April Full Moon - Refining your journey

Hello Moonchild :)

How has the eclipse season treated you? Were you able to follow the guidance from the previous blogs and be a witness to all that unfolded so far?

I personally sense the cloudiness of the eclipse time dissolving, the heaviness dissipating and clarity emerging. I feel more energy to approach and accomplish tasks. There is definitely a fieriness to the time, in a good way. You might notice that while it felt possibly volatile and explosive in the last month, if you explore channelling these energies, they flow in a rhythmic, contained yet uplifting way quite easily.

The Full Moon rises this evening, 1st April. In India, it is Chaitra Purnima, the first Purnima in the year according to Hindu lunar calendar. Hanuman Jayanti is also observed under this moon. We celebrate the birth of one of the central characters in the epic of Ramayana - Hanuman, known for his qualities of loyalty, courage, selflessness, humility, devotion, perseverance and strength. Contemplate on one or more of these these qualities that you may have and how they are supporting your life right now. Some of these may have come to serve you as part of the transformations fueled by the eclipses.

This Full Moon gifts you a gentle pause to sit down, reflect on where you are at, cleanse, release whatever is standing in the way of your progress and thereby enhance your energy for the way forward. It is a conducive time to quieten down and cultivate equanimity to prepare for what is coming.

What can you do today?

Set aside about an hour. You can do this anytime, ideally post moonrise. Try not to take it too close to your sleep time.

(Please check Moonrise/Moonset timings, I use the My Moon Phase app.)

Start by creating a safe and sacred physical space for the ritual. Choose a room that you feel comfortable in and will not be disturbed. You can decorate the space with flowers, incense and anything else that holds meaning for you. Light a candle or ghee diya. Keep your journal and pen handy.

Sit down and close eyes. Offer gratitude to your Gurus and ancestors. Visualize a Full Moon in your eyebrow centre, take a few breaths asking the lunar energies to guide you.

A. GROUNDING

Ground by lying down on the bare earth/floor. Be aware of the parts of the body in touch with Mother Earth. Visualize taking in energy from the earth as you inhale and releasing into the earth as you exhale. Roll on the floor so that more parts of the body get in touch with the Earth. Facilitate the process of discharging excess/unwanted/chaotic energies in the body.

B. REFLECTION

Reflect on how life has been lately, primarily the last couple of months - pre, during and post eclipse. Replay the incidents, events and shifts that have happened.

Write these down as points in your journal. Next to each of these, write down your feeling, emotions and thoughts associated with them. Read them to see which of these might need work from your end. Keep your journal aside.

C. MOVEMENT

Choose a movement modality that you are familiar with, that stretches the body, opens up the heart space and allows you to spend some time in the hip region. It must be soft and slow in nature.

This could be an asana practice in which case, sequence together poses close to the ground that include mild hip and heart openers. Prone (lying face and belly down) and supine (lying down facing up) poses that integrate these openers are good options.

A slow intuitive dance that follows the body's guidance will work well too. Again, stay close to the ground and connect different parts of the body to the earth as much as possible.

D. REVIEW THE REFLECTION

Sit down, close eyes and take a few breaths with focus in the heart space.

Read what you have written.

Ask yourself: Where to I need to realign or change?

Write down what surfaces for you.

E. BREATH PRACTICE FOR STILLNESS

Sit cross-legged or on a chair with your spine erect.

Take chin mudra with palms resting on the knees.

Observe the inhale and exhale.

Gradually equalize both without straining the breath.

Then observe the pauses between the breaths.

Start residing in these pauses, keeping awareness here for a count of 1 or 2, depending on what you are comfortable with. Do not force it and create tension.

Do this for 21 breaths.

F. FINAL REVIEW AND SETTLING

Read what you have answered in step D.

Sit with it for a while with normal breathing and a relaxed body.

G. CLOSING

Close the ritual by offering gratitude to your ancestors, Gurus, the Moon and Mother Earth.

Have a beautiful Full Moon practice and a harmonious and productive month ahead!

Love & Gratitude

Sheetal