Chandra Namaskar is a quieting sequence that invites you to bow and cultivate the moon’s soothing lunar energy. For women with a menstrual cycle, Chandra Namaskar can be a balm for low-energy days.
How to do Chandra Namaskar
- Pranamasana: Stand straight with your feet together and palms in the prayer pose.
- Hastauttan asana: Raise your arms forward and up and stretch as high as possible. Arch the back gently and push your arms back and the pelvis out in front. Keep the elbows and knees straight and head in between the arms.
- Chandrasana: Inhale deeply. As you exhale, bend to the left side. You will feel a gentle stretch on the right side.
- Utkata Konasana (Goddess pose): Come back to the centre. Keep your feet apart and turned slightly out. As you exhale, bend your knees and bring the thighs parallel to the ground in the squat position. The forearm should be at 90 degrees to the arms and palms facing you.
- Utthita tadasana: Raise yourself from the squat and straighten your elbows. Relax the shoulders and chest and keep your hands parallel to the ground.
- Trikonasana: Step your left foot out and slide down to the left side while extending the right hand up.
- Parsvottanasana: Bring your head to touch the left knee. relax both your hands on the left foot.
- Left side lunge: Bend both knees and move into a lunge on the left side. Look to your left.
- Forward facing lunge: Now straighten your right knee and do a forward-facing lunge. Being both hands in front, on the floor.
- Malasana: Do a deep squat with your feet firmly on the floor and palms joined in front of you.
- Forward facing lunge: Bend the right knee and straighten the left and do a forward-facing lunge.
- Right side lunge: Do a lunge on the right side and keep looking to your right.
- Repeat Parsvottanasana
- Repeat Trikonasana
- Repeat Utkata konasana
- Tiryaka tadasana: Place your hands in the namaskar position, extended overhead and bent to the right side.
- Tadasana: Conclude one sequence, returning to where you began — hands in namaskara position and extended overhead.
Benefits
Practicing yoga asanas during menstruation provides strength and peace to the mind. Chandra Namaskar gives strength to the abdominal and pelvic region with a light massage. It is a beneficial yoga for heavy bleeding and helps to relieve irregularity, heaviness, and cramping.
Note: During periods you should avoid deep backbends, inversions, and core exercises.