Ardha Chandrasana (the Half Moon Pose)

Recently in my classes we have been taking a deep look into the techniques of Ardha Chandrasana, so I would like to make a summary of the main important points here.

But first… here’s an entertaining legend that I read about the descent of the pose’s name.

… It happened so that Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of yoga, loved sweets. Once, when he was out on a journey, he treated himself to so many sweet cakes that his belly was about to burst. He was heading back home riding his tiny mouse, when a cobra came along their way. The mouse got frightened and Ganesh fell down. His belly exploded with cakes, that fell on the ground all around him. Ganesh got upset and started collecting the cakes, eating them one after the other.

The full moon Chandra who was watching the scene was so amused that it burst into laughter. Ganesh got angry, broke off one of his tusks and threw it at the moon causing its light to completely disappear.

Later, when Ganesh’s anger subsided, he decided to let Chandra to show itself in the dark sky, but now it was allowed to show its full face only once in a few weeks...

Ardha Chandrasana is literally translated as Half Moon. It is a challenging standing balance that helps one build their strength in the legs and the upper body, and helps relieve gastric issues. (I guess, this has something to do with the sweet cakes that Ganesh ate!)

Please remember to stack your hips, - one hip over the over, - keep the lifted leg engaged by flexing the heel or pointing the toes, revolve your chest and keep your spine long to show the beautiful face of your Half Moon. To add to the challenge, try lifting your gaze up.

Have fun practicing!

マックス柔術アカデミー＆ヨガスタジオつくば竹園ヨガクラス公式LINE

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