If you've tried face yoga, trauma-informed yoga, and even puppy yoga, allow us to introduce you to the latest iteration of the ancient practice: moon yoga.
“As the moon waxes and wanes, goes from full to dark, one can really feel the energy grow and decrease depending on which phase it is in,” explains Lisa Hood, the author of Moon Yoga: Poses, Flows and Rituals to Help You Move with the Moon. Moon yoga is an “acknowledgement and understanding of the energetic differences between the phases that the moon moves through,” she adds.
For example, Hood explains, “When the moon is at her fullest, she is closest to the earth, so you are going to feel more of her energy directly; even plants and animals react, so it makes sense for us to feel more energised.
Here Lisa Hood speaks to GLAMOUR about harnessing this energy through yoga flows, poses, journal prompts and rituals. In turn, you may just feel more “grounded, calmer, more patient, and truly aligned with your thoughts and feelings.”
Could this be the secret to tighter skin?
GLAMOUR: Hi Lisa! How did you come across Moon Yoga?
Lisa Hood: It all began when I started practising Ashtanga yoga. The methodology of this style of yoga acknowledges the new moon phase with no physical asana. This really intrigued me and so I started to delve deeper.
I read books on the moon, attended moon ceremonies and events and began to notice the effects the moon phases were having on me personally. I then started to take my moon musings into my public classes, which really resonated with many people. It all felt really aligned to be speaking about this, so when the book proposal came through, there was absolutely no hesitation from me. I knew I had a lot to share regarding movement and mindful practices, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Can you describe how moon yoga has changed your life?
For me, moon yoga has given me the tools I need to live a more harmonious and balanced life. It's given me moments to know when to rest and reflect and then equally moments when to make my intentions, and action plans and execute them.
As a mother of two young boys, I understand and know how busy and full life can get, and that if we carry on like this, we risk burnout and exhaustion. Moon yoga gives me an opportunity for me to check in with myself, and how am I feeling, move my body, and notice what I need to do or let go of. Following the practices in moon yoga gives the reader a very easy plan to follow, and once you start, you won't want to stop.
What are the benefits of moon yoga?
Living in harmony and sync with nature, finding moments of rest and peace, connecting back to yourself with movement and ritual, and manifesting your intentions and goals
This book has been created so that anyone can honour each moon phase. There are different options for you to choose from, and know that it's not intended to practise them all at once; just one of the options would be amazing. I hope this book is something you will keep coming back to again and again. A moment for you, just you and the moon.
Yoga can be used as a therapeutic tool.
Ready to give it a go? Here, Lisa shares an example of a moon yoga warm-up you can do to get you started:
This simple warm-up can be done before you move into the main sequences for each moon phase and flow. It is suitable for all the moon’s energy phases and is here to mobilize the joints, get you feeling warm, and start the juicy sensations moving throughout your body.
Begin in a child's pose. Knees can be wide or together. A moment here to stay close to the ground and listen to how you feel right now. Feel free to stay as long as you wish, there is absolutely no rush.
When you are ready, come to all fours and start to take some circles in a clockwise direction, feeling the weight shift from side to side, and front to back. When you’ve done maybe five or six, take the circle in the opposite direction.
On all fours come to be steady and raise your right arm up toward the sky and find a twisted child’s pose. Thread your right arm underneath the left, allow your right ear and shoulder to touch the Earth, left hand can be just in front of the face, or maybe reaching toward the top of the mat. Stay here for a few breaths, then when you are ready bring yourself back to all fours._Raise the left arm high and thread it under the right to find twisted child’s pose on the other side.
With your ear against the Earth, allow yourself to listen in, deepen the breath and listen to your body.
When you are ready, come back to all fours and then begin to make your way to downward-facing dog. Start to pedal the legs out a little, really move your hips from side to side, perhaps raise one leg, then the other. Move in a way that feels good for you. When you are ready, walk your feet to the top of the mat and find a rag doll forward fold. Feet underneath the hips, toes pointing forward, let the head hang, grab opposite elbows and swing the torso from side to side. Make sure you move your torso, not just your arms. Take a deep inhale and let out a big sigh, then another big inhale, blubbering the lips on the exhale.
Let the arms drop down toward the Earth and then roll the spine up, one vertebra at a time, head coming up last.
Take a deep breath as you raise your arms up overhead, and on your exhale bring your hands to prayer at your heart centre. Take two more like this, inhaling arms up, exhale hands to heart. On the third time, hands at heart in a prayer, close your eyes and offer this practice up to receive guidance and reassurance and set an intention for the practice. It can be anything you like, maybe just simply how you want to feel at the end.
Extracted from Moon Yoga by Lisa Hood is published by Godsfield Press (£12.99).
