Salute to the moon with Simon Borg-Olivier

The ‘Salute-to-the-moon Sequence’ (Candra namaskara vinyâsa) is a very effective exercise to build arm strength while mobilising the spine and releasing your psoas muscle.

*** Instructions and notes on how to execute the ‘Salute-to-the-moon Sequence’ (Candra namaskara vinyâsa):

• Stand in the ‘Mountain posture’ which is also known as the ‘Standing erect posture’ (Tadâsana)

• Bring the back of hands together.

• Take the sitting bones down and forward, bring the arms forward and up. Raise the chin, straight spine, breathe into the abdomen.

• Bring down the arms, bend the knees slightly and then bend forward from the navel and bring the fingers next to the heels. Bring the head down last and gaze at the navel.

• Bring the sitting bones down, lift the ribs up. Lift the left leg into the air and back to the floor in a lunge position. Push the sitting bones and navel forward, ribs up, un-hunch the shoulders. Bring the head down, push the sitting bones and navel forward.

• Push the hips forward and look forward or optionally stand. Lengthen the back of the body. Optionally, take up the arms. Breathe into the abdomen.

• Bring down the arms, bend forward from the navel and step back to the kneeling plank. Stay in the kneeling plank or lower to the kneeling push-up. You can do more if you wish. Have, if you can, the chin to the throat, shoulders and elbows the same height as the hips.

• Come to the simple cobra or stay in the kneeling plank. Pull with the arms and push with the hips, lift and lengthen.

• Come back to the kneeling plank, gaze at the navel and lengthen the back of the body.

• Tail down, knees up, come back to the downward facing dog. Then push the sitting bones toward the hand.

• Take the legs to the hands in silence – big toes touching, heels apart, fingers next to the heels, lift the ribs, and lift the chin. Then bend from the navel, ribs, chest, shoulders, and then head.

• Push the sitting bones down, lift the ribs up and take the right leg up and back into a lunge position. Push the hips and navel forward, ribs up, chin up, and breathe into the abdomen.

• Bring the head down and bring the hips forward, relax. Push the hips forward, look forward or optionally stand and lengthen the back of the body. Optionally raise the arms without shortening the back of the body.

• Bring down the arms and bend forward from the navel without letting the sitting bones move back. Come to a kneeling push-up. You can do less if you wish, like a kneeling plank. Or you can do more like a full plank or push-up.

• Come to the simple cobra. You can do more if you wish like an upward-facing dog or less if you prefer like a kneeling plank.

• Come back to the kneeling plank, more if you wish, less if you prefer. Gaze at the navel. Lengthen the back.

• Take the tail down, knees up, and come back to the downward facing dog and gaze at your navel.

• Take the legs to the hands in silence; big toe touching, heels apart, fingers next to the heels. Push the sitting bones down, ribs up, chin up. Bend forward from the navel and bring the head and shoulders towards the knees.

• Push the sitting bones to the toes and stand. Lengthen the lower back, middle back and upper back. Lengthen the spine. Raise the chin, breathe into the abdomen.

* The clicking sound I make is your signal that now I am changing posture and you can optionally follow me subject to feeling comfortable.

Thanks to @ChrisJohns for his filming of this session.