Each Lunar Cycle begins with the New Moon. She is barely visible in the sky. We are all connected to the rhythms of nature and this slow down in lunar energy can impact your own energy as well. Use this time as an invitation to retreat, turn inwards, rest, and reflect on your intentions for the cycle ahead.
You will stay low on your mat for the duration of this 10 minute New Moon Yoga Practice to reinforce your connection with the earth beneath you and to invite rest to conserve your energy for the growing cycle ahead.
Let’s Begin
Find a comfortable seat on your mat and begin the practice by bringing your hands to heart centre. Close your eyes or lower gaze and take a couple of breaths. Feel your body relaxing down and being supported by the Earth beneath you.
Bring your focus to your New Moon Intention. What seeds are you sowing?
Crocodile Pose
Slowly open up your eyes and lower yourself down into Crocodile Pose. Lie down on your tummy, bringing your hands underneath your forehead. Send your feet out to the edges of the mat.
The invitation here is to relax and release your body down into the Earth beneath you. This is a lovely pose to help you let go of any tension or stress that you’re holding onto.
Notice how your breath pushes your tummy down into the mat, increasing your connection with the Earth beneath you.
Sphinx Pose
Come up into a Sphinx pose next. Take your elbows underneath your shoulders, bringing your gaze down in front of you, making sure that you are not straining your neck.
This pose helps to stimulate your digestive organs and turning down towards the ground helps you to draw inwards and relieve stress.
Thread the Needle Pose
Release your forehead down to your mat and bring your hands underneath your shoulders and come up into a tabletop position.
Reach your right hand up to the sky and take a few wrist circles before moving and threading your hand through the back of your left arm into Thread the Needle pose. Breathing into the stretch here cross your shoulders and upper back.
Come back up to centre and repeat on the left-hand side.
Take a rest now in Child Pose for as long as you need. Then come to lie down on your back.
Bring your knees in towards your chest and take notice of how you are feeling right now.
Keep hold of your right shin and release your left leg down towards the mat. Then switch legs keeping hold of your left shin and release your right leg down towards the mat. Repeat this a few times.
Supine Spinal Twists
Moving into Supine Spinal Twists. Pull both knees in towards your chest. Extend your left hand out to the side, drawing your knees over to the right, placing your right hand on the top of your thighs. Gaze set up to the sky or over towards your left hand.
Come back to centre and repeat on the opposite side.
Working deep into your digestive organs to massage and stimulate blood flow to the abdomen.
Come back to centre and hold your knees again. Take notice of how you are feeling. What has changed since you began this practice?
Savasana
Moving into the final posture now. Take up space as you move into Savasana.
It is so important that you take this pause at the end of yoga practice to rest and let your body absorb all of the work you have just done.
Repeat the following mantra as you lie back in Savasana “I am ready to embrace New Beginnings.”
Yoga for the New Moon (video support)
Video Support for this practice is available below, plus an optional Meditation for the New Moon. This would be the ideal follow on to the yoga practice.
Further Suggested Posts:
7 Abundant Full Moon Yoga Poses
Permission to Rest – a 40 Minute Yoga Practice for Menstruation
