My teacher, Eugenia Basilewsky, taught me the importance of practicing Chandranamaskara every day. A Sanskrit word, it means to revere the light of the Sun through its reflector, the Moon. It is known as The Moon Salutation in English, but I like to call it The Moon Reverence Series, or In Sync with the Moon.

This image of Eugenia (above) is a beautiful example of Step 5. The entire series (as image links) can be viewed in sequence in the far right column. Links are also provided to each page below.

Moon phases were once a very important aspect of life for everyone on the planet. To get the greatest benefit from this Moon Salutation series, it is easy to just visualize the changes and energy of Moon phases while you move your body from one position into another while concentrating on your breath and your flowing movements.

If you don't know anything about Moon phases, you can learn about them on this site a little later in this Series. There is quite a bit of information provided that I have researched for countless years. There are almost 1.5 million sites about moon phases! It can be fun to search on your own and click the sites that seem most interesting to you, but you can save time by looking at the sites already reviewed in Part 3 of the section on Moon Phases.

Most Yoga teachers and Yoga books concentrate on The Sun Salutation (aka The Tiger Series; Suryanamaskara in Sanskrit). The Sun brings vitality to the mind and body in a very active way and the Sun Salutation series is a great way to start the day. It's a good idea to learn both of these salutations. It helps you to remember the power of the Sun and Moon and what they do to improve your life down here on earth.

The Moon Salutation revitalizes the body in a more relaxed and soothing way, so is more appropriate at night. Concentrate on your breath, your movements and the Moon. A few words about it before we move to the page of instructions for Steps 1 and 2.

 

Focus

When I use the words inhalation and exhalation, I refer to the Yoga method of breathing—consciously with intention. You can learn how to breathe properly by listening to the sound of The Complete Yoga Breath! (This link is also provided on every page of this site in the top right column. There is also a detailed instruction in the category of Breath, which is an extensive series on breathing techniques that are used together with Yoga postures and for self-healing.)

Details of Your Focus

• With each inhalation, you will feel that your body is being filled from the coccyx (tailbone) up into the ribcage and into both lungs—with crystal-like energy. In Sanskrit, the word for energy or life force, is Prana.
• Holding your breath is only dominated by how long it feels good, and the capacity of your lungs will determine this. Don't push it. That is not relaxing. If you have serious heart or respiratory problems, or asthma, do not hold your breath. Just continue to breathe deeply.
• For everyone else, while you hold your breath, keep your body as still as possible in the position it is able to hold, comfortably. Pain does not mean gain in Yoga. Yoga is about moderation and loving your body. Don't overdo it.
• Exhalations should be short.
• Holding of one's breath after exhalation is also short.
• Concentrate on the spot just above and between your eyebrows, aka The Third Eye or the 6th Chakra—Ajna—which is ruled astrologically by the planet Mercury.
• Once you succeed in focusing on this spot, visualize that there is a radiant and cool full Moon with an indigo background, and that its rays of light and soothing energy stream through your entire body from this the spot between your eyebrows, down to your tailbone.
The tailbone (coccyx) is also known as the 1st or Root Chakra—Muladhara—which is ruled astrologically by the planet Saturn. (There is also a comprehensive Chakra Series on this site.)


 

Benefits of the Moon Salutation

• The movements you do in with this will widen and loosen up all of the spaces around your pelvis, hips, knees and ankles, which then allows the life force to enter into them to heal, stretch, strengthen and relax. This helps to open the Root Chakra.
• A healing energy is felt from the blood circulating throughout the body.
• The possibility to eventually sit in the Lotus position can be realized.
• The solar plexus and sexual organs get an inner massage, which helps to open the 2nd and 3rd Chakras.
• The blood is cleansed of toxins and enriched with oxygen.
• The body and mind are relaxed.
• Not a drop of energy is wasted ... just the opposite: there is a feeling of strength that fills the entire body.

And now to each of the steps...