Ardha Chandrasana

Ardha Chandrasana Chapasana

Ardha Chandrasana

ARE-duh chun-DRAHS-anna

“ardha” = half

“chandra” = brilliance, moon

Half Moon Pose

“The Sanskrit word Chandra also refers to the qualities of brilliance or shine of the moon… A lightness and freedom can be experienced in this pose as if you can radiate in all directions.” – Marla Apt 

Heart of Pose

• Balance
• Twists Torso

Joint Actions

• Standing leg: internal rotation; knee extension
• Lifted leg: hip external rotation, knee extension, ankle dorsiflexion
• See also: Joint Movements & ROM

Effects / Benefits

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Energy, Mood, Emotion

Effects to energy, mood or emotion may include the following.

• Challenges and promotes focus and mental stillness.
• Boosts energy and mood.
• May ease tension and relieve stress.
• Brings a balance of heating and cooling.

Inner Body

Inner body effects may include the following.

• Challenges and develops the vestibular system in a relatively unique way. (See quote below.)
• Tones abdominal organs.

Our vestibular system, the apparatus in the inner ear that gives our brain information about motion, head position, and spatial orientation, is unfamiliar in… Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana). Even though you’re maintaining two points of contact (hand and foot), the pose is often more difficult for practitioners than Vrksasana (Tree Pose). That’s partly because the head is not upright. – Charlotte Bell

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal effects may include the following.

Strengthens

• Core
• Spine
• Side body and abdomen
• Chest
• Outer hips, buttocks, legs
• Ankles and wrists

Stretches

• Calves
• Hamstrings, inner thighs, groins
• Back muscles
• Chest, shoulders

General

• As with all balancing practices, challenges and improves coordination, proprioception and balance

Ardha Chandrasana Chapasana

Half Moon Bow Pose / Sugarcane offers these additional effects:

• Stretches hip.
• The many effects of backbending

ROOTING DOWN & EXTENDING OUT TEACHES COORDINATION,
INTERDEPENDENCE, FOCUS

You are rooting down into the earth with your standing leg while simultaneously lifting and extending your raised leg into space. The meeting of these two forces — rooting down and extending out — gives you the power to balance and suspend your spine and torso in midair. The pose teaches coordination and can help you understand the interdependence of the actions in your body. It can train you to stay focused and balanced during challenging moments of transition in asana practice. – Nikki Costello 

Therapeutic Uses*

• Digestive Issues
• Low Back Issues (some types, including “sacrum pain, sciatica pain and lumbar aches,” per Marla Apt)
• Osteoporosis (Baxter Bell MD)
• Stress & Tension

* This pose is often associated with positive effects related to the conditions listed. But unless trained in yoga therapy, teachers are usually advised against “prescribing” particular asanas to address specific conditions.

Contraindications & Cautions

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Contraindications

This pose generally not recommended for students with these conditions:

• Hip Replacement, recent
• Knee Replacement, recent
• Osteoporosis

Knee Risk

• Avoid hyperextending standing leg. Student can be guided to have a “micro-bend” in knee.
• Watch for misalignment of ankle and knee joints of standing leg. Guide students to point toes and knee straight ahead.

ADDING A STEP TO HELP WITH KNEE ALIGNMENT

It’s super-common for the front knee to collapse in toward center in half moon, which can make the pose feel more wobbly, and, over time, can lead to some not-so-happy knees. Before you open up into the pose, align your front knee by bending it slightly and lifting your heel, as though you were wearing a high-heeled shoe. Press into the ball of your right big toe, and track your knee toward the pinky-toe side of your foot… Keep rooting through the ball of your big toe and continue to track your knee toward the pinky toe as you slowly lower your front heel to the floor. You can keep a small bend in your front knee if it helps you to keep it aligned, or you can move your front leg toward straight. Maintain this healthy-knee alignment as you open up into the pose. – Kat Heagberg

Cases for Practicing Variations

In the following cases, Marla Apt recommends using wall variations:

• Fatigue
• Lower back weakness
• Leg weakness
• Pregnancy

In the following cases, Marla Apt recommends practicing versions with a block, enabling both legs to be straight:

• Back stiffness
• Hamstring tension

Alternatives

If variations do not address the student’s condition, these alternatives might be suitable:

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)

• Learn more: Utthita Trikonasana

Vrksasana (Tree Pose)

• Learn more: Vrksasana

See Asana Category: Balancing for more pose options.

Basic Form

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Set Up

Place block in front of — and slightly outside — front foot.

1. Begin in Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle).
2. With hand on block or floor beneath shoulder, bend front knee.
3. Option: Traditional pose has top arm reaching straight up. This photo shows a variation of moving into pose with top arm at hip. Top arm can also reach straight back along hip and leg.

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle) and/or Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle) are often used as preparation and entry points for Half Moon Pose.

Moving Into Pose

Inhale

1. Slide back foot closer to front.
2. Avoid using momentum* and instead, slowly transfer weight to front foot and hand.
3. Turn from the belly to open front torso toward sky.
4. Keep grounded leg bent while getting balance. Then straighten.
5. Extend top arm up (if shoulders can stack and balance is stable) or keep it at the hip.

* "Take your time, and don’t forget about your standing leg! While it can be tempting to "pop up" ... "shoot forward" or [otherwise]... come into half moon too quickly... [this] is a surefire way to feel unstable once you get there. There's no need to hurry! Take your time and set the stage for a steady ardha chandrasana right from the start." (Kat Heagberg)

Exhale

1. Slowly straighten front leg.
2. Draw kneecaps up.
3. Press through both feet.

Gaze

• Traditional gaze is at upper fingertips.
• If neck tension is an issue, gaze down or neutral

Hold Time

• 20 seconds to 1 minute

Coming Out

1. Exhale, bend front knee.
2. Lower leg back to floor, reaching it long in preparation for Triangle Pose.*
3. Inhale, adjust front leg into Triangle Pose.

*Marla Apt emphasizes here the benefits of going back through Triangle Pose on the exit as opposed to dropping the leg down next to the standing leg.

To Emphasize

1. Keep standing foot and knee pointing straight ahead.
2. Reach lifted leg straight back from hip.
3. Keep spine long and chest opening upward.
4. Align bottom arm under top arm.
5. Radiate out from belly through spine, legs and arms.