Home » moon salutations

Tag: moon salutations

You are meant to be here

September full Moon is known, this year as Harvest Moon, 

If you have been following my blog post you know I like to explain what each full moon energy is about and before that I share with you information about the names of the moons each month.

Unlike other full Moon names, which are specific to their respective months, the Harvest Moon depends on an astronomical event: the autumnal equinox, this is the first day of autumn in the NorthAmerican countries and it will be the spring equinox in the SouthAmerican countries.

Historically, Native Americans gave a name to each month’s full Moon, naming it concerning a natural event or sign of the season. This aided them in tracking the progression of the year

The full Moon that happens nearest to the equinox (September 22 or 23) takes on the name “Harvest Moon,” rather than its traditional name, which means that a Harvest Moon may occur in either September or October.

This month’s full moon rises on the night of Friday, September 13, and reaches peak fullness at 12:33 a.m. EDT on the 14th.

As if this Harvest Moon wasn’t interesting enough already, September’s Full Moon will also be a “micro moon.”

A micro moon is exactly the opposite of the supermoon: a full moon that occurs when the Moon is at the farthest point in its orbit around Earth (the point of apogee). In other words, the Moon is about as far from Earth as it can get, causing it to appear about 7% smaller and 15% dimmer than usual.

Would you like to know more about the full moon meaning and its energy??

Here it goes:

The Sun opposite Moon brings your home, family and intimate relationships into sharper focus for the following two weeks of this moon phase. Opposing forces such as work versus home, or what you need versus what you want, create inner tension and external pressures. This can lead to conflict and crises that drain your energy.

The lunar qualities of emotions and instincts reach their peak at a full moon. So use your increased emotional strength and intuition to overcome any relationship challenges. Subconscious awareness allows for an impartial and balanced look at your relationships. You will see any relationship dynamics or negative feelings causing disharmony.

During the full moon, is the perfect time to release and let go what no longer serving you, what is not letting you grow.

I know.. it is a little bit of magical thought here, with fairies and unicorns. I choose to believe in it because it helps me; if I can analyze and realize what am I doing wrong I can implement positives changes, I can feel better, I can improve and evolve.

But that is the way I see it

Whether you’ve got old emotions flowing up to be released or you feel a little scattered. Remember that all things happen for a reason and in perfect timing.

September’s full moon offers healing energy to help us cleanse away anger and allow acceptance and forgiveness to set in.

See your life from a bigger perspective and understand these “traumas” needed to happen to help you spiritually grow. 

To release and let go, you have to start with the simple things, changes won’t happen overnight but if you work on the changes you want for you they will happen.

A way I like to do it is by practicing the moon salutation and focusing on what I want to let go while I am doing the practice. During these days I usually take time to perform a release ritual, like writing down what it is aI need to let go and release it helps me to be specific and take actions.

I am leaving here a link so you can have access to a free tutorial on how to perform the moon salutations and the release ritual guided form on pdf.

All for free 😊

YOU are meant to be here.

Embrace your path; anything in a state of decay in your life can be reborn. You can get to the cause of any bad habit or addiction. You can deeply probe under the surface to solve mysteries or investigate crimes and secrets. Your intuition is very strong and can guide on your journey in this world.

If you re-interest in letting go fears, insecurities and you would like to discover what are you capable of , I am hosting an Acroyoga & Rock Climbing Retreat in Cayman Brac.

We are going to spend 3 days and 3 night in paradise, focusing on your transformation by getting out of your comfort zone and exposing yourself to be brave, to be courageous, to trust and to find out you are capable of so much more.

I am leaving a LINK here with specific information about the Acroyoga & Climb Retreat with the early bird price discount!

“You must go on adventures, to find out where you truly belong”

-Sue Fitzmaurice-

Share the Love

Today, February 14th or yesterday, (because I don’t know when you are reading this), is known as the famous “Valentine’s Day”, the lover’s day o maybe the friendship’s day.

It’s the day when people show their affection for another person or people by sending cards, gifts, flowers or chocolates with messages of love.

But..

Do you know how did it started?

I didn’t, so I did some research and it comes to be the day gets its name from a famous saint:

“Saint Valentine”

There are several stories of who he was.

Here I will share one with you

“The popular belief about St Valentine is that he was a priest from Rome in the third century AD.

The Emperor at the time; Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were bad soldiers.

