable):
- Recent hip or knee replacement
- Osteoporosis
- High blood pressure or eye strain (avoid looking up)
STEPS TO BE FOLLOW
Step 1:The Great
Wall
In starting days of
doing this pose you should support your back against a wall that will
gives you a chance to feel the
shape without much of the challenge of balancing, allowing you to
work on the proper alignment and the muscle actions in the legs,
hips, back, and shoulders. Because of wall support you can also
alleviate any fear of falling backward, and thus build confidence in
the pose. For this variation I recommend using a block for your hand.
The block is helpful if you have a stiff back or tight hamstrings. It
essentially raises the floor so that you can lift your torso and
experience the lightness and sense of expansion of Ardha Chandrasana.
Step 2
To begin, stand with
your back against a strapping wall. Step your feet wide apart, place
a block in between the outer edge of the right foot and the wall, and
extend your arms to the sides. Turn your right foot and leg out 90
degrees so that the inner edge of the foot is parallel to the wall.
Turn the left toes in slightly, but keep the back of your left heel
in contact with the wall. Exhale and extend the torso over your right
leg, place your right hand on the block, and come into Triangle Pose.
Bend the right leg deeply, and step your left foot halfway toward the
right foot as you move the right hand and block about a foot (or more
if you're tall) forward. Straighten and firm the left leg and keep
the right leg bent as you lift the left leg up until the foot is
slightly above the pelvis. Turn your right knee out, aiming for the
right foot's little toe, as you pull the quadriceps up and straighten
the right leg.
Step 3
Press your left
thighbone and heel into the wall. Extend the back of your left heel
along the wall away from your head as you lengthen your chest away
from the left heel. Roll the shoulders back and extend the left arm
up in line with the right arm.
Do you feel light
and free? Or have you relaxed the muscles, collapsed the chest, and
bent the standing knee in order to balance? To radiate extension,
inhale as you lengthen your tailbone and buttock toward the left
foot. Turn your chest toward the ceiling and the left side of the
waist toward the wall. Your head and left shoulder, arm, and heel
should be on the wall. Your right buttock may be touching too, but
don't lean it on the wall.
Step 4
To come out of the
pose, exhale and bend the right knee deeply. Now reach back with the
left leg to place the left foot back down on the floor. Put your
right hand on your right ankle and straighten both legs, returning to
triangle pose (Utthita Trikonasana). Come up on the inhalation, and
repeat on your left side.
Moving Up and Out
In this variation,
the wall does not aid with balance as much as it gives the raised
foot something to press into, which helps bring more life into your
uplifted leg and align it with the spine. Stand with the outer edge
of your left foot against the wall and step your feet apart so that
the distance between them is a little less than it would be for
Triangle. Your body is perpendicular to the wall this time, not
leaning against it. Turn the right foot 90 degrees away from the
wall. Place a block on the outside of your right foot. With your
right hand on the block and right knee bent, step the left foot
forward toward the right foot, and move the block forward 12 inches
or more. Then raise the left leg and place the sole of the left foot
on the wall. Rest your left hand on your left hip with your elbow
bent.
Take a look at both
legs to make sure you're set up properly. The left foot should be a
little higher than the left side of the pelvis and parallel to the
floor, with the arch in line with the right heel. The right leg
should be perpendicular to the floor. If it's not, you may need to
step your right foot closer to or farther from the wall. Finally,
take the back of your head in line with your buttocks.
Once you're set up,
bend both knees. Turn your right thigh out so that your kneecap
points over the right toes. On the inhalation, pull your right
kneecap and quadriceps up as you straighten your right leg,
maintaining the rotation. Now push your left foot into the wall and
straighten the left leg by pressing the front of the thigh back. As
you lengthen the left Achilles tendon and inner heel into the wall
with the foot flexed, lengthen the entire backside of the left leg
from the buttocks toward the wall. Now extend your chest and torso
away from the wall.
You can hold the
pose for 30 seconds to one minute; to come down, exhale and bend the
right leg, step the left foot back to the floor at the wall, and
straighten both legs before standing up. Now turn around and repeat
on the other side.
On Your Own
After regular
practising with wall when you do this pose without any support of a
wall you'll
combine the alignment of the back body that you learned in the first
variation with the alignment of the uplifted leg that you learned in
the second. The back of the body needs to be strong to support you as
the wall did. The standing leg and its hip and the shoulder blades
need to be firm to help you balance.
Begin by coming into
triangle pose ( Utthita Trikonasana). Then enter the pose as you did
for the variations. As you inhale, extend the left leg fully and look
straight ahead (not at the floor), with your chin in line with your
breastbone. Lengthen the chest to the right so that the right armpit
comes directly over the right hand.
Keeping your left
leg absolutely straight and your inner left thigh firm, inhale and
lift your left leg up toward the ceiling. Reach out from your inner
left thigh through your inner heel, broaden the bottom of the left
foot, and extend the entire backside of your left leg. Start with
your foot flexed, and then press out through your big toe.
Balance the weight
evenly on all four corners of your right foot, turn the right leg
out, and pull the quadriceps up as you straighten the right leg.
Refine the work of the standing leg by cutting your outer right hip,
buttock, and tailbone back away from your head without throwing the
left leg forward or back.
Now extend your
torso to the right as you lengthen the right armpit forward away from
the right thigh. Inhale and extend the left arm up toward the
ceiling; use the pull of the left arm to draw the left side of the
chest up and away from the right arm. Move the shoulder blades in
toward your chest, and open your chest as you turn your trunk toward
the ceiling. As you inhale, roll both shoulders back, the way you did
when you had the wall behind you, and revolve your chest upward. If
you feel stable, turn your head to look up at the top hand. With your
legs, hips, spine, and shoulders aligned, you can elongate your lower
back by lengthening your top leg and your torso away from one
another.
To come out of the
pose, bend your right knee deeply and reach back with the left leg to
take a large step back with the left foot. Straighten the right leg
and return to Utthita Trikonasana. Repeat on the other side. See if
you can maintain some of the opening from Half Moon Pose at the end
in Triangle so that the blistering quality of firmness and expansion
of Ardha Chandrasana becomes accessible in all of your yoga asanas.
