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For many who take heed to its subtle energies, the total Moon offers us insights into personal development and spiritual maturation. Every full Moon is different, largely because of the influence of the sign it resides in that day.
On Sunday, October 9, 2022, the total Moon in Aries will illuminate the night. A cardinal fire sign, Aries invites us to initiate things and take motion toward our goals. Fiery Aries energy wants us to cultivate motivation and self-belief. Often related to passion and even aggression, Aries energy will be used as a robust catalyst to bring about needed change.
The total Moon in Aries is a particularly powerful time for brand spanking new beginnings. It is a potent time to ask yourself where you have got turn out to be inert and dormant, where you desire change, and the way you possibly can reconnect to your passions and desires. In case you’re someone who tends to attend around for the “right time,” then the total Moon in Aries will provide the nudge you would like. Cultivate your inner self-confidence and trust in your personal abilities. Ask yourself, “Why NOT me?” and “Why NOT now?”
A vinyasa yoga practice for the total Moon in Aries
This 30-minute vinyasa yoga sequence will enable you cultivate confidence and stoke your inner fire. Since Aries rules the pinnacle and the neck, we’ll begin with some stretches to release this area. A seated pranayama practice awakens your solar plexus chakra. Then, a tackle traditional Sun Salutations helps clear your mind and give attention to prana, your life force energy. A Warrior series challenges your balance and strength in your lower legs, while cooling forward folds help balance out all that fireside.
Consider closing your eyes during your practice to assist focus. Before you begin, it’s possible you’ll wish to take just a few rounds of Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutation A) to enable you release the thoughts and tension from earlier in your day so you possibly can tune in additional deeply to your breath and your practice. In case you’re following together with the video, we’ll take a modified version of Sun Salutation A after the opening seated and kneeling stretches.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Sukhasana (Easy Seat) with neck stretch
Come right into a cross-legged seat along with your shoulders over your hips or another comfortable seated position. Start along with your hands resting in your lap and take just a few breaths to settle into your body.
Lean your right ear toward your right shoulder. To emphasise the stretch in your neck, gently walk your left hand out to the side away out of your left hip. You might have the choice to position your right hand just above your left temple and lift your head toward your hand for a deeper stretch. Take no less than 5 breaths here before you release to the middle. Repeat on the opposite side.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Sukhasana (Easy Seat) with shoulder stretch
Remain seated and release each hands to your lap. Interlace your fingers, flip your palms away from you, and stretch your arms toward the ceiling. Lift and lengthen through the perimeters of your body whilst you concurrently root down through your sit bones. Inhale and feel yourself drawing strength and power into your solar plexus (navel area). As you exhale, lower your arms parallel to the bottom and press your palms forward as you round your back and drop your chin toward your chest. Allow the humility and give up of this shape to bring you into balance.
Inhale and extend the arms toward the ceiling again and lift your chest. Exhale and round your spine and lower your arms again. Repeat this no less than 5 more times, allowing your breath to be long, slow, and deep.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge)
From Sukhasana, transition to Tabletop pose, perhaps taking just a few rounds of Cat and Cow if you happen to like. From Tabletop, step your right foot forward and lift your chest to search out Low Lunge. Allow your hips to sink toward the ground. As you inhale, sweep your hands as much as the ceiling and look up. Hook your thumbs and let your fingers spread wide. Exhale and convey a soft bend into your elbows and feel your heart lifting toward the ceiling. Attempt to loosen up your shoulders and hug your thighs together for stability. Take 5 deep breaths here.
Whenever you’re ready, make your way back to Tabletop and repeat on the opposite side. From Tabletop on the second side, tuck your toes and lift your hips to search out Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog). In case you like, you possibly can take a number of rounds of Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutation A).
