Yoga posture - Ardha Chandrasana
Translation: Half Moon Pose
Point one foot forward and step the other back a little. Turn the back foot outwards and open the hip. Bend the leading leg and place the hand down on the mat in front of
you. Place it forward and diagonally
out for the easy version or straight in front of the foot for the more challenging
version.
Open the raised hip by rotating it. Try to vertically align the hips.
You need a flexible groin and hamstrings to get the vertical alignment of
the hips.
Tips
Important: Lean forward over the hand so that a security is felt then lift
the leg that is behind you. There will be instability if the leg is lifted
before the hand is placed on the mat which is very often the case.
It is easier to rotate the hip and remain balanced if the hand is taken
diagonally out instead of directly in front of the foot.
Having the finger tips on the mat instead of the palm will allow better
energy to flow through the fingers. The fingers will strengthen and the lowest
side of the body can lengthen more.
If the legs are not flexible use a block or bend the knee of the leg that
is down. Work on hamstring flexibility.
Benefits
Hip abductors are strengthened (the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus).
Other muscles involved in the hip rotation are the quadratus femoris, gemellus
Superior and inferior, obturator internus and externus and the piriformis,
they are also strengthened. The Leg adductors are stretched. Some of these are , the pectineus, adductor
brevis and adductor longus, the gracilis and adductor magnus.
The hamstring muscles are stretched (the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and
the semimembranosus). The arms are extended away from the body causing
shoulder and arm muscles to become toned.
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