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| Hi,
Can anyone clear up what is a moon day and what isn't please? 17th April is the dark moon for this month, but where I am it happens at 37 minutes after midnight tomorrow. So in effect half of today and 11 and a half hours of tomorrow are the moon day (in UK at least).
This is about 7 hours before I would practice tomorrow morning and 16 hours after I practiced today. Given that both practices are within a 24 hours of the actual new moon, why is Monday safe to practice and Tuesday not?
According to google (I have phases of the moon on my home page), for a few days after, the moon is only a few percentage points from new. How much difference does it make to the safety of the practice?
Is it all just mumbo jumbo, or does it have some real worth? It is kind of cool being aware of the moon's phases but has anyone out there had a misfortune by practicing on a moon day?
Ian |
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| Moondays are full or new moons.
Yes, I have forgotten and practiced. Generally I feel strong when the moon is near full and vice versa.
ERic
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Location: London, England | Hi Ian,
Well, I'm not too sure. A classic explanation of moondays is that as humans are about 75% water, and that the moon has such a large effect on the sea, that it has an effect on us too. But the moon only works on the sea because it has an open surface. Because the human is a closed unit, the moon's gravitational pull has no effect. I'm not discounting the moon's effect, but am convinced that the truth is probably far more complex. I wouldn't be surprised if people had different moondays, for example, that were effected by the lunar cycle, but the effects on each person were different. That's me being charitable  Otherwise, I would say it's stuff and nonsense, another control tool to make otherwise sane people do insane things-once they do those things, then they are prisoners. But I'll sit on the fence until it makes sense. Hey, that rhymes Nick-yoga rapper megastar
Nick |
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| Hi there fellow "Moonies"
I think in most cases it's mind over matter. If you're constantly preoccupied with the way moon days could possibly affect your practice, nine times out of ten you won't be able to focus on what matters. There are days when we feel out of balance because of what happens in our lives (work, family etc) and that feeling ~ for me at least ~ mostly carries over into practice. However, those days aren't necessarily moon days. Then, on the other hand, if I have a great day, then go to Mysore class in the evening without being fixated on the moon and its energies, the positiveness isn't affected in any way. It never hurts to try to be in tune with nature and our surroundings but these ideas are not carved in stone so listen to your body telling you what to do. I for one listen to all the voices in my head... 
Remember: The bumble-bee flies because it doesn't know its wings are too small for its weight. Sometimes it's better not too know too much...
Om Shanti
Aotearoa
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| I would just use whichever day it says on the calendar and not get too worried about it. Or take two days off! |
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| I've read the comparisons between farming and yoga. For example, you should plant seeds during new moon. Pull weeds during full moon. Just last month I went out into my yard during the last full moon to weed. I pulled up weeds so easily. It could be just mind over matter, but the weeds came out very easily.
I'm going to start using the matthew sweeney's moon sequence on moon days.
Eric
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| ian****er - 2007-04-16 11:51 AM
Is it all just mumbo jumbo, or does it have some real worth? It is kind of cool being aware of the moon's phases but has anyone out there had a misfortune by practicing on a moon day?
I don't think it's all mumbo jumbo, but I suspect that the effects are potentially pretty subtle. So it's a bit like living in a noisy flat. If one set of neighbors are throwing a really loud party, you're not going to notice the couple next door talking to each other. Once you eliminate the party, you'll notice the couple next door. Once you eliminate them, you'll find something else is distracting you.
As with most things yoga, pay attention, and see what works for you. You may or may not find that the moon days have effect on your practice.
Edited by GreenJello 2007-04-17 9:43 AM
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| I've practised Ashtanga Vinyasa on Moon days for 18 years and still live to tell the tale
SKPJ says that the non practise on moon days is traditional to Ashtanga Vinyasa, as taught to him by his teacher Sri Krishnamacharya.
Krishnamacharya's other students BKS Iyengar, Desikachar, (the brilliant) A G Mohan and Indra Deva don't follow this practise.
Jonathon |
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| .....and come to think about it, neither did Sri Krishnamacharya. |
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| Well, that's cleared that up then!  
Fee |
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| I look at the Moondays as a way to practice non-attachment. I rarely can practice six days a week anyway, so I don't have a major problem with that to begin with... I enjoy the chance to rest and reflect. |
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Moondays
