Half Moon Pose
Ardha ChandrasanaA single-leg balance with the torso and top leg rotated open. Strong gluteus medius work on the standing side plus a demand for hip and thoracic rotation.
- 01From a lunge or triangle, place the bottom hand on a block about a foot ahead of the front foot.
- 02Shift weight forward and lift the back leg to hip height, straightening the standing leg without locking it.
- 03Stack the top hip over the bottom hip and open the chest toward the side wall.
- 04Extend the top arm to the ceiling, or keep the hand on the hip for more control.
- 05Hold five breaths, then lower the lifted leg back into a lunge and change sides.
- 01Flex the lifted foot and press the heel into an imaginary wall.
- 02Roll the top hip back — stack it, do not just lift it.
- 03Weight in the standing leg, not the hand on the block.
- 01Placing the hand directly under the shoulder, which cramps the pose and makes stacking the hips impossible.
- 02Letting the lifted leg drop below hip height, which quietly removes the gluteus medius work.
- 03Hyperextending the standing knee, which sacrifices the balance training the pose exists for.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.