In short: in most schools, half moon pose is a sideways standing balance: one hand on the floor or a block, the other leg lifted level with the hip, and the chest turned open to the side. A block under the hand and a wall behind you make it far easier to learn. Be aware that the same name is used for different postures in hot yoga and in the Bihar School.
Half moon combines a one-leg balance, a strong standing leg and an open chest. It usually grows out of triangle pose, and it rewards patience: the shape comes together when the weight shifts properly over the standing foot, not when you throw the leg up. Below we cover the name and its collisions, the cues behind the steps, the precautions and where the pose fits.
One name, three different postures
Ardha means half and candra (often spelled chandra) means moon. In B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga (1966), Ardha Chandrāsana is entered from triangle: the bottom hand goes to the floor about a foot in front of the foot, the back leg lifts, the top hand rests on the hip and the chest turns upward. Yoga Journal and most vinyasa and Ashtanga-influenced classes teach this same balance, and this page describes it.
Two other schools use the name differently. In the Hot Yoga 26+2 series, “Half Moon” (Ardha Chandrasana) is a standing side bend on both feet, with the arms overhead and the palms together, followed by a backbend and a forward bend; we cover that shape under standing side bend. In the Bihar School’s Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, Ardha Chandrasana is a kneeling lunge with the back arched, closer to low lunge. If a teacher says “half moon”, the style of class tells you which one is meant.
Making half moon work
Yoga Journal’s step-by-step guide puts the weight shift first: bend the front knee, place the hand ahead of and slightly outside the front foot, and move the torso forward until the shoulder is over the wrist before lifting the back leg. Then straighten the standing leg as the back leg rises to hip height. Keep the standing kneecap pointing toward the toes; when the knee rolls inward the balance goes with it.
The bottom hand is a guide, not a pillar. Light on Yoga makes the point that the standing foot and hip carry the weight while the hand only steadies the balance. A block under the hand brings the floor closer, so the chest can turn open instead of collapsing toward the mat. Reach out through the heel of the lifted leg as though pressing it into a wall, and lengthen the spine from tailbone to crown. Look down at first; turn the head to the side or up only when the balance is steady and the neck is comfortable.
Precautions in plain words
Half moon is a demanding balance, so learn it with a wall behind you. Keep a microbend in the standing knee if it tends to lock back. With neck problems, keep the gaze down. With low blood pressure, dizziness or an inner-ear condition, use the wall and come up slowly. In pregnancy, practise against the wall and only if half moon was already familiar; check with your midwife or doctor. People recovering from a hamstring, hip or lower back injury should ask their doctor or physical therapist first. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Preparation and next poses
Warm up with triangle, extended side angle and tree pose. From half moon, more advanced options are revolved half moon, which turns the chest the other way, and sugarcane pose, which catches the back foot. To come down, return to triangle or step back to a wide stance and rest in a standing forward bend.
Where it is taught
The one-leg half moon is a standard standing pose in Iyengar, vinyasa and hatha classes. Browse other standing balances in the pose library.
