Category: Standing
Level: beginner
Hold: 3–5 breaths
Type: Asana
Breath: Inhale to lengthen tall, exhale to bend sideways.

Standing Side Bend

Indudalasana — "crescent moon posture"

Also known as: Standing Crescent Moon

Reach both arms overhead and lean to one side in a long crescent. A quick, honest stretch for the side waist that fits anywhere in a practice — or a workday.

Step by step

1Stand in Mountain Pose with your feet together or hip-width apart.
2Inhale and reach both arms overhead, clasping your left wrist with your right hand.
3Ground through both feet, especially the outer edge of the left foot.
4Exhale and lean your torso to the right in one long arc.
5Keep both shoulders relaxed and your chest facing forward — no twisting.
6Breathe into the left ribs, inhale back to center, and change sides.

Benefits

✓ Stretches the side body from hip to fingertips
✓ Improves lateral mobility of the spine
✓ Opens the breath into the stretched ribs
✓ Counteracts long periods of sitting upright

Make it yours

· Rest one hand on the hip and reach only the top arm over.
· Practice with your back against a wall to keep the bend purely sideways.
· Sit on a chair and side-bend from there for a supported version.

Take care

Keep the arms at shoulder height or lower if you have a shoulder injury.
Keep the bend small if you have lower-back discomfort.

This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.

Practiced in

Props that help here

Manduka PRO — The buy-it-once option — dense, stable, famously durable. Heavy, so it lives at home, which is where practice happens anyway. find one
Liforme Original — The grippiest mat we've used, with alignment markers that genuinely help beginners place hands and feet. Priciest of the three. find one

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