Standing / Balance
Half Moon Pose
Ardha Candrāsanaअर्ध चन्द्रासन· AR-dah chan-DRAH-suh-nuhhalf (ardha) moon (candra) posture
Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) is a standing balance on one leg, the other lifted parallel to the floor, one hand reaching down to the floor or a block and the other to the sky. It builds balance, leg and core strength, and open, poised concentration. Use a block under the lower hand.
Step by step
- 1
Enter from Triangle
From Triangle Pose, bend the front knee and step the back foot in a little, shifting weight onto the front leg.
- 2
Lift the back leg
Reach the lower hand to a block ahead, straighten the standing leg and lift the back leg to hip height, parallel to the floor.
Breath: Exhale as you lift
- 3
Open the hips and chest
Stack the top hip over the bottom and open the chest toward the side; extend the top arm to the sky.
- 4
Find your gaze
Gaze down, forward or up to the top hand as your balance allows.
- 5
Come out with control
Bend the standing knee, lower the lifted foot back, and repeat on the other side.
Benefits
- Improves balance and coordination
- Strengthens the standing leg, ankles and core
- Opens the hips and chest
- Builds focus and poise
Common mistakes
- Collapsing into the standing hip
- Letting the lifted leg drop below hip height
- Reaching the lower hand so far it rounds the spine
Modifications & variations
- Rest the lower hand on a block or against a wall
- Practise with the back against a wall for support
- Keep the gaze forward instead of up
The story behind the pose, with Rohini
Rohini opens with a question — why is this pose named for the half moon, and not the full moon, or the sun? Her telling explores what the half moon represents in the yogic imagination and how the shape of Ardha Chandrasana carries that meaning of balance between effort and ease.
Story & meaning
Ardha Chandrasana takes the shape of a half moon — grounded and reaching at once. Yoga & You's story explores the moon as a symbol of balance and the cool, reflective mind, mirrored in the pose's poised steadiness between earth and sky.
Every classical pose carries a story. The story behind Half Moon Pose →
Related poses
Video transcriptIn this session, Yoga & You Teaching Faculty demonstrates how to enter, hold, and release Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) and explains its key benefits.
Namaste, welcome to Yoga & You, and I am Yoga & You Teaching Faculty. Today we will be seeing Ardha Chandrasana, how to get into Ardha Chandrasana and how to come back from Ardha Chandrasana.
It is a standing posture. Both the legs lightly wide apart, place your right leg or left leg a four feet gap between both the legs forward. Now shift all the body weight towards your leg that you have placed forward, place your hand down and raise your leg back. See that your toes and your hip are in a straight line.
Now place your one hand down, my left leg is down, so I am placing my left hand down, now in line with my left leg, on the side of my left leg. Try to get this stability. Now gently take your right hand up and then turn your neck. Look at your finger point, stay here for 5-6 breaths and then gently drop your head down and then your hand down, drop your leg down in here and then come back, take your leg back to Samasthiti.
Again, you have to repeat with the other leg.
The benefits of Ardha Chandrasana: strengthens your thighs, knees and your ankle and it opens your chest to a greater extent where your breathing capacity improves, gives stability to your body and mind.
Thank you.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I balance in Half Moon Pose?
- Root firmly through the standing leg, use a block under the lower hand for stability, fix your gaze on a still point, and lift the top leg actively to hip height. Balance improves with practice — use a wall to start.
- Is Half Moon Pose a beginner pose?
- It's an intermediate balance. Beginners can build up to it with Triangle Pose and Tree Pose, and practise Half Moon with a block and a wall for support.
Keep exploring
References
- B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga — Ardha Candrāsana · Book — Alignment reference from the Indian Iyengar tradition.