Bound Half Moon Pose anatomy

Bound Half Moon Pose · Baddha Ardha Chandrasana · Tư thế nửa vầng trăng khóa tay

Bound Half Moon Pose mainly works quadriceps, gluteus medius (right), gluteus maximus (left), hamstrings (left); it stretches hamstrings (right), infraspinatus, teres minor, pectoralis major (left); gluteus minimus (right), tibialis anterior (right), tibialis posterior (right) stabilize.

Opening the 3D model…

Stand on the right leg with the knee slightly soft; hinge from the hip until the torso is level with the floor or a little lower, the head coming down near the standing knee. Lift the left leg back to hip height or higher, knee straight and foot flexed. The right hand does not touch the floor: thread the right arm down the inside of the right thigh and around behind it; wrap the left arm behind the back and clasp the hands. Use the bind to draw the left shoulder back and open the chest to the side. The standing leg and the right gluteus medius hold the balance, and the back of the right thigh stretches with the deep hip bend; the left glutes and hamstrings lift the leg. Both shoulders rotate inward and extend back, so the front of the shoulder, the left side of the chest and the shoulder external rotators stretch. If the hands don't meet, use a strap; if you are unsteady, rest the right hand on a block and wrap only the left arm behind the back. In the 3D model the lower hand hooks behind the inner standing thigh and the upper hand rests on the back of the hip, so the hands do not clasp yet; this is also how the bind is built step by step with a strap.

Muscles in this pose

Working (contracting): Quadriceps, Gluteus medius (right), Gluteus maximus (left), Hamstrings (left), Subscapularis, Rhomboid major (left)

Stretching: Hamstrings (right), Infraspinatus, Teres minor, Pectoralis major (left), Deltoid (left), Biceps brachii (left)

Stabilizing: Gluteus minimus (right), Tibialis anterior (right), Tibialis posterior (right), Fibularis group (right), Obliques, Quadratus lumborum, Erector spinae, Transversus abdominis

Why these muscles work or stretch

• Quadriceps · Working (contracting): Keeps the standing leg steady, knee slightly soft
• Gluteus medius · Working (contracting): Holds the pelvis steady over the standing leg
• Gluteus maximus · Working (contracting): Extends the hip to lift the left leg back
• Hamstrings · Working (contracting): Help the gluteus maximus hold the leg high
• Subscapularis · Working (contracting): Turns the shoulder inward so the arm can wrap back and clasp the other hand
• Rhomboid major · Working (contracting): Draws the shoulder blade toward the spine to open the chest
• Hamstrings · Stretching: Lengthens as the standing hip flexes deeply
• Infraspinatus · Stretching: The shoulder external rotators lengthen as the shoulder turns inward
• Pectoralis major · Stretching: The chest on the side of the arm behind the back stretches as the shoulder extends
• Deltoid · Stretching: The front fibers stretch as the shoulder extends back
• Biceps brachii · Stretching: The long head stretches as the shoulder extends back
• Tibialis posterior · Stabilizing: Supports the arch of the standing foot
• Erector spinae · Stabilizing: Keeps the back long as the torso lowers

Practice cues

• Fix the gaze on a point on the floor; keep the standing knee soft, never locked
• Hinge deeply at the hip before threading the right arm around the standing thigh
• Reach long from the lifted heel to the crown and draw the left shoulder back

Benefits

• Trains balance and strengthens the standing leg and gluteus medius
• Stretches the back of the standing leg, the fronts of the shoulders and the chest
• Strengthens the glutes and hamstrings of the lifted leg

Cautions / contraindications

• Avoid with a shoulder or rotator cuff injury or a history of shoulder dislocation
• Take care with dizziness, low or uncontrolled high blood pressure, as the head is low; practice near a wall
• Avoid during pregnancy or with a hamstring or standing-ankle injury

Easier variations

• Hold a strap between the hands if they don't meet
• Rest the right hand on a block and wrap only the left arm behind the back; lean the back against a wall

General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.

Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 24/10/2026

Related poses

• Bird of Paradise Pose Svarga Dvijasana
• Bound Side Angle Pose Baddha Parsvakonasana
• Sugarcane Pose Ardha Chandra Chapasana
• Bound Triangle Pose Baddha Trikonasana
• Half Moon Pose Ardha Chandrasana
• Dancer Pose Natarajasana

A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)