Awhile back, I posted an article about sensing stability in yoga poses. As a teacher, I find the concepts of dimensionality, base of support, and sensory input to be valuable as general guidelines for all asanas. However, students often still have questions about individual asanas. So, I thought I’d start a new series breaking down some common intermediate poses and show how to modify them. And today I’d like to tackle Half Moon.
Before we really dive in, a few thoughts. First, it is important to remember that yoga is individual. Just because I have called something an intermediate pose doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try it even if you label yourself as a beginner. Depending on your own unique circumstances, the pose might be completely within your ability. You know yourself best. I typically recommend that in the absence of true safety concerns (i.e. an injury or physical limitation) that students try the pose first. In yoga, it’s actually a really important first step because then you are able to pinpoint exactly where you are struggling.
Second, yoga is non-judgemental. There will be some days that you feel like a graceful swan and even your more difficult poses will come easily. And there will be other days that you feel like a baby giraffe learning to walk. Accept the struggles and modify poses as necessary. It doesn’t make you any less awesome, it just means your physical body needs something gentler that day.
Lastly, yoga is non-competitive. I always love pictures of yoga classes where everyone’s Warrior II looks identical. Those pictures are usually staged, which means models are being used. Models generally have similar physiques, thus why everything looks so similar. And that isn’t reality. Your poses will look a bit different from others. Your physical anatomy may create challenges in certain asanas that others won’t encounter. It also means that they may have challenges in poses you find easy. And it’s always valuable to remember that everyone, even the gurus, had to start somewhere.
OK, climbing down off my self-love soap box now… Half Moon tends to be one of those poses that doesn’t look half as hard as it actually is. It’s due to this that Half Moon is one of those poses I flag as a marker for my students to measure their progress.
Half Moon is a balancing asana, as is evidenced by the fact that only one foot is on the ground. So it is certainly a leg strengthening posture since the balance leg must stabilize all of the body’s weight. It is also a side bending asana, which means it does some wonderful things for our torsos. It strengthens the side facing the ground and stretches side facing upwards. Half Moon also requires a good bit of core strength to maintain posture. Side bending poses also help massage internal organs which aids in digestion and elimination. Depending on your anatomy, specifically your arm length, Half Moon is also a mild inversion. Inversions are great for rerouting blood through the body, which helps our lymphatic and endocrine systems as well as boosting concentration and focus.
If you, like me, have short arms, you may feel uncomfortable in Half Moon at first. This is usually due either to the fact that the shorter limb creates more of a balance challenge or the fact that a shorter arm creates more of an inversion effect. Either way, the easiest way to combat this is to use a block or prop under the balance hand. It can be anything from a true yoga brick to a folded towel or a stack of books. But the prop should be tall enough to keep your torso parallel with the ground.
Another common problem with Half Moon is the balance challenge created by the stretched leg. Must of our body weight resides in our legs, so by stretching a leg in a strange orientation, our center of mass moves and the rest of our body must combat that. If you find that you are struggling with the stretched leg, you can absolutely lower your leg until you find your balance equilibrium.
If you have a combination of these issues, practice Half Moon with your knee down for balance. As you bring yourself closer to the ground, your body will fight your leg orientation less and this position will naturally take care of any shortness in your arms.
Balance problems are abundant in Half Moon and a common complaint from tall students, or those with long arms, is that the stretched arm creates instability. If you fit this category, go ahead and bend that top arm and place your hand on your waist. With your elbow pointing up, your arm will create less of a lever and you’ll be more stable.
Lastly, issues with Half Moon tend to come from transitioning into the asana. This will be specific to your particular practice of yoga. Some practices just shift from one static posture to the next, others are more of a vinyasa style moving with the breath. Regardless, you’ll want to plan your prior poses accordingly. I like to transition to Half Moon from either Warrior III, or Side Angle.
And regardless, you’ll want to move slowly and with deliberation. Yoga should be done with intention, so give your body time to adapt.
How do you practice Half Moon? What asana should I cover next, tell me in the comments!
