Harnessing the energy of the Moon

Moon energy in the Yoga Tradition

Dec 24, 2023

moon illustration — Photo by Sanni Sahil on Unsplash

Happy Full Moon this week! (And Happy belated Winter Solstice.) And Merry Christmas for those of you that celebrate. The cycles of the moon and Mother Nature are natural points in time for reflection, celebration, community, and practice. In ancient healing systems such as Ayurveda and spiritual traditions such as the Vedic tradition, the energy of the moon and the transitory energies of the seasons played an important role in overall wellbeing. In the New Year I’ll be offering classes, workshops, and practices around these monthly and seasonal junctions. Please consider upgrading your subscription and join our community! What better gift to give yourself than the gift of intentional, nurturing, nature-focused self-care. 😊

The power of the Moon

I once had a yoga student ask me to explain energy. She didn’t get it. What is it? How does it work? What does “energy” even mean?

It’s a good question that is hard to answer because energy can only be understood when it is felt. Each person feels energy differently. Some people are very attuned to the effects of energy. Others, not so much. For most of my life I thought I was one of those people who didn’t feel energy. The more I practiced yoga, the more adept I’ve become at recognizing it. I now realize I’ve always felt energy I just didn’t have the wisdom and language to describe what I was feeling.

Astrology has long been used as a tool for predicting wellbeing and was a spiritual guide before the rise of organized religion. This system acknowledged the power of the moon and its influence on human physiology. It is also well-documented in ancient cultures that women’s menstrual cycles coincided with the phases of the moon. Bri. Maya Tiwari describes in her book The Path of Practice many cultural references to the power of the moon and its link to menstruation. In the Vedic tradition, a woman’s shakti—female energy—is directly associated with the lunar cycle. Ancient Ayurvedic thought corresponded the menstrual cycle directly with the lunar cycle; women were encouraged to rest during their menstrual cycle, which often aligned with the New Moon and fertility was highest around the Full Moon.

Bri. Maya Tiwari offers further instances of the moon’s association with menstruation:

“German peasants called menstrual blood, die Mond, the moon. The French called it le moment de la lune, the movement of the moon.”

According to the wisdom of Ayurveda, since the moon affects the ocean tides and the movement of water, so too does it affect the movement of the water element in humans. The water element is associated with the second chakra, which is located at the sacrum and encompasses all of the reproductive organs in the body.

Bri. Maya Tiwari explains:

“Our earliest female ancestors innately appreciated this wisdom on a cellular level; deeply attuned to nature’s cycles, they mensturated with the new moon, when the moon’s Ojas energy (which protects our physical bodies) is at its lowest ebb, and the sun’s absorbing energies are at their peak. As their menstrual blood began to flow, they set themselves apart from the men and children to observe the sadhana of rest and replenishment. The new moon was a time when women temporarily shed the burden of their responsibilities to focus on self-renewal and self-nurturing in a spirit of sisterhood and community.
In our postindustrial era, the use of contraceptive pills and devices, hormonal therapies and antibiotics, and the chemical alteration of the world’s food sources have disrupted our inner rhythms, causing our menstrual cycles to shift out of sequence with the the cycle of the moon.”

Most modern scientific research has been unable to confirm a relationship between the lunar cycle and female menstruation. But the subtle effects of energy are hard to measure with the scientific method.

Experiencing energy in the body

Energy, in reference to the subtle body, is the felt-sense of an emotion or state of being (mood). For example, if you feel anger or rage you might feel compelled to express that emotion through yelling or screaming. The energy has to flow, otherwise it gets stuck and causes problems, which, according to ancient healing systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, manifest in the body as disease if left unattended for too long. In the body, blood moves because the heart pumps it through the veins. Lymph—a watery fluid that delivers nutrients to your cells and tissues and picks up unwanted invaders— doesn’t have a built-in pump in the body and instead relies on an individual’s movement in order to do its job. Similarly, energy, also known as prana in the Yoga tradition, needs a pump to move through the body efficiently. The main prana pump is the breath. Breathing plays a role in movement, expression, pranayama, chanting and singing and all of these practices can affect how energy moves through the subtle channels of the body, ultimately affecting how you feel.

In the Yoga tradition energy has always been considered a vital component of the human experience. In the Kosha model, yogis posited that every human consists of energetic layers. The physical body and environment create the outermost layer, with the “energy” (prana) layer living beneath the surface. Energy is less tangible than the body, and can be harder to grasp. Despite it being more challenging to access, this energy layer and all of the other layers, play just as important a role in a person’s overall wellbeing as the physical layer. Ignoring energy and its effects is ignoring part of who you are.

There are outside forces that can affect how energy moves as well, namely Mother Nature and the cosmos. We all know that the energy of the moon affects ocean tides. In Yoga and Ayurveda, the moon’s influence on the menstrual cycle specifically relates to the tides of energy in the body (hormonal fluctuations) relative to the lunar cycle. At the Full Moon, lunar energy is at its peak. Lunar energy is associated with Shakti, who represents the qualities of femininity, fertility, and nurturance as well as creation, maintenance, and destruction. Ancient healers believed that these energies corresponded with ovulation. In contrast, during the New Moon, the energy of the moon wanes and the darkness allows solar energy to become dominant. Solar energy includes light, vitality, and warmth, and is associated with Shiva, the masculine counterpart to Shakti. Further qualities representing this energy include detachment, consciousness, and stillness. Thus, ancient healers believed this was the time to let go of the menstrual blood and rest.

