Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Yoga Pose of the Day: Half Moon

Today's Yoga Pose of the Day is Half Moon, or Ardha Chandrasana. This pose is great for stretching and strengthening your torso, therefore strengthening your spine, and you also work on your balance.



1-Begin in Mountain Pose, lengthening through your spine.
2-Extend your arms overhead, palms facing each other. Keep your shoulder blades down and actively pressing into your lower back while your extend through your arms.
3-Shift your weight onto your right leg and begin to hinge forward, raising your left leg behind you.
4-Place your right hand down on the floor and twist your torso so that your chest is parallel with the left wall. 5-Keep length in your spine, reaching out through your left leg and keeping a long spine. At the same time, create the push and pull affect with your right leg, pushing into the ground, and a pull in your right leg, creating length.
6-Extend your left arm straight overhead, so that it is in one line with your right arm which is still grounded in the floor. Your arms create a new push and pull feeling in your body.
7-When you have your sense of balance, and if you do not have neck injuries, turn your heads so that you are facing upwards and extend your gaze past your left hand.
8-Hold for three breaths.
9-Bring your gaze back to the ground and begin to rotate your torso back to being parallel with the floor. Bring your body back to Mountain Pose.
10-Repeat the pose on the other side, using your left leg as an anchor.

Namaste.

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