Full Moon: Celebration

Namaste, welcome. In Ayurveda, the moon is considered to be both vata and kapadosha because it changes every single day and that is the vata energy and then also because it controls the tides, it controls the water which is associated with kapadosha. Today's practice is going to be a full moon practice. This is one to call in some joy into our lives to feel a little bit more celebration and just to get the blood flowing and feel good in your body. We'll start off with varun mudra which is the mudra of water.

Take your pinky fingers and pull them in towards your palm and then catch them with your thumbs so you've got the index finger, middle finger and ring finger extended, thumb is catching the pinkies, you'll place that upright on your thighs and we'll start off with the moon mudra which is om cham tandraya namaha, 12 times. So find your seat, settle in, eyes can be open with a soft gaze or you can close the eyes 12 times om cham tandraya namaha, let's call in the joy. Om cham tandraya namaha, om cham tandraya namaha, om cham tandraya namaha, om cham tandraya namaha, om cham tandraya namaha, om cham tandraya namaha, om cham chandraya Om Cham Chandraya Namaha Om Cham Chandraya Namaha Om cham chandraya namah. Om cham chandraya namah. Om.

And take your breath in. Exhale it away. And then you can open up your eyes, release your mudra. And we're going to start off standing on the knees today. So take your knees about hip width apart, stretch your feet back behind you, and we'll do a little breath of joy.

So rise up to stand on your knees and reach your arms up. And then catch your elbows above your head, pull them into your belly, and fold right over them and let the head bow. And then again, press into the shins and inhale the arms up. And on the exhale, pull them into your belly. And you might change the crossing of the arms there.

Let's do that twice more. Inhale, lift. And exhale, fold. And inhale, rise. And exhale, bow.

And then the next time, reach up, rising up to stand on the knees. And this time, cactus your arms. So pull the elbows down and let the chest peek through the shoulders a little bit. And then take the gaze up, spread the fingers, tip up through the chin, look up. And then reach your arms back up.

And on the exhale, take a twist. Left hand to the outside of the right thigh, right hand back behind you. And I'm sitting back on my heels here. I'm looking over the right shoulder. Inhale, rise up to stand on the knees and reach the arms up.

Exhale, cactus your arms and lift your chest. Inhale, send the arms back up. And on the exhale, take your twist over to the other side. Right hand to the outside of the left thigh, left hand back behind you, looking over your left shoulder. Keep your left hand where it is and take your right hand back behind you.

So I'm on fingertips here. Press into the feet, tuck the pelvis under, and then lift up. You're having a little baby camel here. And you can take the gaze up. Open up through the chest.

Release your sit bones back down towards your heels. Take a dive onto your belly and snake your way through right into a cobra. Pushing down into the hands, gather the elbows in, lift the chest and the head. Child's pose with your breath out. And then hands under the shoulders.

Let's rise up to stand on the knees. Reach your arms up, breath of joy. Catch your elbows, pull them into your belly, and fold over them. Three more, inhale. And exhale.

Big, generous breath here. Inhale, rise up. Exhale, pull back in. Last time, inhale, reach. Exhale, fold.

And then once again, rise up to stand on the knees. Reach the arms up. Cactus your arms. Tip your chin up. Squeeze the shoulder blades together.

Inhale, reach the arms up. On the exhale, take a twist. This time, it's right hand to the outside of the left thigh. Left hand back behind you, looking over your left shoulder. Inhale, reach the arms up.

Come to stand on the knees. Pull the elbows back. Cactus the arms. Inhale the arms back up. And on the exhale, take your twist.

Left hand to the outside of the right thigh. Right hand back behind you, looking over your right shoulder. Keep your right hand where it is, and take the left hand back behind you. Tent your fingertips. Pushing into the feet, scoop the tailbone under.

Press down into the feet and lift the hips, squeezing the shoulder blades together. And you don't need to throw your head back quite so early. Just let it be sort of a soft tip upward through the chin. And then release your sit bones back down. Once again, dive onto the belly.

Slither your way through, cobra. And pressing back, downward facing dog. And you can move through bent knees there, sending the hips up and letting the head fall. And then once you're in your down dog, have a moment there, pressing the sacrum higher, dropping the head lower, and listening for your breath. And then lift your right leg up.

