Yoga has been very effective since ancient days. Traditional yogis used to perform yoga both which helps to tone the body and also relaxes the body. Today, we will be discussing about moon salutation. You must have heard about sun salutation and its benefits.
Moon salutation is yoga, which helps bring lunar energy to your body. It is practiced in the evening and helps to relax the body. If ever, you feel tired after waking up or you are not able to sleep properly, then this is the yoga that you should perform.
So, keep reading to learn more about moon salutation, how to perform it and its benefits.
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What is Moon Salutation?
As the name suggest, Moon salutation or Chandra namaskar is the yoga, which is done in evening or at the end of yoga. Moon salutation helps to keep the mind calm and relaxes the body. Its poses focus more on drawing energy to the body. Moon salutation gives a soothing and restorative yin energy to balance the nervous system.
Moon salutation is made up combining 9 poses. It starts with goddess pose, and then every pose is performed on either side of the body. The end result of moon salutation yoga is it is stress-relieving, and hip-opening and keeps body aware of its energy.
Difference between Moon and Sun Salutation
There is a lot of difference between moon and sun salutation. Moon salutation is total opposite of sun salutation. Just like sun salutation is performed in the morning in the warmth of sun. Moon salutation is performed in the evening. Its main purpose is to cool off the body and relax the mind.
Sun salutation is performed in vigorous movement with lot of energy while moon salutation is relaxing and meditative. In ancient time, traditional yogis used to perform both the salutation to balance the nervous system and keep up the body energy too.
Apart from differences, both the salutation have some common poses too like mountain pose, low lunge and standing half-moon pose. Moon salutation is more like hip openers, and Sun salutation is more like power poses.
Benefits of Moon Salutation
1. Calming and Relaxing-
Moon salutation yoga is calming and relaxing. As we know it is usually performed in the evening or at the end of yoga. The poses helps to calm the mind and reduce anxiety and stress.
2. Spiritual Connection-
Just like you feel spiritual connection while performing sun salutation yoga. Same goes for moon salutation. Moon salutation is a way to connect with spiritual aspects of yoga. It helps to promote a sense of inner peace and serenity.
3. Digestive Health-
Moon salutation poses are relaxing and calming. They do not increase your heartbeat. The gentle twisting and stretching helps to promote digestive system.
4. Hormonal Balance-
Moon Salutation is very beneficial for women. It helps to balance their hormones, by harmonizing body’s natural rhythms.
5. Body Awareness-
Doing moon salutation daily, helps to improve your body awareness. It is beneficial for your overall body posture and helps in physical well-being.
6. Stress Reducer-
No matter the yoga type, but it should be a stress reducer. And moon salutation is best for this. It helps to encourage mindfulness and deep breathing and this helps to reduce stress.
7. Body Flexibility:
With the perfect combination of gentle stretches and deep breathing, moon salutation yoga helps to increase the body flexibility, especially the hip and spine part. If your joints hurt a lot, then this is the yoga for you.
How do perform Moon Salutation?
Following are the nine poses, which combines and form Moon salutation Yoga:
1. Standing pose:
Stand straight on your yoga mat, with your palms together in a prayer position. Your spine and head are straight. Inhale and exhale deeply.
2. Standing half-moon pose-
- Inhale and bring your hands up, straight.
- Interlock your fingers, and point the index finger of both the hand up. Slightly bend towards the left side and create a half-moon shape.
- Your legs should be firm and you should feel stretched on the right side of body.
- Inhale and come back to the center again.
- Come back to normal pose.
3. Goddess pose-
- Inhale and bring both your legs out widely.
- Turn both your toes in outward direction.
- Bend your knee in right angle.
- Lower your hip, as if you are doing squat.
- Exhale, and bend your elbows to 90-degree.
- You will feel your chest opening.
This pose helps to stimulate our root chakra.
4. Five pointed star pose-
With this pose you will feel relaxed and your energy being radiated through your fingers.
- Inhale and keep your feet wide apart.
- Stand firmly by pushing your feet in the ground.
- Your hands straight up, with palms facing upward.
- Fingers are spread out.
- Your whole pose looks like a five pointed star.
- Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths.
5. Triangle pose-
This is one of the famous pose, which you must have performed for strengthening your legs.
- From star pose, inhale and bring your right foot at the edge of the mat.
- Touch your right foot toe, with your right hand.
- Keep your left hand up and straight
- Balance your body and look straight up.
- Inhale and look up in the sky as you engage your core and flex your legs.
6. Pyramid pose-
This pose helps to stretch your leg muscles.
- Again widen your legs.
- Turn to the right side, inhale and bend your body to the right side.
- Your legs should be straight.
- Rest your forehead on your right knee.
- Try to keep your spine straight.
- Be in the same position for 3-5 seconds.
7. Low crescent lunge-
This is a powerful pose, which aligns your body energy properly.
- Be in the warrior pose.
- Bend your right leg from the knee, making a right angle.
- Your left leg to be straight and left shin to rest on the floor.
- Inhale, keep your back straight, look up.
- Your hands above your head.
- On each breath, try to reach backwards like a crescent moon.
8. Low side lunge-
- From low side lunge pose, rotate your left leg and torso to face forward.
- Your left leg to be parallel to the mat.
- Right knee to bend.
- Bring your hand in the center and breathe.
- Take 3-5 breaths in the same pose.
9. Garland pose-
This pose is beneficial for your back pain.
- Bend your both the knees and squat down.
- Bring your hand in a folded position towards your heart.
- Press your elbows into knees. You will feel your back to be stretched and hip opening.
- Take deep breaths.
While doing this pose keep your mind calm and relax.
10. Side lunge-
Now, from garland pose you need to shift to side lunge pose. This time do the pose from other side. If you performed this pose before from left side, then do it from right side.
11. Low lunge-
- Inhale and lift your arms up with palms facing each other.
- Exhale and rotate your hips back to front.
- This time do it with your right knee on the mat.
12. Pyramid pose –
- From low lunge, tuck your back toes and this time straighten your right leg.
- Inhale and keep your left knee straight.
- Exhale and bend forward.
- Keep your spine as straight as possible.
13. Triangle pose-
From the pyramid pose, go to triangle pose. And this time perform the triangle pose through your other side.
14. Star pose-
Triangle pose gets converted into star pose. Keep your legs apart and your hands straight up in the air.
15. Goddess pose-
Come back again to goddess pose, the way you started.
16. Standing half-moon pose-
This time, bend the other side and make a half moon pose.
17. Mountain pose-
Finally, return to your mountain or prayer pose, with palms together at the center of heart.
So, above are the benefits of moon salutation and how to perform it. Moon salutation is very beneficial for body energy and awareness. It helps in relaxing and calming the mind and also reduces stress.
Did you know about this moon salutation?
FAQ
1. When to practice moon salutations?
Moon salutation involves slow movement and deep breathing. They can be performed at following times-
- 30 minutes before bed.
- In the evening, after you come from office.
- Before meditation practice.
- For women, during their moon cycle.
2. Is moon salutation good for sleep?
This is one of the best yoga pose for sleep. Moon salutation draws lunar energy and keep our body relaxed and calm. The mind relaxation helps in the good night sleep.
3. Can moon salutation be done after eating?
No yoga or exercise should be done after eating. You should wait for 3-4 hours, before performing the yoga.
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