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Pose of the Week Guide: Revolved Half Moon/Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana

by | May 6, 2021 | OYF Blog, Pose Of The Week Guide

The Revolved Half Moon pose is an opportunity to challenge your balance while improving coordination! This pose is not your typical balance as it involves a twist 😉

Benefits: 

Improves posture, opens the chest and upper back, stretches and opens the legs and hips, massages the abdominal organs which is good for digestion and improves balance and coordination.

How to:

  1. Begin in standing with your feet about hip distance apart and your hands on your hips.
  2. Shift your weight into the balancing leg with the toes spread wide, press down through all 4 corners of the foot and lift at the arch.
  3. Engage the balancing leg, although having a microbend at the knee.
  4. Hinge from your hips as you reach the heart forward and extend the floating leg back in the same line from the heart.
  5. Arrive in a balancing position that is comfortable for you whether that is a slight hinge forward, 45 degrees forward, or having the crown of head aligned with the heart, hips and floating ankle. 
  6. Pull the standing leg thigh bone up and into the hip socket, while aligning the floating leg hip by its side. 
  7. Draw the outer thigh of the balancing leg toward the wall behind you to lengthen the side of the waist, allowing for more room to twist.
  8. Push through the ball of foot and heel of the extended leg while the toes and kneecap are pointing straight down.
  9. Brace at the core and lift the pelvic floor, which in yoga we call Mula Bandha.
  10. If you experience intense back pain, perhaps staying here as you are.
  11. Begin to twist the torso towards the side of the balancing leg. Reaching the arm above the floating leg down to a block or on the Earth.
  12. Broaden across the chest. If there is no shoulder discomfort, option to extend the arm above the standing leg to the sky.
  13. Find your drishti, a place to look at and not look away and emanate the inner balance and strength!

Modify it:

If your hamstrings are tight or you are still practicing your one-leg balance, you don’t have to hinge forward as low. You could hinge forward slightly and practice the balance before trying out the twist. Another option is to use blocks to help bring the Earth closer to you.