Breath in. Stepping through, come into a lunge. Spin your back, heel down. We're coming up to warrior one, reaching up through the arms. Join the palms above the head.

And then pull the elbows down. Lift the chest, cactus the arms. Right from there, interlace your fingers behind your back. Straighten out through your right leg and flex your right foot. Reach down through the fist of the hands and inhale.

Lift the chest and the head. On the exhale, bowing forward, devotional warrior. Draw the right hip back. Let the head drop down, reaching up through the arms. From here, we're coming into a lunge twist.

Left hand down, spin up your left heel. Open up your right arm. And there you are. Into a boomerang pose. So if you've never seen this one, check this in.

All 10 toes face the side of your mat. Reaching back through your right arm, you can look back over your right hand. With my right foot, my right foot is flat. And I'm on the outer edge of my left foot. From here, flip it around.

Wide straddle forward bend facing the opposite way. Prasari to padottanasana. Walk your hands forward and hop your feet together. Bend the knees, tuck the chin, and roll your way up to stand. At the top, reach your arms all the way up.

And then open your right foot out to the right standing breath of joy. Take the arms a little wider. Tip the chest up. Catch your elbows above your head, pull your feet together, and bow yourself forward. Let's take that out to the left.

Reach the arms open, lift the chest. Expand, and on the exhale, pull back in and fold right over your forearms. Rolling your way up, hop or step your feet real wide. Arms out to the sides. Right toes turn forward, left toes turn in, triangle pose.

And you can take the gaze up towards the left hand here and lean back. Find that hint of the back bend above the waist. And find your breath here. Use the inhale, pressing into the feet. Come on up.

On the exhale, warrior two. Give yourself a little bit more space between the feet there, and allow the right knee to bend deeply. Turn the right palm up, lean back. Peaceful warrior, reaching through the side waist. Bring your hands down to the ground.

Step back and either into a vinyasa or right into your downward facing dog. Let's try the left side. Reach your left leg up. Step it forward and spin the back heel down. Coming up, warrior one.

And then cactus the arms. Pull the elbows back. And lift the chest. Change the interlacing of your fingers behind your back. Straightening out your left leg.

Flex your left foot. Use the inhale to lift up through the chest and the head again, set it up. And then on the exhale, stepping into the left foot, bow yourself down, devotional warrior. Dropping the head. Taking the gaze back towards the lift of the inner right arch.

Right hand down, left arm up, lunge twist. You can spin up the back heel. Boomerang pose. Plant the right palm down. Turn all 10 toes to the left.

Left arm reaches back. On the outer edge of the right leg, stepping into the left foot. And then quick flip around. Wide straddle, forward bend over to the other side. Walk your fingers forward and hop or step your feet together.

Push down into your feet and roll your way up to stand. At the top, reach your arms all the way up. Stepping out, standing breath of joy. Left foot steps out to the left, open up. On the exhale, pull back in and fold down.

And then right foot steps out. Open up, lift the chest. Lean back. Exhale, pulling right back in. Roll up and hop or step your feet wide.

Arms out wide. Left toes turn out, right toes turn in, slightly triangle. Tipping the torso towards the front of your mat. Send the tailbone back, crown of the head forward. And listen for your breath.

Big and wide and full. Pressing into the feet, inhale your way up. On the exhale, warrior two. Peaceful warrior, lift the left arm up, lean back. Exhale your hands down.

Exhale your hands down to the ground. Step back, vinyasa, or right to dog. We'll build on that same sequence. Repeat and build, lift your right leg up. Stepping through into a lunge, spin your back, heel down, come on up, warrior one.

Cactus your arms, pull the elbows back, lift the chest. Interlace your fingers, begin to lift your back. Straightening out your right leg, flex your right foot. Tip the gaze up, lean back, breath in. Devotional warrior with your breath out, folding forward.

Right into your lunge twist. Left hand down, right arm up. That could be your breath in. Breath out into boomerang, all 10 toes. Face the right side of your mat, reaching back.

Gazing out over your right hand. Wide straddle, forward bend. Face the opposite side. Walking the fingertips forward, hop or step your feet together. Bend your knees and roll your way up.

Reaching the arms all the way up. And then step out wide to the right and open your arms. Standing breath of joy, lift up. Bend your knees, pull your feet together, fold over your forearms. Left foot steps out to the left, look up.