Valentine felt this was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret. 
When Claudius found out, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.
There, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and when he was taken to be killed on 14 February he sent her a love letter signed “from your Valentine”.

BBC
The oldest known Valentine’s message written in English; dated in 1477

“While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

It’s thought that as part of the celebrations, boys drew names of girls from a box. They’d be boyfriend and girlfriend during the festival and sometimes they’d get married

Gradually, St Valentine’s name started to be used by people to express their feelings to those they loved.

History.com

Pretty cool information, right?

But I know, there is lots of times when this can be use as a commercial day for the bussines, and… I get it, it can be socially hard if you are single in these days but that is the beauty of the modern world, you don’t have to have a couple to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Myself, I am not a person who ever consider this day as a day to celebrate.

But you know what?

I think if you can use the excuse of this day to help someone else to feel better, it is absolutely worth it.

And you can share the love in so many different way. It docent have to be only to a boyfriend or girlfriend, or love-partner or a date.

Investing in self- love and self-growing is so important:

  • A massage
  • A good book
  • A good dinner
  • A good wine
  • Time with friends
  • That training or course you always wanted to do

And these are only options but let’s not forget there are others who might not have the same luck as us.

So, why not investing your time in volunteers activities? This is such a great way to share the love.

Since 2018 part of my giving back to community in Cayman Islands is sharing the love of teaching yoga to everyone and to anyone.

I have been organising and sharing the yoga love with classes by donation, all going to a non-profit organisation called:

Cayman’s Act of Random Kindness, 

This organisation endeavours to be a friend to people in unique circumstances of crisis; to demonstrate kindness through loving act’s of service. ARK is a friend to strangers and approaches humanity with great love and compassion -without judgment. ‘Paying it forward’ results in the nurturing and inspiration of the human spirit, changing lives one life at a time. As a chain reaction the ripple of kindness is unending

I chose the full moon for these classes, as a way of bringing the community closer to each other so I can share my knowledge about Chandra Namaskar most commonly known as Moon Salutation.And hopefully be able to provide some new information to the ones who approach these practice with good intentions.

Also have been inviting another wonderful instructor Maree, to join me in the teaching. She is the one in charge of the introspective and meditative part of the class.

February 2019 won’t be the exception and its full moon is commonly known as the Full Snow Moon in Native American cultures.

These ancient tribes named this moon after the way trees cracked in the cold, or how people had to sit shoulder to shoulder around the fire for warmth. Even the Celts called it the Moon of Ice.

But for the one who lives in Cayman Islands this is not something we have to worry about. We have the privilege to enjoy the sun and beach most of the time, right?

That is why Maree & I will be teaching an outdoor Yoga Class by donations!

First we will do a warm up, I will explain how to practice Chandra Namaskar and we will flow with it. On the second part Maree will be a guiding you in a delightful Meditation.

Come ready to let go what is not longer serving you

February 19th, 2019 from 6 to 7pm.

The location is at public beach’s grass patch next to the playground, next to calicos.

As I mention before all the donation will go to Caymans ARK – Acts of Random Kindness 

Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle.
Maybe some mosquito spray and a blanket for the meditation part 😉

Even in the Caribbean can gets chilli

Here is the link of the event

Be part, share the love and help us spread the word with your friends or anyone you think will like to do the practice.

Thank you

Namaste..

Full Moon the Art of Letting Go

Everything is changing in ways we have never imagined to be.

Crazy times, dont you think so?!

A couple of weeks ago we were living in a world where everything was possible, moving fast, living a life full of schedules, updates, work etc.

It felt like the day never had enough hours

And now… everything stopped.

Time is still and most of us don’t know what to do with this gift

How do you feel about it?

I know I need it and I am taking complete advantage of having so much time to go back to my personal projects, to move slow and reflect.

I am a fan of the Moon, I love following the energy that brings us; during new moon new projects to develop, during full moon time to do some cleansing, reflect and let go what is no longer serving us

Every Full moon invites us to press the pause bottom, slow down, analyze our actions and do some introspection.

Are you really leaving the life you want to live in?

What have you achieved?

What do you want to change?

What do you need to let go?

Persons, situations, feelings, regrets, experiences

Like that closet in the house that nobody wants to clean because is full of sh#t.

It might be the way you feel inside

Take the time to do an internal cleaning, in order to achieved whatever it is that you want to achieved you need to let go what no longer is serving you.

