Whatever phase of life you are in, Yoga and the Moon is a simple way to help you understand, honour and enjoy the magical gifts of womanhood.
Unless you have been too busy to notice, the rise of the divine feminine is expanding and more and more women are feeling the call to attune to the moon and her energies. Embarking upon a personal enquiry into the cyclical nature of womanhood by aligning our routines to the seasons and lunar rhythms is all much clearer when we get on our yoga mats and into our bodies.
I have put some juicy tips here for you to begin your own exploration with La Luna...
Tip #1 - Rest is Mandatory on a New Moon!
A New Moon marks the beginning of the lunar cycle as she disappears in to the darkest night sky. It is a time for rest, renewal and planting seeds for the next creative cycle. Some yogis refrain from practising at all, personally I prefer to be gentle with myself, moving slowly, noticing what I need, maybe stopping to journal, meditating and allowing myself to daydream. Whatever you do, it is definitely not a time to be whizzing around at full speed, so allow yourself to slow down, breath and move with ease.
Tip #2 - Get Yourself a Moon Diary
You may or may not know that the Moon travels through the whole zodiac every lunar month and that we once followed a lunar calendar. There are actually 13 moon cycles rather than the 12 months that we now follow on the solar calendar and with the introduction of artificial light we have more or less lost our natural synchrony with the moonlight. A lunar cycle is approximately 28 days and there are 9 phases she goes through, from the Dark Moon before the New Moon, waxing into the Full Moon and waning to the New Moon again. Each phase has its own energy and significance, for instance the Third Quarter Moon is a time to allow to what didn't work to fall away so you can move forwards unencumbered. I use Yasmin Boland's Moonology Diary and Sonella & Co's planner but if you can't get your hands on a physical diary with the moon phases in, there are quite a selection of apps and moon calendars online so you can start to journal or chart your own cycles alongside.
“Don’t worry if you’re making waves simply by being yourself. The moon does it all the time.” - Scott Stabile
Tip #3 - Start Where You Are
Our body is where the sky and the earth mix, it is our guide and our teacher, but you don't need to be a bendy yogi or a guru to get down on your mat and start to notice yourself and how you are feeling. No fancy yoga pants or expensive mats are required, just whatever you have to hand, a towel, a blanket or just simply putting your bare feet on the earth is a good place to start if that's all you have. The moon, in all its cycles, reminds us that transformation is constant just as we are, so start where you are, no judgements, no expectations just an intention to feel better and to get to know who you really are.
Let's explore the moon on our mats together
I hope this has peaked your curiosity enough to want to discover more about the moon phases and how you can get to know yourself better and find connection with others through the magic of the moon. My new Yoga and the Moon Workshops, start this week on Friday 29th April 7-9pm at Patch Places in Chelmsford, Essex. Click the link below to book your space and start your journey.