Revolved Half Moon Pose is a tough nut to crack! But with great work comes great benefits, this rotated balance provides a stretch to your legs, thighs, hips, shoulders and chest. All the while it strengthens your ankles, legs, thighs, hips, buttocks and your core. It’s great to build stability and develop mental and physical stamina.
If you are pregnant or suffer from low blood pressure or headaches should avoid this pose. If you are dealing with neck injuries you don’t need to turn your head to the side, you can keep your eyeline in line with your chest and if you have shoulder injuries you don’t need to raise the arm, you can rest your hand on your hip.
You can use props all throughout a pose like this too! If your hand doesn’t reach the ground, place it on a brick to make it more accessible.
Preparatory Poses
Ardha Chandrasana – Half Moon Pose
Parsvottanasana – Intense Side Stretch
Parivrtta Trikonasana – Rotated Triangle Pose
Step by Step Guide
Step One
Following all the lovely preparatory poses above to help open up the body, start in Parivrtta Trikonasana with your left leg in front in order to move into Rotated Half Moon Pose. In Parivrtta Trikonasana, inhale to lengthen your spine and lift your breastbone forwards, exhale to even up the hips behind you. You want both hips square to the floor and to the short edge at the front of the mat.
Step Two
As you next exhale, soften to bring a bend to your front knee. This way you can bring your right hand further forwards in front of you while you step your right leg up from behind. When you feel your hips are square above your left foot, inhale to land your right hand underneath your right shoulder, straighten your left leg and lift your right leg behind and as high as your hips.
Step Three
Exhale here, engage your abdominal muscles to bring on lots of support, draw your left hip in towards the midline and lengthen the left side of the waist by coaxing the left hip further behind you. With the next inhale push back through your right heel as you lengthen forwards with your breastbone and the crown of the head. This way you bring length to your structure. As you exhale next, drop the right ribs but keep the right hip elevated as you turn to look to the left.
Step Four
If you feel good here, you can look up past you shoulder and raise your left arm. If either hurt your neck or your shoulder, you can skip that step and keep your left hand on your hip.
Step Five
Stay in Revolved Half Moon Pose for 6 rounds of breath if you can. The standing leg is strong with arches in the feet, toes spread on the ground and the knee off of lock. The hips are still as square and as parallel as possible to the floor and the front of the mat. The core is strong and the torso is rotated, yet the breath is deep, full and as calm as possible. The leg lifted behind is long, strong and as high as the hips if you can.
Step Six
To come out of this pose, on an exhale gently land the lifted leg behind as if coming back to Parivrtta Trikonasana. Then land both hands to the floor and step your front foot back also, so that you can come into Downwards Facing Dog. Breathe here to relax.
Then repeat on the other side!
