The Story of Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)

A few months ago I wrote about the origins of Virabhadrasana I, II and III (Warrior I, II and III), which I thought was quite interesting and it just so happens that in this months Yoga Journal they wrote about the origins of four other asanas/poses.

Today I would like to talk about the origins of Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose).

Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) is a standing posture that requires balance and attention. This is great for strengthening the abdomen, ankles, thighs, buttocks, and spine. It’s also a great stretch for the groins, hamstrings and calves, shoulders, chest, and spine.

“Ganesh, the charming elephant-headed god adored by so many for his generous ways and clever antics, is also known for his wild infatuation with all things sweet. Despite his love for sugary foods, he is a master of yoga, taking after his father, Shiva.

On one of his exploits, Ganesh actually consumed so many sweet cakes that his belly was full to bursting. He decided it was time to head home and relax his stuffed belly, so he hopped on his trusty “steed,” a tiny mouse.

The pair was cruising smoothly along when a very long cobra slithered onto their path frightening the mouse. The mouse darted one way, and Ganesh fell over. When he hit the ground, his overstuffed belly exploded and sweet cakes rained everywhere. This greatly perturbed Ganesh, who was upset not only by the disruption of his ride, but by the loss of the sweet fullness of his tummy.

He walked around and collected all the sweet cakes and stuffed them, one by one, back into his belly. All the while, the moon, Chandra, was watching the extravaganza and couldn’t help exploding into laughter at Ganesh’s crazy antics.

Ganesh was very upset to be the object of Chandra’s laughter, and in a fit of anger (remember he’s Shiva’s son), he broke off his right tusk and hurled it at the moon. Pierced by the tusk, Chandra’s light went out. Ganesh cursed the moon so it would never shine again, leaving the earth continuously lit by the sun.

With no night, no dawn, and no dusk, love was lost to the world. There was no place for romance, and men and gods alike became scorched and hopeless upon the hot earth.

Ganesh was holed up in his palace when a group of gods came to appeal to him to allow the moon to shine once more. Flattered by their appeals, Ganesh decided he could agree to a compromise. He would let the moon shine, but it would be required to wax and wane, shinning at its full potential only once every four weeks.

This, he decided, would be a permanent lesson for the moon so it would remember never to laugh at him again.”

Interesting story right? But what’s the lesson here?

“One of the greatest lessons a yogi can learn is that everything we experience has an internal source of energy, as do the sun and moon. Within our bodies, the sun and moon occupy opposing halves. The moon presides over the left energy channel (ida nadi), and the sun presides over the right one (pingala nadi).

Ideally, we strive to seek a balance between both, basking in the moon as much as the sun and learning to wield both types of energy as we progress upon our path to enlightenment.

Ganesh may have taught Chandra a lesson, but the real lesson here is that steeped in only sunshine, all love is lost from the world. There is no softness, no shadow to define the landscape of our heart. Without a dawn or dusk, there is no halfway point during which to steals away during those wee hours of perfect balance between night and day.

Within our yoga practice, we learn the truth of the at age-old wisdom, ‘As above, so below. As without, so within’ – as with the sun and moon in the sky, so with those in our heart – and we seek to find as much joy in the shadow and lunar places of our existence as we do in the bright and solar places of our life.”

Excerpts from Myths of the Asanas: The Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition, by Alanna Kaivalya and Arjuna van der Kooij (Mandala Publishing, 2010). All rights reserved.