What is a Moon Salutation in yoga and when is it practised? Learn all about it and practice with the next full moon.

You might be very familiar with Sun Salutations, but what about its lesser known sister, Moon Salutations, or Chandra Namaskar? In Sanskrit, Chandra means moon, and it is the perfect sequence to balance out your Yang energy.

Sun Salutations are a Yang practice that is heating, stimulating and energising. Moon Salutations are a Yin practice that is cooling, quieting and relaxing. These opposite forces of Yin and Yang help us to balance our energy and create harmony in our minds, bodies and lives. It is present in everything around us - day and night, light and dark, happy and sad. Without one, we would not appreciate the other.

The Moon Salutation has a wonderful cyclical pattern to it where you go through the sequence and complete it by doing all the poses in reverse to make up one round. The sequence moves sideways on the mat, as opposed to forwards and backwards like in the Sun Salutation, and the movements are practised slowly with each pose co-ordinated with your breath.

WHEN TO PRACTICE MOON SALUTATIONS

The Moon Salutation is most often and traditionally practised when the moon is visible, and in particular when there is a new moon or full moon. However, you can practice it any time you want a more calming sequence where you don't want to overstimulate yourself, or any time you feel you need to calm your energy. For example, it is a great way to wind down at night before going to bed. The poses of the Moon Salutation help to calm your mind and draw your attention inwards.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MOON SALUTATIONS?

Unlike Sun Salutations which require a lot of upper body strength, Moon Salutations focus more on the lower body, and thus is a great sequence for anyone who has trouble resting their body weight on their arms. Some other benefits include:

• Calms stress and anxiety

• Balances energy within the mind and body

• Improves flexibility

• Stretches and strengthens all major muscle groups

STEP-BY-STEP HOW TO DO A MOON SALUTATION

If you want to watch how to do a Moon Salutation, I take you through step-by-step in my YouTube video below. Otherwise, keep reading for a photo guide with cues.

Stand at the back of your mat and turn to face the right side. Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Hands at your side, feet together and grounded into the earth, crown of your head lifted up to the sky.

1. STANDING CRESCENT POSE
Inhale, reach your arms up to the sky, interlace your fingers and point your first fingers upwards. Exhale, bend over to your left side. Reach your fingers away from you to find a stretch on the right side of your body. Inhale, come back up to centre. Exhale, bend over to your right side. Inhale, back to centre.

2. GODDESS POSE (UTKATA KONASANA)
Step your left foot out to the side, toes point to the corners of your mat. Exhale, bend your knees and sit your hips down. Arms bend into a 90-degree angle, bring thumb and first fingers to touch. Make sure your knees are in line with your hips and toes, and shoulders are stacked over hips.

3. TRIANGLE POSE (TRIKONASANA)
Inhale, straighten both legs, pivot your right foot so it is parallel with the short side of your mat, and point your left toes to the top of your mat. Extend your arms straight and turn your head to look over your left hand.

Exhale, lower your left hand to your left shin or the mat, and reach your right arm up to the sky. Spiral your chest up to the sky and try to make your body as flat as a pancake.

4. PYRAMID POSE (PARSVOTTANASANA)
Inhale, bring your right hand down to your shin or the mat. Exhale, fold forward over your left leg. Try to keep your hips square and firmly ground down with both feet. Your knees can bend if needed.

5. LOW LUNGE (ANJANEYASANA)
Inhale, lower your right knee to the mat, untuck your toes, and reach your arms up to the sky in a Lunge position. Keep your left knee in line with your hips and toes.

6. SIDE LUNGE OVER LEFT LEG (SKANDASANA)
Exhale, hands come down to the inside of your left leg, turn your body to face the side of your mat. Your left heel can come off the mat, or draw all the way down. Flex your right foot and pull up the muscles above the kneecap. Hands stay on the mat for balance or bring them to heart centre.

From here, you repeat everything on the other side in reverse order.

7. SIDE LUNGE OVER RIGHT LEG (SKANDASANA)
Inhale, place your hands on the mat, and walk yourself over to the other side. Exhale, take your Side Lunge over your right leg, hands stay down on the mat or come to heart centre.

8. LOW LUNGE (ANJANEYASANA)
Lower your hands down to the inside of your right leg and turn to face the back of your mat. Inhale, drop your left knee to the mat, untuck your toes, and reach your arms up to the sky.

9. PYRAMID POSE (PARSVOTTANASANA)
Exhale, hands come back down to the mat, tuck your left toes under, lift your left knee of the mat, and pivot your left foot to parallel with the short side of the mat. Straight your right leg, bring your hands to your shin or the mat, and fold forward. Find length through your spine and square off your hips.

10. TRIANGLE POSE (TRIKONASANA)
Inhale, place your right hand to your shin or the mat, and lift your left arm up to the sky. Find openness through your chest and hips.

11. GODDESS POSE (UTKATA KONASANA)
Inhale, lift your body up, straighten your arms, and turn your toes to point to the top corners of your mat. Exhale, bend your knees, bend your arms and find Goddess pose with thumbs and first fingers touching.

12. STANDING CRESCENT POSE
Inhale, step your right foot to your left, toes pointing forward, and reach your arms up to the sky, first fingers pointing upwards. Exhale, bend to the right side. Inhale, back to centre. Exhale, bend to the left side. Inhale, come back up to centre. Exhale, arms come down to your sides and ending in Mountain Pose.

This completes one round of your Moon Salutation. Now repeat on the other side to complete the cycle. Flow through this sequence a few times until you become familiar with it. Find your rhythm and move with your breath. You can practice this as many times as you want.

Why not try out this sequence during the next full moon to get the full effects of your Moon Salutations?