Half Moon Pose
What Is the Half Moon Pose?
Half Moon Pose is a compound exercise that primarily targets the glutes and also engages the calves, thighs, obliques, and lower back. It is an intermediate-level standing yoga balance in which you stand on one straight leg, lift the other leg to about hip height behind you, place one hand on the floor, and turn the chest and top arm open toward the ceiling, so the hips, shoulders, and lifted leg line up in one plane.
The pose works both legs at once. The standing hip holds the pelvis steady while it rotates open, and the lifted leg is held up against gravity by the muscles at the side and back of the hip. In a study of 31 healthy young adults, Half Moon Pose produced the highest gluteus maximus and gluteus medius activity of five common yoga poses, with gluteus maximus readings above 60% of a maximal contraction on both the standing and the lifted leg. That makes it one of the more demanding yoga poses for the glutes, alongside Warrior III Pose.
Balance is the other half of the work. Because the body is turned sideways over a single foot, the ankle and calf make constant small corrections, and the obliques and lower back hold the trunk long instead of letting it sag toward the floor. The back of the standing leg is also lengthened, so tight hamstrings often decide how straight the standing leg can stay and how close the bottom hand gets to the floor.
Half Moon Pose suits anyone who wants better single-leg balance and hip strength using only body weight. It is commonly sequenced after Triangle Pose or Extended Side Angle Pose, which share its open-hip position. If standing on one leg is still unsteady, build up with Tree Pose first, and practice Half Moon with a yoga block under the bottom hand or with your back against a wall until the balance feels secure.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- Primary
- Gluteus Minimus
- High
- Erector Spinae
- Medium
- External Oblique
- Medium
- Peroneus Longus
- Medium
- Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Medium
- Vastus Lateralis
- Medium
- Deltoid
- Low
Instructions
- Stand in a long staggered stance with your right foot forward and your left foot a long step behind it.
- Hinge forward over the front leg and place your right hand on the floor about a foot in front of your right foot and slightly to its outside, under your shoulder. Use a block if the floor is out of reach. Rest your left hand on your left hip.
- Shift your weight onto your right foot and begin lifting your left foot off the floor.
- Straighten your standing leg without locking the knee as you raise your left leg to about hip height, keeping it straight with the foot flexed.
- Turn your chest and top hip open to the left, stacking your left hip over your right and your left shoulder over your right.
- Reach your left arm straight up toward the ceiling, in line with your bottom arm.
- Press evenly through the standing foot and keep the bottom hand light. Look down at the floor, straight ahead, or up toward the top hand if your neck allows.
- Hold for several steady breaths, then bring the top hand back to your hip, bend the standing knee, and lower your left foot to the floor. Repeat on the other side.
Common Mistakes
Collapsing the chest
Letting the top shoulder roll forward turns the chest toward the floor, closes the pose, and makes balancing harder.
Top hip rolling forward
When the top hip drops toward the floor the hips stop stacking and the pose drifts toward Warrior III instead of opening to the side.
Locking the standing knee
Pushing the standing knee back into hyperextension loads the joint instead of the thigh and hip muscles that should hold you up.
Forcing the hand to the floor
Reaching for the floor with tight hamstrings rounds the spine and strains the standing leg when a block would keep both long.
Hand too close to the foot
Placing the bottom hand beside the standing foot instead of in front of it, under the shoulder, tips the body off balance.
Letting the lifted leg sag
A lifted leg that drops well below hip height takes away much of the glute work the pose is meant to provide.
Injuries
Half Moon Pose is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The main risks are losing balance and falling sideways, straining the hamstring of the standing leg when the bottom hand is forced down to the floor, and pressing the standing knee back into hyperextension. Turning the head to look up at the top hand can also bother a sensitive neck.
To stay safe, put a yoga block under the bottom hand whenever the floor is out of reach with a long standing leg. Straighten the standing leg by engaging the thigh rather than pushing the knee back, and keep a slight bend if you tend to hyperextend. Place the bottom hand under the shoulder so it steadies you without carrying much weight, and keep the gaze down or forward if your neck is sensitive.
To make the pose easier, practice with your back against a wall, raise the block to its tallest height, or keep the top hand on your hip. Tree Pose builds single-leg balance with less demand on the hips and hamstrings. To progress, lower the block, then move to fingertips on the floor, and hold for more breaths.
Stop if you feel sharp pain at the back of the standing thigh, in the knee, hip, or wrist, or if you become dizzy or lightheaded. People with low blood pressure, vertigo, or a recent hamstring, hip, or ankle injury should check with a qualified professional before practicing it.
- Primary Focus
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Yoga
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Half Moon Pose
The Half Moon Pose is also known as:
- Ardha Chandrasana
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the difference between Half Moon Pose and Warrior III?
Both balance on one straight leg with the other leg lifted behind you, but Warrior III Pose keeps the hips and chest square to the floor, while Half Moon Pose turns the hips and chest open to the side with one hand on the floor. The open-hip position asks more of the glutes, which hold the pelvis and the lifted leg turned out.
- Q: Is Half Moon Pose the same as the Half Moon in Bikram Yoga?
No. In Bikram Yoga, the name Half Moon refers to a standing side bend with both feet on the floor, which is a different movement. This page covers the one-legged standing balance that most other yoga styles call Half Moon Pose, or Ardha Chandrasana.
- Q: What if I can't reach the floor with my bottom hand?
Rest the hand on a yoga block, starting on its tallest height, and lower it as your hamstrings and balance improve. Keeping the standing leg long with the hand on a block is better than bending the spine to touch the floor.
- Q: How long should I hold Half Moon Pose?
Beginners usually start with 3 to 5 steady breaths per side and build toward 5 to 10 breaths as balance improves. Come out of the pose as soon as your alignment starts to slip rather than holding for a set number.
- Q: Why does my standing ankle shake in Half Moon Pose?
The standing foot and calf do much of the balancing. In a small study of experienced yoga practitioners, the calf was the most active of the five leg and hip muscles measured during Half Moon Pose. Some shaking is normal, and spreading the toes and pressing evenly through the whole foot usually steadies it.