Balancing Half Moon Pose

ARDHA CHANDRASANA

I LOVE FLOW!






Starting with Crescent Lunge, all toes facing forward, nice deep lunge, a 90 degree angle to Left knee, back Right heel is lifted. Arms up, biceps by ears.











1. With the Left foot forward, inhale and step forward into the Left foot, straightening the Left leg (don't lock knees - have slight bend so you're not passing out).



At the same time lifting up and straightening the Right leg parallel to the floor. Flex that Right foot - meaning have it flat so that the bottom of your foot is facing the back wall.

This picture has the lady on her Right foot, lifting Left leg

2. Staring at a point on the floor, place the Left palm directly under the Left shoulder (Modification: if you are not reaching the ground, place a yoga block here) and carefully bring the Right hand to the Right hip. Roll or open the Right hip up and back so the hips face the side wall.


3. Inhale the Right fingertips up towards the ceiling. Arms should be aligned into one straight line. If you have neck injuries, gaze/head is to face the side wall. If no injuries, and WHEN you have your balance and steady, try having gaze towards the ceiling past Right hand.  Work on turning the whole torso to face the side wall.












Modify by doing this pose near a wall so your back is neatly against the wall.






4. Breathe and hold for 3-5 breaths.


5. To release: exhale and slowly bring both hands back to the floor and step the foot back into Crescent Lunge.


6. Repeat on other side.








Benefits: Half Moon pose improves balance, focus, concentration, digestion, and confidence. This posture opens the hips and strengthens the ankles, knees and lower body. Helps with anxiety, back pain, osteoporosis, sciatica, fatigue, constipation, gastritis, indigestion, menstrual pain and I'm sure many more. This pose also helps relieves stress.


Contraindications: Recent or chronic injury to the legs, hips, shoulders, neck or back. Head should be lower than heart in optimal form of this pose, so please don't attempt if you have low blood pressure, or currently experiencing headaches.

Readiness to learn/change

My boss at work just had a half hour conversation with his daughter who happens to also work at the same place. She had stubbed her toe getting out of the bathtub and the toe looks gray/black with her slightly limping. My boss wants her to go get it checked out directly after work but she wants to sleep and go after her 1pm class  (We are all working night shift and eating lunch at this moment). My boss talks in circles about how this needs to be done "now now now!", how she doesn't need to learn the hard way, and how she might have a broken or at least infected toe. His daughter is just as stubborn and will not budge.

I'm telling you this story because fitness can be the same way. You may want your spouse, partner, friend, family member(s) or even yourself to get in shape but until that person is truly ready to commit, then it will be an uphill battle.

A person needs a readiness of mind and body in order to commit to a fitness/lifestyle change in order for the weight loss or the change to be permanent. I'm not saying drop your day job and just workout! I'm saying there needs to be open mind to learning or re-learning what you have been doing in order to be successful in weight loss, or muscle building, or whatever your fitness goal may be.

If my husband only workouts when I nag him, what will happen when I'm on vacation without him? Will he workout on his own? Probably not. We need to realize that this might be why we are failing sometime. If the readiness is not there, we might be setting ourselves up for failure. Ask yourself, "Am I ready for some change?"

Let's not be another yo-yo diet or fitness fad. Let's commit to showing up each and every day, fully applying ourselves 110% in everything we do. This includes our workouts, our runs, our flow, our nutrition, even on the weekends when we think no one is looking. At work, I can educate a smoker until I am blue in the face, but until that person is ready to quit smoking for themselves, then I will not be an effective educator. Let's not be that smoker who tries to quit 10 times, OR that person with the infected toe because they weren't ready to learn from their father. Let's the be the change that we want to see in the world, as Ghandi beautifully put it.