Salute to the Moon

Image drawn by Tarkai

In yoga the moon is associated with receptivity, coolness, silver and free flowing energy.  This sequence taps those qualities. 

I love this variation as it allows me to progressively free my hips and shoulders.  I often spend time in each pose, allowing my body to move as required.

I also like the fact that sequence will take us to face each direction of the room we are practising in, as the sequence itself mirrors the phases of the moon.  There are 28 steps in all -  the first 14 will take us from facing the front of the room towards facing the back through the side.  The second 14 will take us back to the front, via the other side.
 
As always, listen to your body, and adapt the sequence to make it work for you

1. Tadasana – start standing with the hands in a soft prayer position.  Breathe into the hands, maybe a few rounds of drawing down the moon breathing, imagining a cool, silver light streaming into the hands and the heart with every inhale
2. Inhale sweep the arms out and up towards the sky, making a full round moon circle with the arms as you open the front of the body
3. Exhale fold forwards from the hips, knees bent
4. Inhale to half way up, flat back forward fold before exhaling back into the full forward fold, hands on the floor
5. Exhale back to forward fold and then inhale and keeping the hands on the floor step the left leg back into lunge
6. Manoeuvre the feet into a stable position for a variation of extended side angle pose.  Keep the right leg bent and the right arm on the floor raise the left arm skyward.  Breathing freely explore the movements in the left shoulder, forward and back
7. Place the left arm on the floor and raise the right arm, keeping your legs as they are to come into the reverse extended side angle position.  One again allow the shoulders to release as you move the arm in all directions
8. Pivot the feet so they are parallel and walk the hands to the centre, coming into a a wide leg forward fold
9. Keep the left arm on the floor and raise the right into a folded twist.  Return the right arm and lift the left to twist to the other side.
10. Keeping the feet parallel, walk the hands first towards the left foot, bending the left knee and straightening the right leg, slowly walk the hands towards the other side and straighten the left leg.  Move back and forth a few times is this variation of a wide leg squat.  Feel free to lift the hands and allow the arms to follow the movement of the legs if you wish.
11. Walk the hands towards the left leg, turning towards this leg, one hand on either side to come into a lunge.  You will now be facing the back of your mat.
12. Step your right foot towards the left as you come into a forward fold at the back of your mat.  Say for as many breaths as feels right
13. Inhaling arms out wide into a full moon as you come up to standing, gentle back bed as the front of the body opens
14. Return the hands to prayer pose at the chest, standing in tadasana.  Take a few rounds of breath here  

Whenever you are ready, repeat the sequence using the right leg back to eventually return to the front of the mat.  Repeat as many times as you would like.

Enjoy x