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Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana

Revolved Half Moon Pose

parivrtta = revolved, ardha = half, chandra = moon

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026

A standing balance on one leg with the torso revolved and the opposite hand to the floor.

Family
Balance
Level
intermediate
Lineage
modern
Works on
hamstrings · balance · spine

The yogic view

A modern standing posture from the twentieth-century repertoire; the classical texts contain almost no standing postures of this kind.

How to practise

  1. From a lunge with the right foot forward, straighten the right leg and step the left foot in.
  2. Place the left hand on a block under the right shoulder.
  3. Lift the left leg to hip height, flexing the foot and pointing the toes towards the floor.
  4. Keep the pelvis level, then turn the chest to the right and extend the right arm upwards.
  5. Look forward or down, not up, if the neck complains.
  6. Hold five breaths 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

Balance, hamstring length and thoracic rotation are all required at once, and a block under the supporting hand removes the first obstacle without diminishing the second two. The pelvis should stay level — dropping the lifted hip is the usual cheat and it turns the twist into lumbar rotation. Keeping the lifted leg's hip pointing down is what makes the posture worth doing.

Questions about Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana

+ How long should you hold Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana?
Hold Parivrtta 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 Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana suitable for beginners?
Not as a first posture. Parivrtta 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 Parivrtta 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 Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana?
For Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana specifically: spinal injury; pregnancy; balance impairment. 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 Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana?
Prepare with Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose), Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose). Release afterwards with Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), Shavasana (Corpse Pose). 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 Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana mean in Sanskrit?
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana translates as revolved half moon pose — parivrtta = revolved, 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

  • spinal injury
  • pregnancy
  • balance impairment

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.