Yoga salutation to the moon – A journey of relaxation and body recovery

Although not as popular as the sun salutation series, the moon salutation yoga series also has equally beneficial benefits.

Moon yoga or Moon Salutations has the Sanskrit name Chandra Namasakar. These are each sequence of movements performed in a specific sequence to warm up before a workout or relax after a long day at work.

When is the best time to do moon salutation yoga?

You can practice moon salutation yoga at the end of your session, at night before you go to bed, on a full moon, new moon, or whenever you feel the need for balance in your life.

However, the best time to practice moon salutation yoga is in the evening, at dusk, when the moon is up. Just like morning is the best time to practice sun salutation yoga.

Benefits of moon yoga

Harnessing the energy of the moon is a powerful, wonderful, and magical experience. This energy will help you to purify your soul and bring freshness. Therefore, practicing yoga to greet the moon will bring you benefits such as:

• Maintain energy balance
• Stimulate creativity
• Soothes stress and anxiety
• Sciatica pain relief
• Relieves uncomfortable symptoms caused by menstruation

Physically, the moon salutation yoga sequence works to tone the thighs, calves, pelvis, ankles, and lower body. In particular, this series of exercises also:

• Good for the digestive system, relieves constipation
• Firming the spine
• Enlarge chest, improve blood circulation
• Stimulation of spinal nerves
• Stretch leg and back muscles
• Relax the sciatic nerve
• Regulates adrenal gland activity
• Strengthens pelvic muscles, helps pregnant women improve body flexibility for easy labor and delivery
• Maintaining balance on both sides of the body helps develop a sense of well-being and respect for the body.

Details of how to do the moon salutation yoga sequence

The moon salutation yoga exercise is a series of continuous movements. You should remember each movement so that the execution process is not interrupted. After each movement, you do not need to get up, but skillfully move on to the next movement:

• Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Stand up straight, legs slightly apart, keep spine, shoulders, chest, abdomen straight. Hands to the sides of the body or placed in a prayer position in the center of the chest.
• Mountain Pose (Urdhva Hastasana): Inhale, raise your arms above your head, fingers interlaced and stretched upwards.
• Crescent Pose: From mountain pose, reach out your arms, exhale, and lean to the left. Inhale, return to the starting position, then exhale, leaning to the right. Pay attention to take a deep breath each time.
• Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana): Inhale, step your feet wide and turn your toes slightly outward. Exhale, bend and extend your knees to the sides, and at the same time lower your hips like a squat. Raise your elbows so that your elbows are in line with your shoulders, palms facing forward. Bend your elbows so that your biceps and forearms are perpendicular, with your fingers pointing toward the ceiling.
• Pose 5 pointed star: Inhale, stand up straight, legs extended with feet still facing out. Raise your hands up into a V shape, palms facing forward, fingers spread wide.
• Utthita Trikonasana (wide triangle pose): Inhale, turn your left foot out 90 degrees. Inhale, arms at shoulder height. Exhale, lean left, lower your left hand to grab your left toe (you can put your hand on the instep or shin). Inhale, reach your right arm over your head, eyes following your right hand.
• Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana): From a wide triangle, rotate your right foot inward to a 45-degree angle and rotate your torso completely to the left. Exhale, bend from the hips, forehead touching left shin.
• Crescent Pose (Anjaneyasana): In the pyramid position, lower your right knee to touch the mat, straighten your right leg back so that the instep of your foot is on the mat. Bend the left knee so that the knee is in line with the ankle. Inhale, reach your arms above your head, widening your chest.
• Side lunge pose: Inhale, place your palms on the floor near the left foot. Rotate left leg forward, keeping knee bent. Exhale, rotate your right toe forward and straighten your right leg back.
• Squat Pose (Malasana): Inhale, step left foot towards right, lower tailbone to get into a low squat. Both hands are placed between the chest in a prayer position. Expiratory. From this position, you will begin to do the opposite of the above poses to complete the moon salutation yoga sequence
• Side lunge pose: From a squat, inhale, place your hands on the mat near your right foot. Straighten your left leg, exhale, and slide your body towards the right leg.
• Crescent Pose (Anjaneyasana): Inhale, turn left leg inward, lower left knee to floor and straighten leg. The right knee should be in line with the right heel, the right leg should be perpendicular to the mat. Exhale, reach your arms above your head, expanding your chest.
• Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana): From full moon position, inhale, lift left knee and left leg off the floor, standing upright. Exhale and bend over right leg. Place your hands on your shins, feet, or the floor.
• Utthita Trikonasana (wide triangle pose): From the pyramid position, lift yourself up, inhale, bring your left hand overhead, placing your right hand on the floor or outside of your right shin.
• Pose 5 pointed star: From a wide triangle position, raise your body, arms raised to create a V shape, palms facing forward. Feet apart, fingers spread wide.
• Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana): From the 5-pointed star pose, exhale, bend your knees, and lower your hips into a squat. Bend your elbows and point your fingertips toward the ceiling.
• Crescent Pose: From goddess pose, inhale, stand up straight. Turn your toes forward and step your right foot toward the edge of your left foot. Simultaneously, raise your arms overhead, interlock your fingers, and lean to the left, then exhale, return to the starting position and lean to the right.
• Mountain Pose (Urdhva Hastasana): After leaning left and right in a side-lying position, bring your body to the center position, inhale, raise your arms above your head, fingers interlaced and stretch upwards.
• Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Stand up straight, legs slightly apart, lower your arms and put them on either side of your body.

The difference between yoga salutation to the moon and yoga saluting the sun

Just like the series of sun salutations, each pose in the moon salutation is coordinated with the breath. However, the obvious difference is that if the sun salutation has the effect of warming, stimulating, and warming the body, the moon salutation sequence leans in the direction of “cooling”, restoring the body and soothing. mind.

The movements in the yoga series to greet the moon are usually done slowly and comfortably, each session is only practiced about 4-5 times. And sun salutation yoga has a fast rhythm, each practice session sometimes has to perform nearly 10 times a sequence of movements.

Yoga salutations to the moon usually head on the left side, then the right side because the left side represents the moon, and the right side represents the sun.

Are you ready to do moon salutation yoga on the next full moon night? Turn on some soft music, spend a few minutes looking at the sky, meditate, do 4-5 moon salutations and complete the session with corpse pose.

Reference source

How to Do a Moon Salutation in Yoga https://www.yogaoutlet.com/blogs/guides/how-to-do-a-moon-salutation-in-yoga Accessed: March 20, 2021

Learn How to Practice Moon Salutations (Photo Tutorial) https://www.yogiapproved.com/yoga/moon-salutation-tutorial/ Accessed date: 20/3/2021

Health benefits of Chandra Namaskar or Moon Salutation http://www.ayurvedictalk.com/health-benefits-of-chandra-namaskar-or-moon-salutation/2471/ Accessed: 20/3/2021