Flowing with the Moon: Aligning Your Yoga Practice with Lunar Energy

I’ve always been fascinated by the moon. There’s something so grounding about stepping outside at night, looking up, and noticing which phase she’s in - basking in her light or feeling held in her velvet darkness. The moon reminds us of life’s ebb and flow - sometimes we feel full of energy and ready to shine, while other times we need rest, reflection, and renewal. By aligning my Yoga practice with the moon, I’ve found a beautiful rhythm that connects me more deeply to nature, my body, and my intentions and I hope this will inspire you to look to the night sky too.

The moon has captivated humanity for millennia, guiding tides, shaping agriculture, and stirring human emotion. Ancient cultures across the world revered the moon for its powerful energy, seeing it as a mirror of life’s cycles - ever-changing, yet constant. In Yoga, we too honor these rhythms, seeking harmony not just within ourselves but with the natural world around us.

When we weave lunar energy into our practice, Yoga becomes more than movemen - it becomes a powerful ritual of connection, balance, and flow.

Yoga is a practice of union - body, mind, spirit, and the natural world. The moon, with her steady cycle of growth and release, also embodies this union. Each phase carries its own energy, nudging us toward stillness, strength, release, or expansion.

Just as the moon pulls at the tides, she influences the water within us - subtly shifting our energy levels, moods, and emotions. Some days we naturally crave strong, fiery flows; other days we need to slow down, breathe, and rest. Listening to the moon’s phases helps us honor those shifts, rather than resisting them.

One of the most well-known lunar-inspired practices in Yoga is the Moon Salutation (Chandra Namaskar) - a beautiful grounding, cooling sequence designed to honor the moon’s calming energy. But in addition to this sequence, traditionally done during the New or Full moon, we can align our Yoga practice with any part of the lunar cycle, from meditation and journaling to intentional movement and breathwork.

New Moon - The dark sky of the New Moon is like a blank canvas - quiet, still, and full of potential, a time for new beginnings. This phase invites us to pause, ground ourselves, and set intentions for the cycle ahead. Energy is often low, and you might feel like you need some deep rest and do nothing but some breathwork or meditation to help you plant seeds of intention for the cycle ahead.. If you have the energy, then a gentle, inviting practice like Yin Yoga feels especially nourishing.

One of my favorite Yin poses during this phase is Reclining Butterfly Pose Konasana (Supta Baddha Konasana), a deeply restorative posture that opens the hips and heart while creating space for new beginnings to take root.

Waxing Moon - As the moon begins to grow into the Waxing Moon, her energy builds with each passing night. This is a time of momentum, growth, and expansion - a phase that mirrors the feeling of springtime awakening. Adding some strength-building and dynamic flows or poses that challenge you and reflect your own growth can feel really empowering and supportive.

On the mat, I like to include poses that encourage stability and growth like Chair Pose (Utkatasana) which embodies this phase perfectly: it calls on inner strength, builds heat, and helps you step confidently into your intentions.

Full Moon - When the moon reaches her fullness, we arrive at the Full Moon, a time of illumination, celebration, and heightened energy. Many people feel more vibrant, restless, or emotional during this phase (just think about where the word lunatic comes from...),- it’s as if everything is amplified under the moon’s glow. No wonder this phase can also affect your sleep...

Energizing practices like Vinyasa or Power Yoga feel natural here, but balance them with pranayama and mindfulness to avoid overstimulation. It's also a beautiful time to explore heart-opening postures that help us shine and radiate fully.

I love Camel Pose (Ustrasana) during the Full Moon, as it expands the chest and lifts the heart toward the sky, inviting you to embody the fullness of your light.

Waning Moon - As the moon begins to wane, her light softens and her energy turns inward as we're cycling back to the dark phase. The Waning Moon is a time of release, reflection, surrender, and letting go - an invitation to clear space for renewal. Practices during this phase often feel more grounding, reflective, and slow, especially with poses like forward folds, twists, and long, restorative holds to support both body and mind in softening and surrendering.

I often turn to Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana), a gentle yet powerful posture that aids in detoxification and offers the symbolic act of wringing out what no longer serves me, making space for the cycle ahead.

There are some easy ways to incorporate lunar rituals with your Yoga practice and we've already mentioned the first one...:

1. Moon Salutations: Do a few rounds of Chandra Namaskar especially during the New or Full Moon. This sequence honors the moon’s calming energy and encourages balance within.

   
   

2. Meditation and Journaling: You can use meditation and journaling to work with intentions or affirmations to help you align with mental, spiritual or practical goals. E.g. you can set an intention under the New Moon and then reflect on how the intention supported you during the Full Moon. But you can do this for the other phases too and here are some examples:

   • Journaling prompt for the New Moon: 'What intentions or seeds do I want to plant for the cycle ahead?'

   • Journaling prompt for the Waxing Moon: 'Where in my life am I being called to grow, expand, or step forward?'

   • Journaling prompt for the Full Moon: 'What am I grateful for, and how can I celebrate the fullness of my journey so far?'

   • Journaling prompt for the Waning Moon: 'What am I ready to release or let go of in order to create more space in my life?'

   
   

3. Moonlit Yoga: If you've never done this before then I highly recommend that you try practicing Yoga in the moonlight, especially during a Full Moon. I love doing this outside, but you don't have to, just enjoying the Full Moon light indoors can be enough for a transformative experience. The soft light and serene atmosphere enhance the meditative quality of your practice, it's like a shower for the soul.

   
   

4. Pranayama: Breathing exercises like breathing in and out of the left nostril only (Chandra Bhedana) can cool the body and calm the mind, connecting you with the moon’s soothing energy.

Aligning your Yoga practice with the moon is more than a physical exercise - it’s a way of honoring nature’s rhythms and remembering that we are part of them. By flowing with the moon, you may find yourself feeling more balanced, more at peace, and more connected to both your inner self and the world around you.

The moon teaches us that it’s okay to shine brightly, to rest deeply, to grow, and to let go - in fact it's necessary, since we can't always be 'go go go' - despite what our modern world demands... When you mirror these cycles on your mat, Yoga becomes more than movement - it becomes a sacred ritual of harmony with nature.

Next time you roll out your mat, take a moment to look up at the night sky. Where is the moon, and how can you honor her energy in your practice today? I also invite you to join the Moonlit Serenity Restorative Yoga Session on Sep 7 to celebrate the Full Moon Eclipse (also called a Blood Moon) in Pisces, for a taste of lunar inspired Yoga.

OH, and if you have a pet, you might also ask - where are THEY in your practice, since they're always so keen to help out as you can see in this 'behind the scene' collage'...