Full Moon Yoga

Tonight was a full moon and I had an 8:15 pm class to teach so I decided to focus on the moon as a theme and do a practice centered on the full moon. As I have mentioned before, my style has a heavy ashtanga influence and therefore I do pay attention to the philosophy of full and new moon yoga practice. But, since I do not teach ashtanga at the Tuesday night class I did not feel blasphemous leading a yoga class. I even made a music playlist with the moon as the theme to the songs (well except for the one called "Ocean," but since the ocean tides are a major part of moon cycles I thought it fit well). Most everyone in class was at a beginning or early intermediate level so a full moon practice was very skill level appropriate.

I opened with an explanation that tonight was a full moon and gave a quick talk about our bodies being 70% water and the belief that our bodies are affected by moon cycles just as ocean tides also are affected by full moons. The full moon corresponds to the end of the inhalation, the aspect of the breath cycle with the most prana. As a result, full moons leave us with energy and lots of emotion. Although we are often energetic at this time, we are also likely to be headstrong and lack grounding. The focus of the class, therefore, would be strength and grounding.

The style of the class was more along the Kripalu branch, but of course there were flavors of Jivamukti, ashtanga and yin yoga woven throughout. I guess that makes it a class of my eclectic and non-dogmatic yoga style.

The integration/warm-up sequence began in sukasana/easy seated pose. First we did side stretches. Next, easy twists. Coming to all fours we started cycles of cat/cow and eventually worked our way into downdog with deeply bent knees. Everyone was invited to slowly walk their dogs and ease into lengthening the spine, hamstrings, and achilles tendons. After rising up to tip toes and sinking the heels back toward the floor we slowly stepped the feet up to meet the hands for rag doll. In rag doll everyone was invited to sway their torso, bend the knees, allow the head to hang heavy and perhaps wiggle from side-to-side and front-to-back. Finally, we rolled slowly to tadasana.



Moon Salutation A:
1/4 moon side bend Right (R) and Left (L)
Open left leg to side for goddess pose
Take star
Side bend R/L
twisting forward bend R/L
Goddess
1/4 moon R/L

Repeat once more.

Chandra Namaskar:

Urdvha Hastasana
Uttanasana
Lift
Step back L leg to low R lunge with L knee on mat
Low crescent moon pose/anjeleyasana (spelling...?)
Down Dog/Adho Muka (DD)
Plank
Knees, chest, chin
cobra
DD
Lift left leg high
Low L lunge
low crescent on L
step to uttanasana
lift
uttanasana
Urdvha hastasana

(repeat 4 more times quickening pace)

Standing Sequence 1:
Vinyasa
Virabhadrasana/Warrior 2
Utthita Parsvokonasana
Bind
Extend to bound trikonasana
Return to Utthita Parvokonasana
Cycle through Vinyasa
Repeat on Left

Repeat entire sequence with 1 breath to 1 movement.

Sequence 2:

Ukatasana/chairpose
hands heart center and step back to a high R lunge/Crescent moon
Lower back knee and take intense quad stretch by pulling back heel toward same thigh while in low lunge.
Hamstring stretch/ Hanumanasana prep
low crescent
DD
Uttasana with lift, etc.
Ukatasana

Repeat L side.

Balancing:
Vrksasana/tree with optional arm variations
Moon rise from Jivamukti sequence (variation of utthita hasta padangustasana and parivrtta utthita hasta padangustasana
Seat of Isis with variation with feet hip with and then staggered {tip toes on inhale and lower to squat while remaining on tip toes}
Malasana and variations there

Seated Poses:
Dandasana
tolosana/lolasana
paschimottanasana
Swamp monster paschimo variation
to & lo pick ups between all
purvottanasana or table pose 3 times with Navasana between
Vinyasa to belly
Sphinx
locust/salabasana
swimming locust
balasana
roll down to back for supine twists

Suggested relaxation into savasana.

Hopefully everyone left feeling grounded, strong, and harnessed their energies enough to fall into a blissful sleep.