By Andrea Creel, MSW, LMSW, E-RYT-200, YACEP
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The first full moon of 2020 occurs today, January 10, 2020 at 2:21 p.m. EST. Along with the full moon will be a penumbral lunar eclipse . Both the full moon and the lunar eclipse create powerful energy within us and on our planet.
According to Glennie Kindred, the full moon is “a time for celebration and outward expression….brings change, revelation, emotional peaks, heightened energy, sleepless nights….the moon’s cycle also influences the watery nature of our own unconsiousness, our emotions, our moods, feelings, and perceptions.” The full moon is often associated with manifestation of intentions or seeds that were planted at the beginning of a lunar cycle (during the new/dark moon). The last new moon of 2019 was from December 26-29, 2019, right around the time when people were likely setting their New Year’s intentions and resolutions. So this full moon is the first opportunity for these intentions to really gain steam in our lives and begin to manifest (don’t worry, things can take more than one lunar or seasonal cycle to fully manifest in our lives!).
Astrologystyle.com explains that lunar and solar eclipses are often a time of sudden change, “They provide the cosmic kick in the pants to push us off the fence and into action…Eclipses can also help break patterns and shift dynamics.”
In yogic mythology, as told by Alanna Kaivalya, the cycles of the moon were created by the Elephant-headed God, Ganesh after an embarrassing incident where Ganesh falls and the moon, Chandra, laughs at the sight of Ganesh’s misfortune. In retaliation for feeling ashamed and mocked, Ganesh curses the moon and hurls his tusk at it which causes the light of the moon to go out. After being persuaded by a group of Gods who miss the beneficial qualities of the moon, Ganesh compromises by allowing the moon to shine again, but requiring it to go through phases, including one where it is completely dark for 3 days.
So clearly we are working with powerful energy here on both mythic, planetary, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels! Here are some simple yogic rituals that you can use to harness this energy and connect more deeply with these lunar qualities inside of you:
Mantra - the word “mantra” translates to mean “mind protecting” because when we repeat a mantra over and over again, our mind is occupied with the words and sounds so it is more difficult to get distracted by those thoughts and stories that cause us anxiety and suffering. A quintessential mantra for the full moon is: Om Chandraya Namaha which loosly translates to mean “I bow to/honor the universal vibration of connection and the power of the moon.” The word Chandra means “moon” and is the name of the Moon God in yogic/Hindu mythology. When we chant this mantra, we are connecting to that lunar energy and harnessing it through the power of vibration and sound. You can chant this mantra silently or out-loud 108 times. The more you repeat it, the more powerful it becomes, and the more you feel the power of the mantra resonate inside of you both literally and metaphorically.
Lunar Nostril Breaathing (Chandra Bhedana Pranayama) - lunar nostril breathing helps to balance the energy channels in the body and align your body and breath with calming, lunar qualities. To practice this breath, bring your right hand up to your nose, rest your pinky finger against your left nostril, your thumb against your right nostril and your 3 middle fingers in between the eyebrows at the 3rd eye point. Close off the right nostril with the thumb, and inhale just through the left nostril; then close the left nostril with the pinky, open the right nostril and exhale just through the right. Continue inhaling left and exhaling right. As a challenge, you can also try this without using your fingers to assist you in switching nostrils, just use the power of concentration and your mind - you will be surprised what you can achieve when the mind is focused! Continue this practice for 1-5 minutes to experience the calming effects of the lunar nostril breath.
Yoga Poses - there are many powerful yoga poses and sequences that can be done to align your body with the energy of the full moon and lunar eclipse. The most obvious one is ardha-chandrasana or “half-moon pose”. Check out this article from Yoga Journal for step-by-step instructions on how to do the pose. My favorite sequence of poses to honor the full moon is the moon-salutation sequence created by/described by Laura Cornell in her book, Moon Salutations and in her free e-book: The Heart of Moon Yoga
Mudras - mudras are hand and finger positions that help to evoke specific qualities and energy within us. The mudra for connecting to lunar energy is Ida Mudra which is described here by Joseph LePage along with a guided audio meditation. For a full description of over 100 mudras and guided meditations, you can purchase the book, Mudras for Healing and Transformation (one of my favorite yoga books of all time!).
Wishing you a day and night filled with powerful full moon and lunar eclipse energy! May you experience a manifestation of the seeds you planted at the begnning of this lunar cycle and may you be supported in any sudden life changes that may unfurl.
~Om Shanti,
Andrea