Though your menstrual cycle may not be aligned with the moon phases, you can still honor the energies of your own inner rhythms and the natural rhythms of Mother Nature. This starts with simply bringing awareness to your own body and cycle and bringing awareness to the cycles of Mother Nature.

Embracing the magic of energy

The definitions of “energy” from Oxford Languages include the following:

The strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.
Power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines.
The property of matter and radiation which is manifest as a capacity to perform work (such as causing motion or the interaction of molecules).

Regardless whether or not you believe in ancient, indigenous healing systems or prefer Western science, you can’t deny that the definitions of energy above are represented equally by both.

In the West, energy is what would be considered a “soft” skill. It’s not something that can be taught through a clear process, like how to do math or how to read. It’s a skill that must be practiced and intuited. In order to intuit anything, you must trust in the concept of energy itself, and this is hard for many people to do, especially if you’re a fan of rational thinking and skeptical of anything that can’t be explained scientifically. Energy is magical and oftentimes can’t be explained logically. However, once you experience “energy” for yourself, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a believer in its power.

What affects your energy?

Food

You receive energy from the food you eat. Different foods have different effects on your energy and some foods affect people in different ways. Take caffeine for example. Some people can drink a whole pot of coffee and be just fine while others can’t even tolerate half a cup. In Ayurveda, foods are categorized by six different tastes and each dosha tolerates some of the tastes over others. Eating seasonally and in accordance with your doshas is the best way to maintain balance and overall wellbeing in the Ayurvedic tradition.

Movement

You know how you feel when you finish a great workout? That “runner’s high” or post-yoga bliss can be attributed to chemical processes in the body that produce a shift in your overall energy and mood. Moving your body is a great way to exercise your heart, pump blood throughout your body, and get that lymph moving. Movement can help stimulate internal responses such as digestion as well. All of this contributes to an overall good feeling that can’t be denied—you feel better when your body moves freely! Because everything in the human system is interconnected, when the body moves freely, the energy follows.

Breath

Breath is the prime mover of energy in the Yoga tradition. The quality of your breath matters. Fast, shallow breathing can create frenetic movement of energy throughout the subtle channels and exacerbate issues such as an inability to focus, listlessness, or anxiety. Holding the breath can also cause anxiety or lead to stagnant energy that manifests as lethargy and depression. Long, slow, smooth breathing allows energy to move freely throughout the body and provides the balanced energetic ecosystem the subtle body needs to function optimally. Breathwork is some of the most important work you can do in your yoga practice and is a great sadhana to add to your daily routine. It doesn’t have to take a long time and you don’t need fancy, stretchy pants or a $100 yoga mat to do it either.

Sleep

If you’ve ever had a child, you know how lack of sleep can affect how your brain functions. Sleep is so important for the body physiologically and energetically. While sleeping, your body gets the chance to digest, metabolize, and replenish energy so that you feel fresh in the morning and ready to tackle the day. A lack of sleep and/or rest deprives you of this needed refresh and your energy will feel less focused, less capable, and less supportive.

Mother Nature

Finally, Mother Nature provides some of the most grounding energy. The effects of Mother Nature on the natural world are well-documented. If you’ve ever suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder (or lived in Ohio…😊) you know that the presence of the sun affects your mood. The sun provides strong energy to the Earth in the form of light and the body absorbs some of that energy. Being outside is a great antidote to all kinds of ailments. Fresh air can make you think more clearly, resolve problems, and feel fresh. A walk through the forest provides the grounding energy of the Earth that can ease anxiety and help calm you down. A hike up a mountain can get you in touch with earth, air, and space elements, giving you balanced perspective, a sense of awe, and a potent reminder of your connection to spirit. And being near water is soothing, cooling, and motivating all at the same time. Engaging with any of the elements in Nature is a sure-fire way to bring your body’s subtle energy back into alignment.

How to use the energy of the Moon in modern life

Getting acquainted with the lunar cycle is a great way to get acquainted with your own cycles. Even though there is no scientific proof that the moon’s energy has any affect on the female reproductive cycle, there is an undeniable effect when you are intentional about using the moon as a reflective symbol for cultivating specific qualities. For example, at the Full Moon embrace and celebrate your femininity. At the New Moon, rest, relax, and reflect. Using the moon as a guidepost to schedule intentional practices will help you tap into and harness the energies associated with this celestial symbol. I prefer this perspective and approach because it aligns with the Yogic tradition. You are ultimately responsible for your own energy. There is no God, Goddess, or outside influence that can heal you, save you, or change you. You hold all the power to take the actions—physical, energetic, mental, and spiritual—that will transform your life.

I hope you’ll join me in 2024 to gather, practice, chant, play, celebrate, move, breathe, and explore the energies of the Moon, Sun, Mother Nature, goddesses, and the Yogic tradition.

The simplest thing you can do to start aligning your own inner rhythms with those of Nature is to get outside, breathe, and notice the moon 🙂.

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