MANNU.YOGA

When the sun and moon are aligned, their gravitational force and its effect on us is stronger, and that's why Ashtanga yoga practitioners do not practice on the full or new moons. On these days in the moon's cycle it is better to let our bodies rest and heal.

The pull of the moon at its biggest is thought to boost your energy, leading us into a yoga practice so dynamic we're more likely to injure ourselves. This thinking comes from Pattabi Jois, the founding father of the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition, which is why many ashtangis rest on full moon days.

Both full and new moon days are observed as yoga holidays in the Ashtanga Yoga tradition. What is the reasoning behind this?

Like all things of a watery nature (human beings are about 70% water), we are affected by the phases of the moon. The phases of the moon are determined by the moon’s relative position to the sun. Full moons occur when they are in opposition and new moons when they are in conjunction. Both sun and moon exert a gravitational pull on the earth. Their relative positions create different energetic experiences that can be compared to the breath cycle. The full moon energy corresponds to the end of inhalation when the force of prana is greatest. This is an expansive, upward moving force that makes us feel energetic and emotional, but not well grounded. The Upanishads state that the main prana lives in the head. During the full moon we tend to be more headstrong.

The new moon energy corresponds to the end of exhalation when the force of apana is greatest. Apana is a contracting, downward moving force that makes us feel calm and grounded, but dense and disinclined towards physical exertion.

Practicing Ashtanga Yoga over time makes us more attuned to natural cycles. Observing moon days is one way to recognize and honor the rhythms of nature so we can live in greater harmony with it.

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