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Virabhadrasana I (Warrior 1 Pose)
From Down Dog, inhale as you look forward and step your right leg high, and exhale as you step forward and place your foot inside your right hand. Find the mat along with your back heel and square your hips toward the front of the mat. Lift your torso and convey your arms alongside your ears. Bend your front knee and see if you happen to can lift your back thigh farther away from the mat. Take your gaze forward with strength and determination. Root right down to stand up. Stay here for five powerful, intentional breaths.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Humble Warrior
Inhale and release your hands behind your back and interlace your fingers. Press back into your palms and lift your heart. Exhale and lower your chest inside your right thigh and let your fists fall forward toward the front of the mat as you come into Humble Warrior. Keep pressing into each feet. Full breath in. Full breath out. Notice how even fiery movement can enable you find calm and peace inside.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2 Pose)
From Humble Warrior, press into each feet and inhale, lift up, and release your hands and lift them alongside your ears. Exhale and widen your stance to search out Warrior 2 Pose. Turn your back foot parallel to the short side of the mat and stretch each of your arms out long, straight out out of your shoulders and parallel to the mat, and take a look at to center your shoulders over your hips. Bend your right knee and gaze forward over your right fingertips with strength and determination. Strengthen your heart, strengthen your legs. Stay here for five long, slow breaths.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Shanti or Viparita Virabhadrasana (Peaceful or Reverse Warrior Pose)
From Warrior 2, turn your right palm as much as face the ceiling and lean back, lengthening through your right hip. Reach your left hand down your back thigh and reach your right fingertips toward the back of your mat, coming into Peaceful or Reverse Warrior. Focus your energy in your side body here. You need to feel many of the extension coming out of your right hip.
From here, straighten your front leg. Keep yourself rooted through your feet and lengthen along your right side body. Whenever you’re ready, windmill your arms right down to frame your front foot and are available onto the ball of your back foot in a lunge. You may step back to take a vinyasa or step straight back to Down Dog. Allow yourself just a few moments to rest in Downward-Facing Dog.
Repeat the above sequence on the alternative side, starting with Warrior 1 in your left side.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Virabhadrasana III (Warrior 3 Pose)
From Downward-Facing Dog, make your method to stand at the highest of your mat. Take your gaze forward and root yourself down through each feet. Lift your right knee toward your chest as you reach each hands overhead. Slowly release your hands to prayer position at your heart as you extend your right leg back behind you. See if you happen to can bring your torso parallel with the ground in Warrior 3. Keep reaching through your lifted heel while reaching forward through the crown of your head. In case you feel able, you possibly can reach each arms in front of you alongside your ears. Keep in mind that it’s okay to fall. Give yourself permission to try again.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Eka Pada Utkatasana (One-Legged Chair Pose)
From Warrior 3, slowly come back to standing upright in your left leg and draw your right knee in toward your chest again. Moving slowly and focusing your gaze forward, place your right ankle in your left knee. You may stay here if the stretch in your outer right hip feels adequate, or to accentuate it, begin to lower your hips as if you happen to’re sitting in a chair. Keep rooting down through your left foot and lifting your chest to elongate through your back. Stay here for five breaths. In case you occur to fall, slowly come back into the pose. Slowly come back to standing before releasing your right foot to the mat beneath you.
Repeat the above sequence on the alternative side, starting with Warrior 3 on the left side.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Uttana Shishosana (Prolonged Puppy Pose)
From standing at the highest of the mat, make your way back to Tabletop. In case you’d wish to close out with one final vinyasa, accomplish that now. From Tabletop, stretch your arms out long in front of you, dropping your brow to the ground while keeping your hips above your knees in Puppy Pose. You may stay here and breathe or bring your hands together in a prayer position and bend your elbows to bring your thumbs to the back of your neck. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
From Puppy, slowly lift back up and make your method to a seated position along with your legs straight in front of you. Inhale as you sit up tall, lifting your chest away out of your hips. As you exhale, slowly begin to fold forward out of your hips as if you happen to were bringing your chest toward your toes in Seated Forward Fold. Stay here for an extra 5-10 breaths.
(Photo: Sierra Vandervort)
Savasana
From Seated Forward Fold, bring yourself to lie all the best way back on the ground in Savasana. Bring your ankles toward the corners of the mat and release your arms by your sides. Let all of your limbs be heavy and release any hold you had in your breath. Stay still and rest for 4-10 minutes.
Then, if you’re ready, slowly find some movement. Eventually make your method to sitting and pause here before you ease back into your day. Perhaps, for the remainder of the day, you possibly can notice a subtle sense of calm confidence in yourself.
About our contributor
Sierra Vandervort is a author, modern mystic, and community builder. She’s been practicing yoga for nearly a decade and was certified to show in 2018. Sierra’s The Mystic Members Club helps women deepen their spiritual studies, feel powerful, and construct a community of like-minded souls. She likes to guide them to their witchy side by helping them embrace the arrogance and abundance they deserve. She’s also an avid traveller, dancer, author, and music lover. You’ll find her at thelocalmystic.com, on Instagram @thelocalmystic, and on YouTube.