When I first started practising yoga, I was struggling with most of the balance poses. Ardha Chandrasana (half moon) was one of the worst. It was the most challenging pose for me and I still find it challenging even today. This pose looked simple enough. But to be balancing on one leg and with the standing foot parallel to the floor was tough. As soon as I looked up, I was down with my bum to the floor.
This pose motivated me to start my regular practice at home. I leant that once I knew how to control my mind, I would be able to control my body because both work together in tandem.
Ardha Chandrasana has become one of my favorite ones. Not only does it benefit my grounding and core strength, it also always fit into a flow. Whenever teachers ask me to do this pose in the class, I will be doing it with joy. This pose gives me a sense of openness and freedom when I do it right. As I was never the kind of person who could do backbends easily, it required to open my chest, back, rib cage and those areas are a challenge for me. Succeeding in this pose gave me a real sense of success and a reason to continue with yoga.
Joyce E.