Forgive yourself and others.

Cultivate compassion.

Create space for the new to come

What is Chandra Namaskar?

Before getting into our moon salutation practice let’s review a few aspects about the Chandra Namaskar and the difference with Surya Namaskar:

“The moon as not light of its own but reflects the light of the sun”

  • The moon salutation practice is a reflection of the sun salutation practice. The power of the opposites.
  • Chandra Namaskar is best to practice at night channelizing the moon energy preparing the body and the mind for a restful night’s sleep.
  • Surya Namaskar is best to practice in the morning when the sun is rising, channelizing the sun’s energy for the day to come.
  • Moon Salutations are associated with the yin and the feminine, a receptive, meditative, cooling practice
  • Sun Salutations are said to be the Yan and the masculine, an energizing and awakening practice, related to building heat.

Although sun and moon salutation sequences embrace different qualities, they complement each other perfectly. To create equilibrium in our yoga practice and in our life is important that we recognize the qualities and benefits on each side of the spectrum so that we can find balance and unity between them.

How to practice Chandra Namaskar?

As there is deferents variations of the sun salutations, there are few options of the moon salutations flow.

Here I will share the one I include in my practice :

Is better to place your yoga mat sideways facing the widest part of your mat because you will be flowing from left to right and right to left.

Feel free to adapt or modify the postures to suits your needs and props if you prefer to do so

Begin in Tadasana, standing up at the right edge of the mat you will be starting with your left side. Remember our left side represent our moon energy our softer more contemplative side.

Urdhva Hastasana or Talasala

Translate to “Raised hands pose” or the “Palm tree pose”

Urdhva=raised

Hasta=hand

Tala=palm tree

Asana=posture

Inhale and rise your arms, interlace your fingers, leaving your index finger and thumb extended. Press the feet into the floor and reach the fingers and crown up while relaxing the shoulders down and back.

Standing Crescent Pose

From Urdhva Hastasana exhale and press the right hip out to the side, extending over to the left. Keep the feet grounded and the legs and buttocks engaged. Reach up and out through the fingers and crown.

Inhale and press into the feet as you reach the fingers back up towards the ceiling.

Repeat on other side.

Utkata Konasana or Goddess Pose

Exhale taking a wide step with your left foot to the mat with the feet 3 feet apart and lower into a squat while keeping your knees in line with your ankles. Bend the elbows at shoulder height and turn the palms facing each other.

Utthita Tadasana or 5 Pointed Star

Inhale pressing your weight into the feet, pull up the knee caps and squeeze the thighs, tuck the tailbone, and feel the legs strong and solid, rooted into the floor. Extend your arms reaching out through the fingertips, trying to touch the side walls. Relax the shoulders down and back, gently opening the chest towards the front of the room.

Exhale as you are transitioning to the next posture

Utthita Trikonasana or Extended Triangle Pose

Turn the left foot with the toes facing the the left edge of the mat and your right foot 90 degree with the toes Ponting to the front, the wider part of the mat. Picture a line connecting your left heel and your arm f your right foot. Extend your left arm toward your left side like if you wanted to reach the wall and lower into to grab your big toe, ankle or chin with your palm facing forward.

Inhale and extend your right arm into the sky bringing the arms into one straight line with the shoulders stacked on top of each other. Press the left hip forward and the right hip back.

Face up to your top hand if that is feels ok for your neck otherwise relax your neck and face to your lower hand.

Parsvottanasana, Pyramid Pose or Intense Side Stretch

parsva = side, flank
ut = intense
tan = to stretch or extend.

Exhale and rotate your torso to the left, squaring the front of your pelvis as much as possible with the edge of your mat. As the right hip point turns forward, press the head of the right femur back to ground the back heel. Press your outer thighs inward, as if squeezing a block between your thighs.

Lean the torso forward from the groins over the left leg. Stop when the torso is parallel to the floor. Firm your scapulas against your back, lengthen your coccyx toward the floor, and arch your upper torso back slightly.

Press your fingertips to the floor on either side of the left foot. If it isn’t possible for you to touch the floor, support your hands on a pair of blocks or the seat of a folding chair. Eventually the long front torso will rest down on the thigh

Virabhadrasana A,

Facing the same side you already are, bend the front knee over ankle, create more distance between your feet if needed, tuck the back toes under and straighten the back leg keeping your hips square facing your front foot, come into a lunge positions inhale extending your arms over head. Maybe looking uptimes to the moon if your back allows it.

