Guest Author - Nancy Welker
Thursday, October 7, 2010 brings us all a New Moon in the sign of Libra. This is a time of new beginnings, and since Libra is related to harmony, we may take another look at how our lives might be out of balance and the ways that we can restore it.
Yogic teachings tells us that our spiritual side needs to be nurtured and fed if you will, by what we think and do, just as much as our physical bodies need food and water . Today the planets line up for us to take time to deepen our Yoga practice, and form a closer bond to our inner selves.
Yoga and Astrology
New Moon and Full Moon have special significance in Yoga. With it's base meaning being "unity", Yoga is associated with things on both the physical and spiritual planes, including the Earth, other planets, and the entire Universe.
The belief is that people are affected by the Lunar cycle, and that the moon's association with water plays a big role in how this happens as we human beings are comprised of about 70% water ourselves. The phases of the moon are determined by its relative position to the sun. Full moons occur when the two are in opposition, and new moons occur when they are in conjunction.
From a purely scientific standpoint, both the sun and the moon exert a gravitational pull on the Earth. Their relative positions create different energy experiences that can be compared to our manner of breathing.
Full moon corresponds to the very end of an inhalation, when the force of prana is at its greatest. This is an expansive, upward moving force that makes us feel especially alive and prone to strong emotion, but not stable and secure. The Upanishads* state that the main prana lives in the head of the body. Therefore during a Full Moon we can have a tendency to argumentative and "headstrong".
New Moon energy is quite the opposite, corresponding to the end of exhalation, when the force of apana is at its greatest. Apana is a contracting, downward moving force that makes us feel calm, centered and very stable. It is however a heavy and physically weakening force, that makes us disinclined towards activity.
To further support these ideas, the Farmers' Almanac recommends planting seeds at the New Moon, when the rooting (stabling) force is at its strongest, and transplanting or harvesting at the Full Moon when the flowering (life) force is at its strongest. This is how we can best use these same energies to make beneficial changes in our lives as well.
Yoga Practices For Lunar Cycles
This particular New Moon will bring an electrifying changes for many of us. A kind of reinvention process begins, and there can be psychic flashes that sparks a dream we forgot we had, or a surprising stroke of luck that points us in a new direction entirely. Because of the Libra influence during this New Moon, it's best to stay connected with how we relate to others, be aware of our feelings, and keep tabs on how much emotional baggage may be affecting our current relationships.
Yoga Sequence For New Moon
Prayer Pose (Namaste)
Mountain
Five Pointed Star
Goddess
Mountain
Prayer Pose (Namaste)
Take advantage of this harmony-charged Libra New Moon by reflecting on where you are in life, what is happening around you, and focusing on the positive changes you want to make. Reinforce what you believe in most, and pay attention to how you get along with others. This is the time to plant the seeds in your mind that can grow into all kinds of wonderful things - so dream big, and keep the hope alive in your heart!
*Upishads are Hindu scriptures. The oldest of them date back to the Vedic and Mauryah periods.
