Here comes the Libra New Moon, Numis, and with it the beginning of a whole new manifestation cycle. Naomi Costantino shares some simple moon phase yoga poses to work with as the month progresses. Illustrations: Erin Petson
Limited edition New Moon print, £55, Erinpetson.com
NEW MOON PHASE – SEPTEMBER 23-29
This the start point for our moon manifestation cycle. It’s a quiet, reflective time; the time to start dreaming, visioning and getting clear on what you’re looking to bring into your life.
What’s your purpose? What’s your passion? What’s your mission?
This is the perfect time to pull out a journal, create a vision board and get brain-storming. This simple meditation pose is perfect to practice in line with this moon phase.
:: New Moon Pose – Sukhasana (easy seated meditation pose) ::
- Sit on your mat with a folded blanket or firm cushion underneath you sitting bones. Cross your legs at the shins, knees fall out – making sure your ankles feel comfortable. Hands can rest on the knees.
- Lengthen up from the base of the tailbone and feel a sense reach through the crown of the head as the spine elongates. Slide the shoulders back and down, to create space around the neck.
- Closing your eyes, relax the eyelids and release any tension you could be holding across the brow. Make sure you’re not clenching the teeth by relaxing the jaw and softening the tongue.
- From here you can begin your meditation practice. Bring your attention to the breath, following your inhale and exhale. As you become aware of thoughts popping into your mind, simply let them go. Try to meditate for five minutes and build from there.
- The longer you can stay in your meditation the better, and after you come back into the room take note of the first waves of inspiration that flood your conscious awareness.
Limited edition Waxing Moon print, £55, Erinpetson.com
WAXING MOON PHASE – SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 7
This is when we spark into action, the perfect time to get out there and mingle, network and connect. Keeping your vision strong and your meditation clear allows synchronicity and opportunities to appear. This will help you move consciously towards creating your vision.
Now is when your energy is at it’s most vibrant, making this a good time to practice a dynamic yoga balance like Ardha Chandrasana.
:: Waxing Moon Pose – Ardha Chandrasana (half moon pose) ::
- Begin at the top of your mat, feet hip width apart. From here step your right foot back (around three feet) and turn it out towards the side of the mat. Keep your left toes facing forward.
- Bring your arms up in line with your shoulders, palms face down then place your right hand on your hip.
- Bending your left knee, shift your weight into your left leg as you float your right foot up off the floor.
- At the same time, your left hand reaches towards the floor or maybe a block for more stability. Check that your hand is lined up directly under your shoulder. You are working to have the hip bones stacked – so the hips are open to the right side of your mat.
- From here bring your attention to the extension through the spine and the sense of reaching through the crown of the head as you press back through a strong flex of the right foot. Be mindful of working towards raising the leg so it is in line with your waist and keep pulling up on the supporting left quadricep to help you keep your balance and form.
- To advance the pose you can work your balance further by reaching your right arm up and taking your gaze to the right side, or up to your right hand. Breathe here for eight steady inhales and exhales.
- Exit the pose by looking down towards your left foot, bringing your right hand to your waist, and lowering the right foot back to the mat. Repeat on the opposite side.
Limited edition Full Moon print, £55, Erinpetson.com
FULL MOON PHASE – OCTOBER 8-14
Now is the time to give thanks for all the wonderful abundance, wisdom, experiences, and blessings we have already received. Gratitude is the key when it comes to manifesting greatness in your life.
Energy is high around the Full Moon. The gravitational pull of the earth encourages us to ground down and surrender. Savasana is perfect for this!
:: Full Moon Pose – Savasana (corpse pose) ::
- Lying down on your mat, have your feet a little wider than hip width apart. Lift your hips, lengthening your tailbone away from you and then placing your pelvis back down on the mat. This creates space around your lower back.
- Now rest your hands alongside your body, wrists slightly wider than shoulder width apart and palms facing up. Lifting your shoulder blades, slide them back and down to create space around the neck and across the chest.
- Drawing your chin slightly towards the chest, lengthen the back of the neck into your mat.
- Check in with any tension you may be holding in the facial muscles. Soften the forehead, the eyelids and release the jaw.
- From here start to bring your attention towards your breath and settle into a deep sense of stillness. Feeling heavy into your mat, switch off and relax here for at least five minutes. The longer in savasana the better though so get comfy, lie back and focus your attention on your gratitude practice.
Limited edition Waning Moon print, £55, Erinpetson.com
WANING MOON PHASE – OCTOBER 15-22
The Waning Moon is when we clear the path. Allowing in the new means making space for it to manifest in your life. Now is a good time to think about how you could clean up the clutter that might be blocking the flow of energy in your life, both physically and mentally.
Anjayasana stimulates the energy around the sacral chakra, which is linked to the flow of creativity our lives.
:: Waning Moon Pose – Anjanyasana (crescent lunge pose) ::
- Starting on all fours, bring your right foot forward and place it in between your hands on the mat. Check that your right knee is lined up over your right ankle, keeping your left knee on the floor, behind the line of your pelvis.
- Inhaling, lift and lengthen your spine raising your arms over your head bringing your hands in prayer position.
- As you exhale, breathing into your hips, lower your pelvis down towards the floor. You are looking to feel a deep stretch in the front of your left leg and possibly a stretch around the right hip flexor too. Hold this for eight steady inhales and exhales.
- If you would like to advance the pose further, you can work on taking your torso into more of a back bend – reaching the arms further behind you and possibly resting your hands to your third eye centre between the eyebrows.
- Be sure to stay supported through your core muscles and avoid collapsing in the lower back.
- When you have taken your eight breaths here, place your hands on the mat by your front foot and step the right knee back to all fours. Repeat on the other side.
