Moon Salutation - 3 ways
The moon tells the sky
The sky tells the sea
The sea tells the tide
and the tide tells me
We’re all connected to the cycles of the moon, whether we are aware of it or not. The moon impacts on us because it affects the Earth we live on, from the lengths of the day, to the daily tide changes, to the seasons of the year.
I'm sure you've heard of the yoga sun salutation. If you are a yoga student you've probably done a few of them in your yoga practice.
But have you heard of the yoga moon salutation?
Yoga Under the Moon - Now Northwich 2022
In yoga asana (poses & movement) the moon is celebrated with poses such as Half Moon Pose, to a full sequence in the moon’s honour known as Chandra Namaskara.
In 2022 I was asked by a local festival - Now Northwich - to teach a yoga class under Luke Jerram's Moon installation https://my-moon.org/ I took the opportunity to research the moon salutation and the moon itself.
As with sun salutations, there are several versions.
The moon salutation goes side to side along the long edge of your yoga mat, unlike the sun salutation which goes front to back along your mat. It is said to be a more calming sequence invoking the moon's power of rest, luminescence and release. The sun salutation of course can be invigorating, warming and strengthening.
Since 2022 I have returned to the moon salutation in my own yoga practice and in my teaching. Currently I am teaching a series of classes which take the moon as their theme and inspiration and once again we are practicing the moon salutation and it’s poses.
Despite being more calming, the moon salutation is not a simple sequence. It has some strong poses within it and transitions side to side require a good deal of balance and placing of feet carefully to be steady.
I teach the full version of the salutation shown in pictures above to my mixed level class and I have adapted the sequence in a few different ways to meet the needs of the students in my gentler classes who may have less mobility or ease of balance. Whichever variation I teach we work on the moon salutation step by step, which means everyone can add in more if they like or take a more accessible route.
For example, not coming all the way forwards in parsvottonasana or skipping the squatting poses or keeping them higher and less deep are all ways to make the sequence more accessible.
For all my classes, especially my gentle classes we enjoy a seated version of the sequence both on the floor and a chair. So everyone can do a version of the moon salutation even if deep squats and asymmetric forward folds are not part of your practice.
I love making my classes accessible to all my students in this way. If you'd like to have a go here's a 40 min practice offering three variations - and you can just repeat the seated version a couple of times if the standing version looks too much. Or if you want a stronger practice skip the seated versions and repeat the standing one a few times.
Breathing Space Yoga Northwich Mixed Level Moon Salutation
Let me know how you get on…
And here's a few fun facts I found out about the moon:
The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and the fifth largest moon in the solar system.
The Moon’s presence helps stabilize our planet’s wobble and moderate our climate.
The Moon’s distance from Earth is about 240,000 miles (385,000km).
The Moon has a very thin atmosphere called an exosphere.
The Moon’s surface is cratered and pitted from comet and asteroid impacts.
About Sarah
I’m Sarah Clover, a certified yoga teacher in Cheshire, England, specializing in hatha yoga, gentle yoga for all, yoga nidra and mindfulness practices. This blog is a space where I share yoga and wellness tips, and reflections to support your personal growth on and off the mat.
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