Moon Days

honoring the cycles

The Ashtanga tradition emphasizes one rest day per week + no practice on Moon Days (full and new moon) + not while on your period (ladies holiday). During these days we do more contemplative practices and let the physical body rest.

REGULAR REST
This is something that really, I mean really, challenges the mind of someone who’s dipped their toes in the refuge of a regular practice. One can easily get attached to, and even obsessed with, one’s practice - which is of course another trap. As we practice we walk the line between ‘beyond duality’ and ‘in the grooves of duality’. When taking up a regular practice it is so incredibly easy to create another new ‘spiritual’ identity and perpetuated clinging. Taking a day off serves not only the body/mind complex in terms of absorbing and processing, but also in terms of practicing detachment.

NEW MOON & FULL MOON
We are so intimately connected to the planetary bodies - just as mother earth feels the immense lunar pull in her ebb and flow, we too, as human beings, are physically and mentally affected by the moon. Some don’t necessarily sense it, but others report lack of sleep, restlessness, different mental patterns and impulses, etc. On these days we have a tendency to push ourselves beyond what is appropriate, be it in life and/or in practice. Lots of research show that ERs are experiencing an increased number of patients on and around moon days. The saying ‘he/she is moon struck’ has some legitimacy to it. Hence, we embrace the moon days to do more introverted practices and/or to nurture the body/mind complex.

LADIES HOLIDAY
The reasons why we don’t engage in our physical practice while we are menstruating are both energetic and physical. When doing the practice, we work with energies moving upward (especially when working with bandhas). On the contrary, the natural flow of energies is downward while bleeding. Very generally put. On a physical level, some doctors and practitioners warn that it is possible to get blood clots due to reversing the flow of the bodily fluids (inverted postures). So, in short, it is not healthy for the body/mind complex to mess with the natural flow of energies while bleeding heavily, plus the body is both needing and deserving rest. It is very common to hear of ladies that don’t take their period time off practicing, however 1) it points to their attachments, 2) it is not going to serve their body/mind complex in the long run, and 3) they may end up in the trap of a new spiritual identity that just perpetuates life in duality. Some take the first three days off while menstruating, but if you are person who naturally bleed a lot, consider taking the full period off. Observe any emotions or thoughts that arise around this topic while you take the break and let your sadhana be fueled by the change in practice and pace. Allow yourself to relax, rejuvenate and restore.