ARDHA-CHANDRASANA with PADA-HASTHASANA
In Sanskrit, it means Half Moon Pose with Hands to Feet Pose.
When is it done? It's done second, right after Pranayama breathing. Half Moon Pose and Hands to Feet Pose are the first two of Bikram's 26 postures in his Beginning Yoga Class. The spine is bent from side to side and backwards in Half Moon, and then bent forward in Pada-Hasthasana. Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class was designed so that each posture prepares you for the next. At this stage Pranayama has fueled the body for class, and this next grouping of postures continues to bring the body out of cold storage and stimulate the nervous system.
What is it good for? Ardha-Chandrasana (includes a backward bend) 
HalfMoon Pose
- Begins to open up the whole skeletal system, especially the spine, neck, ribs and scapulae.
- One side of the body is under compression, which temporarily stops blood flow to the area. Simultaneously, the other side of the body is extending, which provides stretching and traction helping to increase blood flow to the area.
- Increases circulation to the spine as well as surrounding nerves, muscles, joints, organs, and connective tissue.
- Energizes and heats up body.
- Trims stomach, buttocks, hips, thighs.
- Backward bending especially helps to open up the chest to create more room for the lungs and heart.
- Backward bending is a very important ingredient in healing back pain and restoring functional balance to spine - if you don't use it, you lose it!
-Compression of upper body to lower body ensures safe stretching of hamstrings and spine, thus providing a 360 degree stretch.
-Helps to lengthen the spine, stretch the hamstrings, and increase blood flow to the brain.
-Strengthens the upper body and back.
-Forward bending stimulates the pituitary gland also known as "the master gland" that governs the rest of the endocrine system, therefore helping to balance the body's biochemistry.
-Increases synovial fluid to the joints of the spine, hips, knees and ankles.
(quoted from Bikram's new book - Bikram Yoga: The Guru Behind Hot Yoga Shows the Way to Radiant Health and Personal Fulfillment):
"The first problem beginners experience in Half Moon's side bends is simultaneously keeping the elbows locked and the chin up. The deltoids, scapula and neck may have never worked this way before. Plus in the beginning, it may hurt, so beginners are often afraid to do it. Contrary to popular belief, pain often means that you are doing something right. Be grateful and patient. Stretch to the point you feel pain, the threshold, and learn from it. Each day that threshold should recede and you'll have to go farther and farther to reach it."
"In the back-bending part, the problem is fear. Most times, when you reach what seems to be as far as you can go, you can actually go farther, as long as you maintain proper form. It's just your fear that makes you rigid and unable to bend more deeply, especially as a beginner. If that happens, focus your attention on the base of your neck and tell those muscles to relax. Let go. If you can do that, your head will float back farther than you thought possible. Look back at the wall behind you; this will also help you to bend more deeply in that direction."
