Rising
Here we are on the February full moon. Our lives as moms are full of overlapping cycles and the challenge is to dance within this chaos. But is it really chaos, or just a rhythm we need to listen for?
The full moon invites us to listen. It is a time of pause and celebration, a sort of milestone. I tend to think of this moon phase as akin to a pause after an inhale, when we hold the fullness just a moment before we let it go. Try it: breathe in slowly to your full capacity. Let your belly and chest expand with that inhale. When you can’t inhale any more, pause for three or more seconds. What happens in that silence and stillness?
And then, how does the breath release? Does it go out on it’s own, or do you give it a little push with your belly or chest? Does it leak out quietly or rush forth like a gale-force wind? Maybe it comes out as a sigh, or you vocalize a bit as you let go of that breath.
Try it standing, sitting, lying down. Do this while walking or slowly stretching your arms upward to pause with fingers reaching towards the sky as you pause your breath between inhale and exhale.
What a small cycle the breath is, compared to the lunar cycle! It’s shorter than the solar cycle and menstrual cycle, too. See how these cycles overlap, collide, or sometimes coincide (maybe sometimes I’ll start menstruating on the new moon, but not always!)? The more we notice these cycles, the more we’ll know what we need from our yoga practice.
Rooting down
For now, on this full moon, I’m going to start the day waking up my feet. More than halfway through winter, wearing winter boots and feeling a little ungrounded, my toes and feet need a little stimulation! One practice that I am getting ready to reconnect to is foot massage, which I was very devoted to a couple of years ago. Read more about it here.
Sometimes just a little bit of toe wiggling and stretching can be enlivening for the feet. Virasana or Vajrasana are nice stretches for the tops of the feet and can function well as a sitting position while playing with the kids (as long as you are comfortable in it, and if not, you can put a little cushion under your hips, or a rolled up yoga mat under the fronts of the ankles). Balance it out with Broken Toe Pose with a cushion under the knees if you need support (see photo at beginning of post).
It’s great if you can find time for any of the above, but even just some walking can be very grounding if you tend to sit a lot. Whatever you do, bring your attention to your feet and see how your weight lands down through them. Give them some loving attention and you're off to a good start in getting grounded!
Put it all together
Back to the breath: if you practice the seated poses above, you can use your breath to create stability and release. It goes something like this:
While positioned in Vajrasana, Virasana, or Broken Toe Pose, inhale and gently lengthen up through the spine.
Exhale and feel your face, neck, and shoulders relax.
Inhale, lengthen up in the same way.
Exhale and feel your arms and hands relax.
Inhale again, lengthening up.
Exhale and feel your hips, legs, and feet relax.
If if feels difficult to relax any part of the body, try it with some support (a cushion under the hips for Vajrasana and Virasana and a cushion under the knees for Broken Toe). A yoga block, pillow, or bolster also work for support.
Exhale, root down through the feet; inhale lengthen up through the spine. This is another cycle as we reflect the movement of our breath in the movement of our attention through our bodies.
Happy Full Moon, Yoga Mamas! I hope you find balance through the little things in life and take a pause on this full moon to savor that feeling.