Connecting Your Yoga Apply to the Cycles of the Moon

In our yoga practice we learn to take care of our physical, emotional and energetic bodies – we connect with our breath, the sensations and the energy that we feel that day. But often we're so conditioned that we push past the inner voice telling us to take it easy or slow it down, or at the other end of the spectrum we hear it all too often and feel insecure when our bodies just say, "No. "Says" Or when our ego keeps us "safe" instead of allowing us to break through blockages. The problem is that with so much external stimulation from technology and society as a whole, we have lost our connection with nature and the cycles of crops and crops Sowing, growing and losing, doing and being and so on How Should we know when it is time to assert ourselves and when it is time to honor, soften, and nurture the need?

Well, we can listen to the wisdom and honor the guidance of the moon …

Below are some guides to help you connect your practice to the cycles of the moon. Remember, however, that the most important guidance from all comes from within.

New moon yoga

The new moon creates a blank page on which to write our story. With the darkest sky we are served a reminder of the emptiness of new beginnings; that we have the opportunity to plant seeds so that when the moon is at its peak, we will see which we can harvest. In our yoga practice, this is a time to breathe a little deeper into the body, to tune into a space of introspection through Yin Yoga and to pay attention to these open spaces in your life. Ask yourself as you sit with the silence and the void “What do I want to draw?”.

At this moment, it is helpful to look up what sign the new moon falls in and use the wisdom of astrology and mondology as a guide to the area of ​​your life that you want to focus on. (You can easily google this each month or follow me at @laurenbradyoga as I usually write about the new and full moons and host online and in-person meetings for those who want to dive a little deeper.)

Think of your dream as a plant. This is the time when you put the seed in the ground, care for it, and wait for it to grow.

Increasing Moon

As the moon begins to grow we get a boost of fresh energy and you may notice that your mood begins to lift too. It is time to pick up the pace of your physical exercise through flowing vinyasa. Use your energy wisely and enjoy the power that the practice ignites. On the mat, practice some exercises that will take you one step closer to the posture you were working back and forth on, focus on the details of your dream and start taking steps to get there.

This is the time your seed will begin to sprout.

First quarter

Your energy is still on an upward trend and now it's time to get the most out of this strength and endurance surge. Take a Power Yoga or Rocket class and follow the process of looking for challenges and seeing where you can prevail. The past week has been about preparing for that moment, and hopefully the exercises you have been practicing should give you a little more strength.

This is the time to take action – apply for this job, connect with that connection, put yourself in the world and there Send roots into the ground.

Wax gibbous

On the way to the completion of the moon, we too are geared towards fulfilling all of the tasks we set on the new moon. Many people blame the full moon for keeping them awake and making them feel a little Locomotive But it is actually the growing moon that is keeping us awake and giving us the extra time to work towards our dreams. Despite the moon's good intentions, the lack of sleep and increased energy can make us feel hectic at this point. This is a time to practice grounding through hatha and yin yoga.

If you are already on your way to achieving your goals, now is the time to edit and refine them. Maintain what is already coming into play and be patient with whatever is not quite there. The flower is preparing to bloom.

Full moon

The moment has come. The moon is full and so are we. We have reached the peak of our energy cycle and it is time to be present and enjoy this moment. Celebrate the measures you took to get you to this point and rejoice in the outcome and gratitude for everyone and everything that got you here. Move intuitively in your physical practice while flowing to the rhythm of nature knowing that you are supported in every moment.

The flower has bloomed and shares its sweet nectar with those who visit.

Waning gibbous

A few days after the moon is at its fullest, it begins to fade. Here we are asked to release everything that has not happened in this cycle as we will continue to be grateful and reap the rewards for what has done. This is our opportunity to be of service, care for others, and send our energies outward. Practice Heart Openers through Air Mandala and Yin Yoga; Back flexions, including assisted fish (a personal favorite and one we all need more of) and subscapularis release with a yoga block – this pose opens up the lung meridians and gives us more ease when we let long pass and exhale.

The petals start to fall off the flower, but the flower knows that there will be a time to bloom again.

Last quarter

The sky becomes even darker as the moon wanes and our energy goes with it. This is a time when you need to turn your awareness inward to focus on where you may need to readjust your plans, what and whom you may need to forgive, and how to move on to the next cycle. Practice relaxing yoga like Hatha or Restorative Yoga or just sit on your mat and use this time for meditation.

The petals begin to decompose and offer themselves to the soil to nourish that which gave.

Waning moon

It is time for us to surrender. Our energy will be at its lowest now and it is important that we honor this. Rest, restore and recharge. Practice gentle grounding yin or prepare for other spiritual work with crystals, breath work and palo santo to purify yourself of any residual energy from the last cycle. Once again, let go of everything that didn't happen in the last cycle as you open yourself to the void. Our intuition is strongest in this room. What do you need to draw at the next new moon?

Let what you let go of as compost for the next harvest.

Lauren is a Vinyasa, Mandala, and Yin Yoga teacher who offers online and in-person courses, events, and retreats in Barcelona and beyond. She has a special fondness for astrology and the lunar cycles and is a lover of nature. All of this feeds into her teaching style and gives it depth.

Follow Lauren on Instagram.