Exhale, coming right back in. Hop or step your feet wide, arms out. Right toes turn out, left toes turn in. Right into triangle pose. Exhale your way there.

Reach up through the left arm, lean back a little bit. And then pressing into your left foot, inhale your way back up. Exhale, warrior two with your breath out. Give yourself some space between the feet. Deep bend of the right knee.

Turn the right palm up. Peaceful warrior, lean all the way back. Skandasana lunge this time. Bend your left knee, flex your right foot. Hands can come into a prayer.

Use the back of the left arm to open up the left thigh and look forward. And then we're gonna step into the right foot, artichandrasana from here. So tip the body weight forward and launch yourself off. Lifting up through the left arm and the left leg. Reaching up through the left hand.

Take a big bend of the knees and step your left foot to meet your right and fold forward over your legs, bowing your head down. Inhale your way all the way up and reach the arms up. High prayer. Cactus the arms and lift the chest. Inhale, reach the arms up.

And on the exhale, fold forward, come on down over your legs. Send your left leg back into a lunge. Side plank on your left hand and left foot, bringing the feet together. Tipping right over. And you can always put the left knee down if that's helpful today.

Reaching up through the right arm. And then right arm can stretch over the ear. Bringing the hips underneath you. Coming back into plank from here. Even out your hands, even out your feet, looking forward for chaturanga.

Upward facing dog. Exhale back, downward facing dog, adho mukhasvanasana. And breathe. And then we'll try the left side. Reach your left leg up.

Exhale it through. Spin the back heel down, virabhadrasana one, warrior one. Coming up. Cactus the arms, pull the elbows back. Interlace your fingers behind your back.

Straighten out your left leg, flex your left foot. Use the breath in to lift up. And the breath out to fold forward. Lead with your heart. Head drops down.

And then exhale, down, devotional warrior. Bowing in. Right hand down, left arm up, lunge, twist. Back heel spins up. Look up.

Boomerang pose, all 10 toes face the left side of your mat. Reach your left hand back, look over your left palm. Wide straddle forward bend facing the opposite direction. Walk the fingertips forward and hop or step your feet together. Push down into the feet and roll your way up to stand at the top.

Reach the arms all the way up. And then step out wide to the left. Open up your arms, standing breath of joy. Big and wide and expansive. Pull the elbows back into the belly.

Step your right foot out to the right, opening up. And on the exhale, coming right back in. Hop or step your feet out wide. Turn the left toes forward, right toes in, triangle pose. See if you can elongate the underside of the waist.

Pull it out of the hips. And then stay broad across the chest. Press into the feet, inhale your way up, exhale warrior two with the breath out. Turn the left palm up, lean back, peaceful warrior. Skandhasana lunge, bend your right knee, flex your left foot, pry your hands.

Take a breath in there, use the breath out to push forward, artichandrasana. Strong exhalation there. To send the right leg up, right arm up. Maybe take the gaze up. Big bend of the knees, step your right foot to meet your left and fold forward.

Right away, come on up. Reach the arms up and cactus the arms, lift the chest. Come right back up, reach the arms, and on the exhale, fold yourself forward. Step your right foot back into a lunge. Side plank on your right hand and right foot.

Rolling into it. Again, you can drop the right knee here if you need to. If you need to, and then reach the left arm overhead, squeeze the inner thighs together and send the hips up. Plank pose. Evening out your hands, chaturanga, up dog to down dog.

Rolling out to plank pose, drop your knees more parallel, child's pose. And then just one time on the knees here, reach the arms up, catch your elbows, pull them into your belly and fold forward. And then rise up to stand on the knees and reach your arms up. A little different this time. Step your right foot forward.

Step your left foot forward and come to stand up. And then step your right knee back down. And step your left knee back down. And step your left knee back down. Step your right foot forward.

Step your left foot forward, come to stand up. Step your right knee down, step your left knee down. You've got the hang of it. Right foot forward, left foot forward, right knee down, left knee down. Last time, right foot forward, left foot forward, come to stand up.