Option: rest the back knee on the floor, with a pillow or folding the side of the mat if it feel uncomfortable.

Skandasana or Forward Facing Side Lunge

Exhale bring both hands down into the grown and flow facing the wider side of the mat

With your left knee bend let the hips sink down towards the left heel but keeping your left foot down on the ground and your right leg straight, pressing out through the right heel, flex your right toes to the sky.

Inhale and rise your right hand gazing your eyes towards it

Option: if this is not possible adapt it into a side angle pose

Malasana or Garland Pose

Move like water into your yogi squat. Keep your heels on the floor if you can; otherwise, support them on a folded mat or a block.

Press your elbows against your inner knees, bringing your palms to together in Anjali Mudra also known as prayer hands and resist the knees into the elbows. This will help lengthen your front torso.

Stop here for 3 inhalation and exhalations if you want

Keep moving like water no we will reverse the order of the postures in your right side.

Skandasana or Forward Facing Side Lunge

With your right knee bend.

Lunge over your right foot

Facing your right side of the mat

Parsvottanasana, Pyramid Pose or Intense Side Stretch

Falling forward toward your right knee

Utthita Trikonasana or Extended Triangle Pose

Facing your hip to the wider part of the mat. Right hand down and left arm up to the sky.

Utthita Tadasana or 5 Pointed Star

Utkata Konasana or Goddess Pose

Standing Crescent Pose

Bring your body weigh into your right side so you can step your left foot next to the right one at the right edge of the mat

Urdhva Hastasana or Talasala

This is a full cycle.

This is a moving meditation.

You can repeat this as many times as you want until you can feel yourself flowing like water from one posture into another.

If you set any intentions or releasing at the beginning of your practice try to think on these during you all practice.

I am sharing this because I absolutely love it and enjoy it.

Things to remember:

  • Be always careful.
  • Do any modifications in the postures to suits your need.
  • Is always better to practice with a certified instructor if you are not sure of what are you doing.

“Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?” 

Mary Manin Morrissey

SHARE THE JOY,HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

NAMASTE

Renée

Let’s Keep in Touch!

Write you email address below to receive updates

What are you thankful for?

Just a few days ago, Thursday 22nd of November, 2018 to be more precise; the American thanks giving day was celebrated

Because I am from Argentina, part of the American continent (yes we are American too), but located in South America, we don’t really celebrate the thanks giving day.

However this day can be a great opportunity to remind us the things we should be thankful for. The simple things are the ones we always forget: a nice meal, a warm shower, a clean towel, a comfortable bed, a bathroom!.. We underestimate how bless we are by wanted to have more and more.

Think about it, you don’t really need this ultimate smart phone, a big tv or that fancy clothing. We tend to fill empty spaces with material things, maybe because we think  things are going to make us happier. When we just have to take the decision to be happy.

I know is easier to say it than to do it. Advice: try to remind your self to make time in your busy life and do something you enjoy; only one thing per day at least.

I will give you my example: I love the adventure and I have decide to live my life in a way many other will consider dangerous but I do not let that affect me, instead I choose to surround myself with people who has positive attitude and we have things in common.

This week I am expressing gratitude because I was able to live my life the way I want:

Gratitude for being able to rock climb with my awesome friend Angel

Gratitude for being able to go to dive any time
Gratitude because I was able to practice acroyoga
 Gratitude for being able to work doing something I am passionate about

Expressing gratitude can increase your vital energy, reduce stress, help us with anxiety and make you feel better.

There are many ways to do it:

-You can journal.  Make a list of the things you are thankful for. It can be done first thing in the morning or before going to bed.

-Yoga helps to express gratitude. Choose your favourite pose and spend a few minutes in it.

-Make a pause in your day and take a minute to practice deep mindful breathing. Count 10 to breath in and 10 to breath out, slowly.

-Focus on the things you CAN do, we get used to take things for granted and we forget to celebrate the small achievements.

The thanksgiving day this year has the particularity to be on the full moon. We already know the full moon bring a special energy to celebrate, to reconnect, to practice yoga or any other healthy activity and feel good.

I am not a tarot reader but would like to share some info about the full moon in November 2018 is in Geminis, is time to reflect, full release of what is not longer serving us, pulling all the layers out so we can understand who we are and reveal our true-self.

