Deep into the month of May, and if your 2021 ride has not been wild enough, you had better strap in! There is a Full Moon on Wednesday and it's both a Supermoon AND a total lunar eclipse. What does it mean, you ask, and why should I care? Let's break it down.
This month's full moon is the closest to the Earth the moon will come all year. When it rises, it will appear HUGE, hence the term "Supermoon." Even if you are not aware of the subtle influence the moon may have on our bodies, just keep in mind that the ocean tides are under its sway, and we are more that 75% water...it's just physics, people. If that isn't enough to pique your curiosity, there is a total lunar eclipse that same day. Now we won't be able to see the eclipse from the (B)east coast, but those in other parts of North America will have a great view. Here is a link to the dates and times of both the full moon and the eclipse. And here is an interesting read on the purported esoteric significance of lunar eclipses.(I am not saying I believe this to be so, but it IS food for thought.) And finally, this particular moon is called the Flower Moon, for obvious reasons, you know, April showers bring May WHAT?! Flowers. So yeah, there it is. In this week's asana practice, we will play with tuning in to the softer and more subtle energies of the moon. Link and times below. xo Nicole
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Would we call it ironic that on the heels of Mother's Day, I find myself home alone, my youngest daughter having moved to her first apartment this weekend? Whatever we call it, it is hitting hard. No matter how many carbs I have noshed, no matter that I spent a lovely weekend on the water dog-sitting for a friend, nor the 90 minute drive to a nearby town to visit at a barbecue joint with a west coast bestie I haven't seen in years, now that I am here and just feeling into the relative silence at my house, I really feel ALONE.
Now ALONE and lonely are not the same, I have oft been careful to point out. As a single woman over 50, I am VERY happy, and spend a lot of time by myself. But until now, there has been a constant sense of myself as a mother, with duties only as far away as the sound of the garage door opening and footsteps clomping up the stairs. But now I am left with just myself and a couple of cats. Even though the feline needs are frfr(that's for real for real for those who are NOT parent to a gen Z or millennial) I feel heart-sore at the absence of those babies, turned toddlers, turned tweens, turned teens, turned young women ready to fledge. And I don't know if I am ready to like it yet. So I will sit and I will feel. I will not push away what I am beginning to recognize as grief mixed with love and pride. And I will practice the yoga of letting go. Join me for asana this week by clicking the link below. xo Nicole The month of May is upon us. Or we are in it. Or that which has gone before is now embodied in May. Anyway...
When I was doing a little research around what May has traditionally represented, I expected to read about May Day and the Maypole, the Celtic festival of Beltane, and maybe a nod to Mother's day. What I did not remember, or maybe never learned, is that May 1 is also International Worker's Day or Labor Day. I was intrigued, and continued to read about the situation in the US that lead to an 8 hour work day, and 5 day work week. These standards that are taken for granted by most people I know were not easily won. In fact, there was protesting, rioting, and violence, toward the police and by the police toward protesters. The year this movement toward workers rights came to a boiling point was 1886. Read more about it here. All of this has me comparing what happened then with many of the other hard fought liberties and standards I take for granted today, that were won by the commitment, action, and bloodshed of others throughout history . Even the protests and actions that have taken place in the last crazy year. It also has me thinking that it is really when human beings unite toward a common goal that large scale change can happen. And while the powers that operate against the highest good and freedom for all work to divide and conquer, the option is still available to each of us to identify and embody Liberty, make a decision to STAND for it, and unite with others willing to stand along with us to create the change we want to see in the world. You might wonder "how?" There is a great unifying field that we can all tap into. That field is Love. We find it when we turn within and seek it. Once found it acts as an organizing force that attracts and draws to us people and opportunities that resonate with Love. There is more intrinsic power in Love than in any energy that seeks to divide or enslave. While this may sound too simple, I have found that simple does not mean easy. I invite you to contemplate what "liberty" means, and why it is so foundational in our US Constitution. If it seems important or valuable, maybe go that much further and test the other idea I've offered up. In the meantime, I hope you will join me for yoga this week. Click through below to see my schedule and join a class! xo Nicole |