Pose Breakdown: How to Do Crescent Lunge
Flow into the shape of the moon in this chest-opening pose known as Crescent Lunge, or Ashta Chandrasana. You’ll find it provides a deep stretch in the hip flexors, quads, and groin muscles as well as a slight backbend. To maintain your balance in this pose, keep your hips low, level, and in line with your legs.
Avoid practicing Crescent Lunge if you have any injuries to your knees, hips, lower back, quads, or groin muscles. If you are working on your balance, you may consider practicing this pose with a chair or a wall nearby for support.
Read on to find step-by-step instructions on how to do Crescent Lunge Pose from Alo Moves yoga teacher Briohny Smyth.
Benefits of Crescent Lunge Pose
Stretches your legs, hip flexors, hamstrings, and groin muscles
Strengthens thighs and glutes
Opens your chest and shoulders
Develops lower-body stamina and endurance
Improves your balance and focus
Stretches your psoas muscles
Can alleviate sciatica pain
Prep Poses for Crescent Lunge Pose
How to Do Crescent lunge pose
1.
Stand at the top of your mat and come into a Runner’s Lunge by placing one leg back and one leg forward. Line up your fingertips underneath your shoulders, and make sure your feet are hip-width in distance and your front-leg shin is straight over the top of your foot.
2.
Lift your back-leg knee off the ground with the ball of your back foot stacked underneath your back heel.
3.
Put a little bend in your back-leg knee, place your hands on your front-leg knee, and lift your torso up to stack on top of your hips. Lift your lower belly and draw your ribs in.
4.
Straighten your back leg by pressing your heel back and lifting your back inner thigh. Squeeze your inner thighs together to find mula bandha.
5.
Raise your arms above your head and stretch through your fingers as you lift your chest. Inhale and lengthen through the sides of your waist and lift your back ribs. Exhale and draw your front ribs down and in.
6.
For an extra challenge, and if it doesn’t bring tightness to your neck or shoulders, bring your palms to touch and gaze upward.
Modifications for Crescent Lunge Pose
If you have sensitive knees, come down to your back knee and place a yoga blanket or block under your back knee.
If you feel strain in your neck or shoulders, lower your arms by placing them on blocks, your hips, or on the floor.
To maintain your balance, place your hands on a chair or wall in front of you for support.
Practice more strong standing poses with online yoga classes on Alo Moves, free with a 14-day trial.
