Here is a 17-step way of practicing this salutation in its cyclical and mirroring nature.
Many poses will have you move, and then immediately reverse or mirror the movement (e.g., steps 3, 4, 7, and 15).
The Yogi Squat (step 10) is the full-moon focal point, with a large, sweeping circular flow that connects the sequence from start to finish.
Open Popup
This sequence is designed to be practiced with fluid movement and mindful breath. Follow the large circular flow arrows to complete the entire sequence.
- Step 1: (Start) Prayer Pose (Pranamasana). Begin by standing tall at the front or center of your mat. Bring your palms together at your heart center. Close your eyes, take a few deep, grounding breaths, and set a peaceful intention for your practice.
- Step 2: Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana). Inhale and, on your exhalation, reach your arms straight up towards the sky, keeping your shoulders relaxed and lengthening your spine.
- Step 3: Crescent Moon Pose (Stretch Left). Keep your arms raised. On an exhalation, lean your torso and arms to the left, creating a crescent-like curve and a long stretch along your right side. As indicated by the flow, immediately lean to your right for a mirroring stretch on that side.
- Step 4: Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana). Step your feet wide apart, turning your toes slightly outward. Exhale and sink your hips low into a deep, wide squat. Bend your elbows to create “cactus” arms at shoulder height. Maintain a long spine. After the first squat, follow the mirroring arrows: turn, squat facing the opposite direction, and continue the flow.
- Step 5: Star Pose (Utthita Hasta Padasana). From Goddess Pose, straighten your arms and legs, extending outward through your fingertips to create an expansive, powerful Star Pose.
- Step 6: Triangle Pose (Left) (Trikonasana). Turn your left toes to face forward. Inhale to reach forward with your left hand, then reach down towards your shin, a block, or the floor. Reach your right arm straight up, opening your chest to the side. Keep your chest and gaze uplifted.
- Step 7: Pyramid Pose (Left) (Parsvottanasana). Square your hips to face the front. Step your back foot in slightly. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and on your exhalation, fold forward over your straight left leg. Then, as the flow logic dictates, you will pivot and complete a mirrored Pyramid/Triangle combination later in the circular sequence (refer to steps 13 and 14).
- Step 8: Low Lunge (Left) (Anjaneyasana). Place your hands on the mat. Drop your right knee to the floor. Inhale, reaching your arms overhead and arching your back slightly to open your chest and hips. Now, follow the large circular flow arrows and move around the circle past the center.
- Step 9: Side Lunge (Left) (Skandasana). Place your hands on the floor. Pivot to face the side, keeping your left leg deeply bent and extending your right leg long to the side. Maintain an open chest. Continue to follow the large circular flow around.
- Step 10: Yogi Squat (Center) (Malasana). This pose is the focal point of the Chandra Namaskar flow, representing the peak, the Full Moon. From the side lunge, bring your feet closer and drop your hips low into a deep squat in the center. Press your elbows into your inner thighs, palms together at your heart. Take deep, expansive breaths, grounding and centering your energy. This is the heart from which the sequence will mirror and flow back.
- Step 11: Side Lunge (Right) (Skandasana). From Yogi Squat, straighten your legs and transition your weight over to your right leg, bending it deeply. Extend your left leg to the side. Maintain an open chest. Continue the large circular flow back.
- Step 12: Low Lunge (Right) (Anjaneyasana). Pivot to face the right. Drop your left knee to the floor. Inhale, reaching your arms overhead and opening your chest. Continue the large circular flow back.
- Step 13: Pyramid Pose (Right) (Parsvottanasana). Place your hands on the mat. Straighten both legs. On an exhalation, fold forward over your straight right leg. Now, as the arrows flow, you will move to complete the mirroring flow.
- Step 14: Triangle Pose (Right) (Trikonasana). From Pyramid Pose, keep your right hand down and reach your left arm straight up. Turn your torso to face the side, creating a mirror of the Triangle pose.
- Step 15: Star Pose (Utthita Hasta Padasana). From the mirrored Triangle Pose, straighten your arms and legs and return to an expansive Star Pose. Follow the flow back towards pose 4.
- Step 16: Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana). Repeat the wide-leg squat with cactus arms, mirroring the pose from earlier in the sequence. Follow the flow to the end.