And this time, once more, cactus the arms, feet can be about hip width apart, maybe a little wider. Lift the chest and this time interlace your fingers behind your back, soften your knees, engage through the abdominals, push down into the feet, standing back, bend with arms interlaced, a big offering of the chest, lean back, knees can bend. And then push down into the feet and inhale your way back up, settle your eyes, soften your shoulders, utkatasana, prayer your hands and twist, left elbow to the outside of the right thigh and your feet are a little wide here, that's okay. Give yourself the width and draw the left hip back, turning at the waist, breath in on the breath out, uttanasana, forward fold, send your left knee down, left knee down, your right knee down, ustrasana, camel pose and you can keep toes tucked under or tops of the feet down, reaching back for the heels, open up through the throat and then squeeze it on the inner thighs to come up out of it and have a seat on your heels. And then let's try the left side, reach the arms up.

One time, catch your elbows, pull them into your belly and fold over them, rise up to stand on the knees and reach the arms up, step your left foot forward, you know it's happening, step your right foot forward, step your left knee down, step your right knee down, step your left foot forward, step your right foot forward, step your left knee down, step your right knee down. One more time, step your left foot forward, step your right foot forward and feet are again about hip width, maybe a little wider, pull the elbows back, standing back, Bend, interlace the fingers behind your back. Soften the knees, cinch the waist, push into the feet, and lean back. All right, when the foundation is steady, there can be all that freedom above it. So that's the kapha, stability, and then the vatsa, just open to the air, open to the breeze, open to the sky.

Inhale your way back up. Utkatasana, keeping the feet wide, prayer the hands and twist. Right elbow to the outside of the left thigh. And then fold forward over your legs. Step your right knee down, step your left knee down.

Last time, Ustrasana, lifting up through the chest, lean the head back. And then squeeze in and rise up. Cross your ankles, have a seat, stretch your legs out long in front of you. Dandasana. And then we're coming right into a pigeon pose.

Right leg forward, left leg back. Let's take it down a little bit. Any padding or props that you need in your pigeon. And then fold yourself forward. And you can come down to forearms.

Or maybe make a little pillow for your head. And breathe there. And traditionally in Ayurveda, the full moon is a time of celebration. It's a time when we're meant to be more social, to see friends, to see family, to hang out with people that we love. That's the medicine too.

Last breath or two right here. And then walk your hands up. Keeping your right leg right as it is, draw your left knee forward into half Virasana. We're coming into Bharadvajasana. If you'd like to take that right foot up into a half lotus, you're welcome to do that.

If that feels like too much, then you'll keep the foot on the inside of the thigh and then twisting over to the right. Left hand to the outside of the right thigh. Right hand back behind you or you might reach for a half bind there. Or a full bind. And then take the gaze back over your left shoulder.

And tip the right cheek up. Eyes can get soft. And you'll release that. Tipping into your right hand, stretch your left leg out long in front of you. Step your right foot to the ground, stretch your right leg out Dandasana.

And then it's left leg forward and right leg back for pigeon pose. Setting yourself up and then fold forward. You can drop the head, relax the neck. Moving into the energy of the hips. And this would be our Cappadocia energy, low, grounded.

And then from there, you can walk your hands back up, take your time, keeping the left leg where it is, bring the right knee forward into a half Virasana, setting up for Bharadvajasana. You can take the left foot up into your half lotus if you're going there. And then twist over to the left. Right hand to the outside of the left leg. Left hand back behind you.

And when you've twisted as far to the left as you can, take the gaze back over the right shoulder. Tip up through the left cheek. And be there. You know, it's actually one of the best recommendations for Excess Pitta Dosa is to take a moon bath. And I love that idea.

Just lay a towel out under the full moon. Lay yourself down. Be in her glow. And then you can let that go and step your right foot to the ground. Straighten out your right leg.

Step your left foot to the ground. Straighten out your left leg. And fold forward. Paschimottanasana. You can catch the feet or the ankles or the big toes.

Or it might just be arms by the sides, palms up, dropping the head in. You can bend the knees as much as you need to here. And let the shape evolve. You know, sometimes even we think of the moon and we think of the new moon or the full moon. But there's all those little steps along the way.

Just like our vinyasa practice. It all deserves attention. Last breath or two right here. And then rolling yourself up. Come back into your seat.

Taking hands back into Varun Mudra. Catching the pinky fingers with the thumbs. Other three fingers extended. Om Cham Chandraya three times. Om Cham Chandraya Namaha.

Om Cham Chandraya Namaha. Om Cham Chandraya Namaha. Om Thank you for sharing your practice.