Is a great opportunity to slow down, grab your mat and practice Chandra Namaskar. 

We can see this as a brand new beginning, a new chapter opens one more time to determine your goals, follow your intuitions and learn how to live with joy.

Remember is your choice. 

Feel free to leave me a comment and share what are YOU thankful for?


 

 

October’s Full Moon 2018

As I mention in another post I am incredibly curious about the moon and it affects our states of mind and emotions. I truly believe the moon has an incredible power on us living beings.

So if you are curious about the moon as me you are in the right place

First I would like to share here are some interesting facts about October’s full moon:

“Is commonly called the Hunter’s Moon, harkening back to European and Native American traditions where hunters would use the light of the full moon to track down their prey and stock up for the coming winter.

Contrary to popular belief, the Hunter’s Moon isn’t actually bigger or brighter than usual. It simply rises earlier, soon after sunset, which would give hunters plenty of bright moonlight to hunt by during the early evenings. To Neo Pagans, however, the Hunter’s Moon is known by a far more morbid name – the Blood Moon.

Humans through the ages have always found autumn’s full moons to be creepy, and not without good reason. There’s a reason why English folks in the Middle Ages called October’s full moon the Blood Moon, and it’s the exact same reason why even Halloween imagery today often features a large, low-hanging moon with an eerie reddish glow. The Hunter’s Moon rises early in the evening, which means that you are more likely to see it near the horizon.

Exactly today October 24, 2018 you will see the moon rising at 9:45am PDT

12:45pm EDT and 16:45 UT

When you observe the moon while it’s near the horizon, it gives off the illusion of being bigger while it’s in fact the same size. In addition, observing the moon at the horizon makes it look redder. This is because you’re seeing it through a thicker atmosphere, which scatters more blue light and lets more red light pass through to reach your eyes”.

Going back to the yoga approach of this topic, scientific explanations aside, the Hunter’s Moon or Blood Moon still holds an undeniable aura of mystique and power.

You must have heard about the Surya namaskar or Sun Salutation, but not many people know about the other side of it:

Chandra Namaskar or the Moon Salutation.

Is a sequence which reveres and honours the energy of the moon.

The name is derived from the Sanskrit, chandra, meaning “moon,” and “namaskara,” meaning “salutation.” Although they are less well known than the  practice, they complement it perfectly, as they embrace the opposite, interconnected energy. 

While surya namaskar’s 12 postures, chandra namaskar has 14 positions correlating to the lunar phases. The moon salutation has the opposite effect on your body than the surya salutation; it is meant to calm your body, preparing you for a long and restful night’s sleep.

Chandra Namaskara is considered more yin in nature than the intrinsically yang Surya Namaskara. As such, Chandra Namaskar  is a more cooling, meditative sequence of postures, which is ideally to be practiced in the evening. 

The sequence of asanas for Chandra Namaskara has many variations, but will often involve moving to the right and left, and facing the long edge of the mat.  Side stretches and circular movements of the sequence can be considered to represent the phases of the moon as it waxes and wanes.

moon-salute

In practicing Chandra Namaskara, it is helpful to take the focus inward and to reflect on the meaning and significance of the moon and its energy for earth and oneself. . The practice can then be one of gratitude for the moon and all it offers.

Is recommended to have pen and paper close by so you can journal any thoughts or ideas that might present during your practice.

Chandra Namaskar practice is also beneficial for:

  • Strengthening all major muscle groups
  • Improving flexibility
  • Calming the mind
  • Grounding and focusing the body and mind

Practicing Chandra Namaskara is probably a relatively recent yogic practice, perhaps dating to the late 20th century, but practices of worshipping the moon are undoubtedly ancient. The moon was traditionally regarded in certain yogic texts as the source of immortality

From the Tarot perspective today Full Moon is in Taurus:

Time to release to make peace

I am not going to dive deep into it because I am a beginner in this aspect if you wan to know more about it there is tons of information online and books as well.

Hope the information helps, go and get your comfy clothes and start including this into your own practice, if you are not doing it already. 

Until next time, 

Renée

“One thing is for sure, a transformation is happening so surrender yourself to the flow of change that is taking you to the next level of growth for you. This Taurus Full Moon has us releasing excess emotions to make room for more peace”

Britney Carmichael.