HOW TO DO A MOON SALUTATION - for a calming and cooling practice

Transcript

hi everyone welcome back to my channel i'm jackie and today i'm going to take you through step by step on how to do a moon salutation or chandra namaskar but before we get started i would love for you to join my community so make sure to hit the button and the bell icon so you can be the first to know whenever i upload a new yoga tutorial or yoga video for you alright let's get into it so you might already be very familiar with a sun salutation it's something we practice over and over in many yoga classes i actually have a video on how to do that step by step with modifications so if you're interested i'll leave it up here in the card somewhere so with a sun salutation we greet the sun with a moon salutation we greet the moon and it's most often and traditionally practiced in the evenings when there is a new moon or a full moon but you can practice at any time you want a more calming flow and you don't want to over stimulate yourself the moon salutation is a very cooling and quieting practice where we can calm the mind and draw our attention inwards so for example it's a really great way to wind down at night before going to bed so let's head on over to the mat and i'll take you through step by step so with the sun salutation we start at the top of the mat and we move backwards and forwards with the moon salutation we turn to face the side of the mat and we're going to start at the end on the right side of the mat so let's bring our feet together and then breathe in and we'll circle the arms up to the sky take the hands together and point the index fingers upwards breathe in to lengthen and then breathe out let's bend over towards the left side and you want to try to keep your shoulders nice and open here breathing in back to center breathing out bend to the right breathing in back to center step the left leg out to the side toes pointing to the corners of your mat and then breathe out let's bend down into our goddess pose so you might want to connect your thumb and index finger here and just make sure that your knees are pointing backwards so they're in line with your hips and your toes and then breathing in straighten the leg extend the arms out to the side pivot the right foot out so now it's parallel with the short side of the mat turn your head towards the left hand and start to reach the hand forward send your hips towards the back of the mat and then take the left hand down to your shin or to the mat and then reach the right arm up into your triangle pose see if you can really open up through the shoulders here so we're stacking the shoulders on top of each other and the same thing with the hips breathing out bring the right hand down do your shins all to the mat and then fold over that left leg in a pyramid pose bring the hands down and let's drop the right knee down to the floor untuck the toes coming into a low lunge breathing in circle the arms up to the sky and breathing out let's bring the hands on the inside of the left leg and we're going to pivot over towards the side of the mat into skandasana so your heel can come off the mat or it can draw all the way down if you're able flex with the right foot and then pull up through the kneecap hands can come to your heart center and then hands come down and we shift over to the other side again the heel can come off or it can stay down left foot flex pulling up to the kneecaps hands to heart center and then hands come all the way down we turn to face the back of the mat lower the left knee untuck the toes coming back to a lunge we do everything in reverse now breathing in reach the arms up to the sky and breathing out hands come down to frame the right foot tuck the left toes lift the knee off the mat and then turn the foot back again to parallel with the short side of the mat straighten the right legs hand over the shin or on the mat and we fold forward bringing the right hand to the right shin or onto the mat lift the left arm up triangle pose and then let's come all the way back up straighten the arms and then turn the feet again to point to the top corners of your mat breathe out sit down goddess pose thumb and index fingers connect and breathing out step the feet together toes pointing forward reach the arms back up to the sky point the index fingers upwards interlace all the other fingers breathing out bend to the right breathing in back to center breathing out bend to the left breathing in back to center and release the arms so there we have one round of our moon salutation so let's do the other side to complete the set feet together breathe in reach up hands interlace first fingers upwards breathe out bend to the right breathe in back to center breathe out bend to the left keeping the shoulders nice and open and back to center step the right leg out to the side toes pointing to the top corners breathe out sit down in your goddess pose breathe in straighten the legs extend the arms wide pivot the left foot parallel with the short side of the mat turn to face your right hand reach the hand forward send the hips back hand comes down to the shin or onto the mat left arm up triangle pose pull up through your kneecaps here breathing out hands come down to the right shin or to the mat fold over the right leg pyramid pose and then hands come all the way down to the mat bend the right knee and then drop the left knee down untuck the toes breathe in circle the arms up into your low lunge breathing out hands come to the inside of the right foot and then turn to face the side of your mat heel comes off or sits all the way down left foot flex strong through the legs hands to heart center and then hands down shift once the other side of the mat scan dasana on this side and then hands come down to the mat coming back to face the top in a low lunge drop the right knee untuck the toes breathing in circle the arms up and breathing out hands come down to the mat tuck the right toes lift the knee off and then turn the foot again to face parallel short side of the mat straighten through the legs hands on the shin or on the mat fold over breathe in left hand on the shin or the mat reach the right arm up triangle pose and breathing out lift the body back up and then turn the feet again to face the top corners of the mat breathe out sit down goddess pose nice and open here and then step the left foot to the right toes pointing forward reach the arms up to the sky point the first fingers upwards breathe out bend to the left breathe in back to center breathe out bend to the right and breathe in back to center release the hands so there we have it one full set on each side of our moon salutation so let's do that one more time moving a little bit faster now that is a bit more familiar uh so we can really get it in your body so feet together toes pointing forward breathe in circle the arms up breathing out bend to the left breathing in back to center breathing out bend to the right breathing in back to center step the left leg out to the side toes pointing the corners bend down goddess open to the chest open through the hips breathe in extend the arms straighten the legs pivot the right foot send the left hand forward hips back hand comes down right arm up triangle pose breathing out period pose take the right hand down over the left leg fold down hands come down to the mat bend the knee low lunge breathe in to circle the arms up breathe out hands come to the inside of the left leg turn to face the side skandasana hands to heart center flex through the right foot and then shift over to the other side flex the left foot hands come back down to the mat turn to face the back drop the left knee untuck the toes circle the arms up low lunge breathing out hands come down to frame the right foot tuck the left toes lift the knee off pivot the foot parallel with the short side of the mat and straighten the leg fold over the right leg right hand comes down left arm reaches up triangle pose and breathing out reaching the arms back up point the toes to the top corners of the mat breathe out and bend down goddess breathing in step the feet together toes point forward arms up breathing out bend to the right breathing in back to center breathing out bend to the left and back to center release the hands and we'll do that one more time breathing in reach up interlace your fingers breathe out bend to the right breathe in back to center breathe out bend to the left and back to center step the right leg out sit down goddess pose breathe in straighten the legs straighten the arms pivot the left foot turn to face the right hand reach it forward and then triangle pose left arm up breathing out left hand comes down fold over the right leg pyramid pose hands come down to frame the right foot bend the legs low lunge breathing in circle the arms up breathing out hands come to the inside of the right foot turn to face the side in skandasana hands to heart center switching sides then through the left knee straighten through the right hands come down turn to face the top of the mat low lunge drop the back knee untuck the toes reach the arms up to the sky and breathing out hands come down tuck the right toes lift the knee off circle the foot so it's parallel short side of the mat straighten the left leg and bend over left hand comes down right arm reaches up triangle pose and then breathing out coming back up with the body and sitting back down into your goddess and then stepping the feet together towards the right side of the mat reach the arms up breathing out bend to the left breathing in back to center and breathing out then to the right and back to center so there you have your moon salutation if you have any questions please leave me a comment below and i would love to know your thoughts on it how do you like it was it calming and cooling for you do you think you'll be practicing it more now that you know it and do you like it better than the sun salutation i'm always curious to know your thoughts on new sequences so please drop me a comment below and if you liked today's tutorial please give it a thumbs up and i will see you back here on that very soon bye you