Step 17: (Finish) Mountain Pose / Final Prayer (Tadasana / Pranamasana). From Goddess Pose, step your feet together. Bring your palms back together at your heart center, returning to a grounded, centered standing pose to complete your full Moon Salutation practice.
Part 1: Cool Moon Stretch / Chandra Namaskar
Most of us know the energetic Sun Salutation. Cool Moon Stretch is a calming, soothing stretch. While Sun Salutations heat you up and move you forward and back, Moon Salutations cool you down and move you fluidly across the entire length of your mat.
It is a moving meditation—a dance of receptivity, grounding, and calmness.
A Simple Analogy: Waxing and Waning. The visual cue of the large circular flow arrows on your guide represents this total cycle.
- PHASE 1: Waxing: We begin grounded in gently step our vessel “out,” unfolding into the large expansive poses like Star and Triangle. This phase builds outward, culminating in the deep “peak” focal point of the Yogi Squat (Full Moon).
- PHASE 2: Waning: From our peak in Yogi Squat, we begin “waning,” mirroring the entire sequence back towards the opposite side of the mat. We repeat the strong poses (Lunge, Pyramid) on the second side to create perfect equilibrium. The waning journey is about returning to center, ending where we began.
Part 2: Your Journey – Easy Booking Progression
To master this meditative flow, we have created a progression series. Students must first book Class 1 before proceeding to Class 2, ensuring they have the strength and safety required to truly “flow” in Class 3.
You cannot flow mindfully without foundational knowledge.
Booking Level 1: Position and Foundation
- Core Question: “How do I hold this pose safely?”
- The Focus: The architecture. This is a hold-by-hold breakdown. We move sequentially through all poses (from 1 to 10 and 10 to 17), learning the precise alignment, modifications, and unique shape of each “vessel.”
- Book this class to learn how to stand grounded, fold deeply, and lung safely.
Booking Level 2: Breath and Balance
- Core Question: “How do I combine movement with my breath?”
- The Focus: Integration. Students take Class 1 knowledge and begin coordinates their slow holds with a steady breath. We introduce slow transitions, testing equilibrium during grounding holds like Yogi Squat and Skandasana.
- Book this class to turn individual poses into integrated mind-body stability.
Booking Level 3: Sequence Flow
- Core Question: “How do I find a meditative rhythm?”
- The Focus: Fluidity. We unite Position (L1) and Balance (L2) into a continuous, moving meditation. This is a smooth journey through the 17 steps, completing multiple “Moon Cycles” (Waxing and Waning back to start). Instructions are minimal, allowing the breath to become the guiding ritual.
JOIN THE FREE COURSE & START HEALING NOW
Moving from Pain to Peace: A Path for the Lost Soul
Life often leaves us feeling fragmented. Perhaps you are carrying the weight of chronic body pain that won't subside, or the suffocating fog of anxiety and depression. Maybe your mind feels lost, disconnected from a body that feels like a stranger. We see the struggles that happen behind closed doors: the exhaustion of family conflict, the strain of rocky relationships, and the worry over our children’s behavior and future. We try to fix it with food or distractions, but the void remains.
You are not alone in this heaviness. But you do not have to stay there.
True healing begins when we stop fighting the world and start breathing into ourselves. Whether it is through the rhythm of Deep Meditation, the release of Stretching and Yoga, the clarity of Lifestyle Coaching, or the grounding silence of a Hiking Retreat, there is a way back to your center. We help you bridge the gap between a tired mind and a pained body, restoring the balance you thought was gone forever.
🧘 Safe & Conscious Guide to Mastery, Vitality, and Environmental Harmony
Meditation is a powerful evolutionary tool, but without the correct "container," it can lead to hardship, mental trauma, or negative energetic charging. By following Awake 4 Steps, you ensure your practice leads to liberation rather than distress.
Experience the Journey for Yourself
The path to healing is open. Take the first step toward reclaiming your life, your health, and your joy.
BOOK YOUR FREE CLASS: Break the cycle of stress. Join us in person or online via our Book Now.
- 👉 Fitness Hours 8 AM to 8 PM, Appointments only. 📞 Call/ Text: (214) 494-1642
Why Sponsor?
Whether you are a young student looking for focus, an adult managing stress, or a senior seeking mobility, your sponsorship ensures that nobody is turned away due to lack of funds. You are helping us provide the targeted stretch, cleansing, and meditation that heals the body and awakens the soul. Become a Sponsor Today