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Ardha Chandrasana

Half Moon Pose

ardha = half, chandra = moon

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 20 September 2026

The half moon — balancing on one leg with the body opened sideways like the moon in the sky; expansion and balance at once.

Family
Balance
Level
intermediate
Lineage
modern
Works on
legs · hips · balance

The yogic view

Ardha Chandrasana is modern in form but classical in symbolism: the half moon has marked the forehead of Shiva since the oldest iconography — the waxing and waning of time held in perfect stillness. The pose asks the body to do something paradoxical: to balance on a single point while opening to the widest possible shape, limbs extended in four directions. The tradition would name this the union of sthira and sukha in standing form — rooted like a mountain below, open like the sky above. It teaches that expansion does not require losing the ground.

How to practise

  1. From a standing forward bend or triangle pose, place the right hand on the floor or a block a foot in front of the right foot.
  2. Shift the weight into the right leg and lift the left leg until it is parallel to the floor.
  3. Open the left hip and chest toward the side and raise the left arm.
  4. Keep the standing leg strong and the gaze down, forward, or up at the top hand.
  5. Hold for five breaths, lower with control, and change sides.

For seated or floor-based work, use a clean, stable surface. Our natural cork yoga mat offers a grounded 5 mm surface for regular practice.

What research shows

The half moon combines single-leg balance with lateral hip opening and a long lateral line of extension — a demanding coordination of the standing hip stabilisers, especially the gluteus medius, whose strength research links to knee and lower-back health. The open-hip balance is harder than it looks; practising with a hand on a block preserves the alignment benefits while reducing the fall risk, and studies of balance training support the use of exactly such graded support.

Questions about Ardha Chandrasana

+ How long should you hold Ardha Chandrasana?
Hold Ardha Chandrasana for five to eight slow breaths, which is roughly thirty to forty-five seconds, and repeat once or twice if you want more from it. Where the posture is one-sided, practise both sides for the same length of time. Let the breath decide: if it becomes short, held or noisy, you have stayed too long or gone too deep.
+ Is Ardha Chandrasana suitable for beginners?
Not as a first posture. Ardha Chandrasana is an intermediate balance shape: it assumes you can already hold the foundational postures for around eight calm breaths and move in and out of them with control. Most people are ready after a few months of regular practice, and the preparatory postures listed on this page are the honest route in.
+ What are the modifications for Ardha Chandrasana?
Work with the shape rather than around it: reduce the range, shorten the lever by bending the nearest joint, and raise the floor toward you. Three adjustments apply to almost any posture: raise the hips on a folded blanket or cushion in seated work, bend the knees in anything that loads the back of the legs, and use a wall, chair or block to take weight and remove the fear of falling. A supported version practised often produces more change than a deep version practised rarely.
+ Who should avoid or modify Ardha Chandrasana?
For Ardha Chandrasana specifically: ankle injury; low blood pressure. More generally, modify or skip it if you have an acute injury or recent surgery in the area it loads, if you are pregnant and have not been given individual guidance, or if the shape produces sharp, pinching, radiating or electric sensation. Numbness, tingling or pain travelling down a limb is a nerve signal to stop and be assessed, not to breathe through. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
+ What should you practise before and after Ardha Chandrasana?
Prepare with Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose). Release afterwards with Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). Both lists are links on this page, and either can be shortened when time is limited — but do not skip preparation for a posture that loads a joint at end range.
+ What does Ardha Chandrasana mean in Sanskrit?
Ardha Chandrasana translates as half moon pose — ardha = half, chandra = moon The name follows Sanskrit convention, but the posture itself is modern and is not described in the classical texts.

Prepare with

Release with

Cautions

  • ankle injury
  • low blood pressure

More balance

Keep reading

Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.