Bhavana and Possibilities

a few small gems on the Black Moon

Dec 31, 2024

Today there’s a black moon, which is the second new moon in a month. Just as with blue moons (which occur when there are two full moons in a month), it doesn’t happen all the time. Of course, it’s really a thing because of the Gregorian calendar that we follow. The reason I think the moon is important is because it follows a natural cycle and puts us in touch with natural rhythms.

In my yoga journey, I like to align myself with the seasons, phases of the moon, and phases of my life. If we connect to these various cycles, we can choose and organize our yoga practice with more relevance to our lives.

Here’s what I mean on a small scale:

I like to think of the new moon as a pause at the end of each exhalation. Try it. It’s a moment of stillness, reflection, and transition. Then, as we inhale, that aligns with the waxing moon and the full moon awaits us at the pause that crowns each inhalation. Repeat. Don’t force the pause, the inhalation, or the exhalation. All of these will find their own rhythm. I so love this way of breathing because it naturally adjusts itself to your body’s needs in the moment. If you’ve ever tried controlling the length of your breath by counting, you’ll know what I mean.

No counting required for this; it’s all about noticing your breath’s natural rhythm, feeling how your body responds, and letting things flow without force. Writer, activist, and yoga teacher Uma Dinsmore-Tuli calls it Circle of Flowing Breath.

As we approach the new year, rather than pushing forward ambitiously toward a goal, I wonder if we can hang back and just dream a little bit? Forget about what you want to accomplish in the year ahead and instead take a moment to reflect on how you want to feel. It has occurred to me that maybe such a shift in focus could bring to light not only what we want to aim for, but why, and how we want it to make us feel.

There’s nothing wrong with goals and planning of course, but it can be more appropriate to occasionally shift into a more receptive state. Ashley Zuberi posted today on sankalpa, which is such a powerful yoga practice that goes deeper than making resolutions or setting goals. There’s a receptive quality to it that goes deeper than our conscious minds. I also wrote a post last year on sankalpa, which helps me every time I revisit it.

In addition to sankalpa, I wanted to share some thoughts on bhavana; here and here are some articles on the topic, but in short, it’s what gives our yoga practices meaning and infuses each pose and breath with feeling and focus. It is almost a form of yogic daydreaming, but it brings us to center rather than flinging our attention far and wide on a random path.

I’ll write another post on this in weeks to come, but for now, consider how you might picture yourself rooted, flexible, and strong when you stand in Vrksasana (Tree Pose). Now imagine how this might translate into other poses. If you’d like some poetic inspiration, I highly recommend the poems of Corie Feiner right here on Substack!

Happy Black Moon, Yoga Mamas! It’s bedtime for me; I hope you all rest well tonight, too:)

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