The Story of Half Moon

Our 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training curriculum incorporates curiosity-led research about the stories and mythologies associated with asanas. In this blog authored by Jessica Frieze, one of our yoga teachers graduates, shares about one of her favorite postures: Ardha Chandrasana. Read below to learn something new.

The story of half-moon pose or Ardha Chandrasana is about Lord Ganesha and his waxing and waning temperament. Ganesha is commonly known as a God in Hinduism, who is the remover of obstacles. The story for this pose starts with Ganesha being very full after a dinner party. He rides on a mouse to go home, and the moon decides to play a trick on him. Once the mouse turns the corner a serpent appears, “ssssss” scaring the mouse. Ganesha falls off the mouse and becomes so angry at the moon that he made it disappear. People got exhausted from being in the light and sunshine all day. Therefore, they asked the Gods to get Ganesha to bring darkness and the moon back so the people could rest at night.

Ganesha agrees to bring the moon back under one condition. The moon must wax and wane within a 28-day cycle, where it can be fully lit for one night as the full moon and completely invisible for one night as the new moon. This represents the balance of being active/in motion and being reflective/stillness, reminding us to find our equilibrium. A waxing and waning moon can represent transformation of the ego rising, falling, and returning to balance within this cycle.

The moon can also represent feminine energy. When I think of feminine energy, I think of softness, darkness, little – no effort, being inward or reflective, creation, emotion, stillness, and intuition. When I think of masculine energy, I think of a bright energetic light as a moving force, working hard, going, pushing ahead, and doing. We need both elements of these energies for balance! In the half-moon pose, two limbs are on the earth, and two limbs are reaching towards the sky. This reminds us to stay grounded and to not get lost in our active nature, and to make space to connect with our internal worlds and to not get lost in our emotions and darkness. I agree that we need both aspects of these energies and that the cycles of transformation are always happening.

The story of Ganesha and half-moon pose explores balance in life. Part of being human and alive means that sometimes we get out of balance depending on what is happening or changing in our lives. The story reminds me to value this understanding as a normal and a completely natural part of being human. Another part of being human is coming back into balance from life’s unfolding opportunities. Due to the nature of life’s changes and unknowns, it is helpful to remember that everyone goes through moments of imbalance and transformation. Life invites us to come back into balance with time and awareness. There is an abundance of choices that can eventually be realized.

Another value I see in this story is reminding me that everyone has an ego and is multi-dimensional. Therefore, we are not meant to feel, look, or act the same every day. It is against the nature of existing for this expectation to be lived. Many people including myself struggle with the unknown changes or instable ground or moods. Cycles within us and around us are always changing.

The embodied symbolism of half-moon is about balance and reaching. This posture requires strength and balance to stand on two limbs, while the other two are lifted towards the sky. It also requires a level of focus, trust, and breath. It is helpful to engage the glute and abdomen muscles to become stronger in this posture.

I learned that each pose has a mythological story and purpose. While some postures have been modified or renamed or added in more recent times, I think we can all learn something from the roots of each pose. While it is important to receive the physical benefits of the pose, it can also support the mind to understand the mythology. I think some students may find it relatable and interesting to learn.

My Own Self-Reflections

I recognize myself in balance and imbalance. While I typically enjoy being more in balance. I realize it is necessary to sometimes stumble out of balance. Falling out of balance in moments of my life has helped me see what is truly important to me or what I need to let go of so I can realign with a new balance. This pose reminds me to ask myself question like, “Where in my life am I feeling out of balance and is there something that isn’t working well for me anymore? What am I learning from this experience and how can I explore something new with what I am learning?”

Inquiry is a helpful tool to check in with myself. I had a lot of big changes in my life in 2020 that caused me to question everything I thought I knew. I had spent 2 years and 2 months abroad as a backpacker. While I knew I wanted to come home to visit, I never imagined that I would stay in the US for as long as I have. When I caught dengue fever and learned about a serious tooth infection while I was abroad, I knew it was time to come home. My mother was sick and I wanted to spend some time with her before I moved back to Australia for another year. Once I returned to the US in March 2020, the borders closed within days later due to covid. My plan was to get my health taken care in the USA and to work as a hairdresser again for a few months while visiting my friends and family.

I kept my plans to move to Australia because I had no clue how long the pandemic would last. Once I saw my mom, I became very dysregulated due to how sick she was. I was completely shocked when I saw her in person. Later that year when she died, I knew I needed to stay until my little sister graduated high school. By that time, I was in so much physical and emotional pain, I had no interest in traveling abroad because I was too depleted. Everything I thought I knew about myself changed quickly. I felt extremely disoriented.

In one year, I had lost aspects of my health, my ability to travel and work, my mother, and my plans to move back to Australia. At certain points I surrendered and reached for support to get the help I needed. My ego felt as if it had been demolished and I took so much of what happened to me personally, as if it were my fault. Everything that happened was out of my control and the truth revealed itself to me. When I learned to grieve and hold my pain, love revealed itself to me. New opportunities showed up in different stages of my transformation cycle. My ego was challenged and rebuilt and challenged and rebuilt.

While this was the hardest season I lived through in my adult life, I have learned much from this season. None of what happened takes away from my core self or any of my other life experiences.  I had to get myself back into balance by leaning on others until I could walk again. I had to learn how to get up and move forward with life as it is. Half-moon can remind students about the waxing and waning cycles of life and transformation. There is another opportunity to learn what is in one’s power and what is not. Two limbs on the ground help us find our balance for stability and two limbs reaching towards the sky help us develop trust in the unknown and unseen. There are subtle choices within this posture and in life. What do I or others have the power to choose within life? And what do I or others have no control over within life?

By Jessica Frieze.

Jessica Frieze is a yoga teacher based out of Kansas City.

MLA Cited Sources:

Megan. “The Story of Ardha Chandrasana: Half Moon Pose and the God Ganesha.” Yogatrotter Academy, 4 Aug. 2022, www.yogatrotter.com/the-story-of-ardha-chandrasana-half-moon-pose-and-the-god-ganesha. 

Newlyn, Emma. “Ardha Chandrasana: Half Moon, Full Moon, True Self.” Yogamatters, Yogamatters, 15 Oct. 2018, www.yogamatters.com/blogs/movement/ardha-chandrasana-half-moon-pose. 

Yoga & You. “The Story Behind Ardha Chandrasana | Half Moon Pose & the Yogic Meaning of Balance.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrALiA8OB_Y&t=223s. Accessed 5 June 2026.