#HATHA YOGA MOON SALUTATION SEQUENCE HOW TO#
#HATHA YOGA MOON SALUTATION SEQUENCE SERIES#

If you find yourself struggling to breathe, ease up a bit. It is recommended to work within your range ability. This integrates the body and mind and provides a meditative aspect to your practice. Keep breathing gently and evenly through your nose as you move into different poses. Here are two variations that are easy and suitable for yoga students of all levels. There are several variations of moon salutations.

#HATHA YOGA MOON SALUTATION SEQUENCE HOW TO#

How to practice the moon salutation sequence Like all other yoga practices, you may want to want to have guidance from a yoga instructor until you feel confident to practice on your own. Moon salutations also stretch your spine, hamstrings, and backs of legs, while strengthening your leg, arm, back, and stomach muscles. Moon salutations are useful when energy or temperatures are high, like during summer, and we are seeking a cooling, quiet presence. Moon salutations help you channel lunar energy which has cool, relaxing, and creative qualities. During summer we can include more moon salutations, while in winter, we can include more sun salutations. Including both the sequences in our seasonal routine helps create harmony and balance at many different levels. The practice of Hatha yoga seeks to unify these opposing elements.

“ Ha” refers to the warming, active energy of the sun, and “ tha” refers to the cooling, receptive elements of the moon. The yogic term “ Hatha ” also indicates these individual yet interconnected qualities. This is one reason why sun salutations are heating and stimulating, while moon salutations are cooling and quieting.Īlthough sun and moon salutation sequences represent different qualities, they are quite complementary to each other. Like the popular sun salutations, or Surya namaskara, each pose in a moon salutation is also coordinated with your breathing: inhale to stretch and extend, and exhale to bend and release.īut unlike sun salutations, where we are encouraged to hold each pose for a longer time, with moon salutations, poses flow into each other without much hold in each position.

#HATHA YOGA MOON SALUTATION SEQUENCE SERIES#

The moon salutation, known in Sanskrit as Chandra namaskara (SHAHN-drah nah-muh-SKAR-uh), is a series of poses performed in a particular sequence to create a cooling and flowing movement.

Hatha yoga moon salutation sequence