चन्द्र नमस्कार
Chandra Namaskar — Salutation to the Moon
Surya Namaskar's cool-silver sister: fourteen postures with the crescent lunge at their heart, flowed slowly, for evenings and moonlit nights.
In the simplest words
It's the sun-dance's sleepy sister, done slowly in the evening: the same moves, plus a special one where you stretch your arms up and lean like a banana. That's the crescent moon shape! Fourteen slow moves and your whole body says 'aaah'.
Practise along
Step through the postures at your own pace with the arrows, or press play and let each posture time itself. Arrow keys work too.
1. Pranamasana — Prayer Pose
Breathe out
Stand facing the moon or the soft west; palms at the heart, exhale, arrive.
Posture 1 of 14
What it is
Where the sun's salutation ignites, the moon's soothes. Chandra Namaskar, taught in the Bihar School lineage and now popular across traditions, follows the same wave as Surya Namaskar but inserts Ardha Chandrasana, the crescent, after each lunge: arms sweep overhead and the body curves like the young moon it honours, making fourteen postures in all. Everything slows: longer holds, softer breath, half the pace. Some schools add mantras (the Bihar School's are the names of the fourteen Nitya Devis); many flow it in silence, which suits its nature. Practised at dusk or under a bright moon, it ends a day as deliberately as Surya Namaskar begins one.
Where it comes from: Bihar School of Yoga lineage (Satyananda tradition), now taught widely; the crescent insertion is its signature. The sixth posture here is the plank used in our Surya Namaskar; the Bihar sequence takes Parvatasana there. The Bihar School also gives fourteen mantras, one name of the fourteen lunar-phase Devis per posture; other schools flow it in silence, which is equally traditional.
Rounds & rhythm
One round = 14 postures; a full round is two, leading with each leg. Two to four slow rounds serve an evening. Dusk, or a moonlit terrace on purnima nights, is its home hour.
What it is kept for
Unwinding the day's charge, cooling an overheated system, moon-night practice, and everyone for whom Surya Namaskar's pace is too much.
Before you practise: health first
The same list as Surya Namaskar: heart conditions, uncontrolled blood pressure, hernia, severe back trouble, fever. Take an easy or chair-based practice instead; pregnancy only with your doctor's and teacher's approval. The crescent adds a balance moment, so stay near a wall at first.
Every posture, in order
1. Pranamasana — Prayer Pose
exhale
Stand facing the moon or the soft west; palms at the heart, exhale, arrive.
2. Hasta Uttanasana — Raised Arms
inhale
Inhale, sweep the arms up and slightly back, chest lifting to the night sky.
3. Padahastasana — Forward Fold
exhale
Exhale, fold slowly from the hips, hands beside the feet, knees soft.
4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana — Equestrian
inhale
Inhale, step the right leg far back, knee down, chest forward.
5. Ardha Chandrasana — the Crescent
inhale
Keeping the lunge, sweep the arms overhead and curve softly back; the body becomes the young moon. Steady gaze, steady breath.
6. Dandasana — Plank
hold
Hands down, step back to one straight line, breath held without strain.
7. Ashtanga Namaskara — Eight Limbs
exhale
Exhale knees, chest and chin to the earth, hips staying lifted.
8. Bhujangasana — Cobra
inhale
Inhale forward and up into a soft cobra, hips grounded.
9. Parvatasana — Mountain
exhale
Exhale the hips high into the mountain; heels reaching, head resting between the arms.
10. Ashwa Sanchalanasana — Equestrian
inhale
Inhale, step the right foot forward between the hands, back knee down.
11. Ardha Chandrasana — the Crescent
inhale
Arms overhead again, curve softly back; the moon rises a second time.
12. Padahastasana — Forward Fold
exhale
Exhale, step the back foot forward and fold over both legs.
13. Hasta Uttanasana — Raised Arms
inhale
Inhale all the way up, arms sweeping overhead.
14. Pranamasana — Prayer Pose
exhale
Exhale the palms back to the heart. Stand in the evening's quiet a moment before moving on.