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Following the Moon
Today is a new moon. It is time to set intentions and turn inward for guidance. Refresh your altar. What stirs within you? Look for newness and opportunity. In the past three years, I have learned about the illumination cycles of our Moon. At first, I thought following the Moon was perhaps too fringe for my practical mind. I kept listening, observing, wondering and began to understand and appreciate the Moon’s influence. Today I know it’s not a turning away from the Sun, its boldness or rush forward-ness. Rather, following the Moon is better understood as a path of integrating these two dynamic energies within us.
What does following the Moon have to do with Yoga?
Yoga practice is unique from other wellness systems. In Yoga, instead of adding layers of involvement or creeds of knowledge, true depth in practice leads to an un-doing, a dismantling, an unveiling. As the practice grows, this experience of shedding or detachment opens its practitioners to the intelligence of the natural world. Some aspirants of Yoga are drawn to additional practices such as vegetarianism, ayurveda, devotional chanting, charting the zodiac or following the moon to deepen or sustain their awareness. Some branches of Yoga have specific practices for attuning to Lunar wisdom, like the Moon centers of Kundalini Yoga or the Moon Salutation (Chandra Namaskar) in Hatha Yoga.
Want to learn more about the Moon?
A good moon 101 is all about relationships and rotation. Don’t try too hard to fact find and conquer your curiosity. The more you learn about our Moon, the more questions you will have. Reflection is her domain after all. Some basics: The Moon rotates the Earth every 28 days. The Earth takes a year to orbit the Sun. The Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun but a whole lot closer to the Earth. If the Moon did not orbit the Earth, our planet would be unstable. Without our Moon, the Earth would shift wacky and tilt dangerously causing us to spin…
