This past week I was inspired as I was practicing Moon Salutations for my Facebook Live Yoga class at Oakland University Recreation Center’s At-Home Studio. The above image is my illustration of the May Full Moon: The Flower Moon.
The week the governor’s stay home order hit and all of my yoga classes and events were cancelled, was due to be the the most hectic work week for me yet. The message in this “perfect” timing, was not lost on me. Life in general and my yoga teaching in particular has moved from the active, hectic, always-running, never-stopping speed, to almost complete stillness. The question has become, how do I find a sustainable life, filled with joy and completeness amidst this new reality?
As I prepared and taught my Full Moon sequence, I contemplated these questions. My reason for choosing this sequence, following several weeks of teaching Sun Salutations, mirrored my personal journey through this pandemic. When the May Full Moon, the Flower Moon, shone in the sky on May 7th, I was ready for it.
I was reminded of one of my favorite photos that I took a year ago, which happened to be of the May Full Moon. This image fills me with wonder, peace, and contentment.
In preparation for teaching my weekly class this past Sunday, I read a wonderful book, which was published only last year: “Moon Salutations: Women’s Journey Through Yoga to Healing, Power, and Peace” by Laura Cornell, PhD. As I studied this book, I gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Moon Salutations sequence. Moon Salutations help to complement and balance the benefits of the widely practiced Sun Salutations. They cool and calm the nervous system.
As I had anticipated, the May Full Moon arrived this past Thursday, in all its splendor. The night and early morning sky was clear and perfect for viewing the moon. As I looked upward into the heavens, I could not help but feel that whatever goes on here in the earthly, human realm – be it struggles, triumphs, pain, joy…whatever it is – there are some things that are more vast and enduring than any human concern. I felt so small and my problems felt smaller. The trivialities of my day – for a time at least – faded away into the background. Whatever small matter that had me so irritated earlier that day, seemed quite minuscule in comparison to the infinite beauty of the night sky and the enduring presence of the moon.
Another point that I had read which struck me, was that the Full Moon is viewed on the same night anywhere and everywhere in the world. No matter our differences or the space and distance between us; we all share in this view of the full moon on the same night. The moon unifies all of us.
My Moon Salutations practice has inspired me on my journey of personal healing. This is hardly surprising as yoga tends to bring our focus inward, and Moon Salutations do this even more so.
Perhaps this introspective time spent studying and practicing, rather than rushing endlessly from one place to the next, working and teaching, has given me an unprecedented opportunity to heal.
I have learned much about the moon this month! The May full moon goes by the name: “Flower Moon” as it corresponds with the flowers that begin to bud and bloom in May here in the northern hemisphere. In native cultures it signifies both fertility and healing. Despite the pandemic, and the still chilly temperatures this May, flowers are still beginning to bloom! Even when we may see our lives as not full, life is here to remind us of its fullness. The Full Moon reminds us of the eternal fullness of life. Change, of course, is inevitable. We see this each month in the phases of the moon. We see it in the changes of the seasons. Life inevitably returns to fullness, just like the moon.
When is the last time we slowed down enough to look at the night sky, or to watch the flowers bloom? Maybe this is the time. Maybe we shouldn’t miss this opportunity. Even in the midst of challenges, if we look closely enough, we may be able to find the fullness of our own lives. This is what I am hoping to do. May all of our lives be full.
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Lisa Calice, E-RYT 200, YACEP, BFA, CDP
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