I turned 40 in December of last year, and it didn’t feel terrible. It was honestly exciting and felt kind of like a rebirth. It coincided with my youngest child turning one, so I think there was also a bit of freedom that comes with the increased independence of a child. I decided 2018 would be a time for me to learn more about myself and also learn to love myself more. That includes learning what’s going on with my hormones and not being afraid of turning into some irrelevant shriveled up old lady, but instead, embracing my divine femininity for the rest of time. I want my daughters to love themselves and know that their power and wisdom and RELEVANCY will persist and flourish with age, so it is my job to set their example.
The moon called to me. I made it a priority to connect to the moon. As a self-professed heliophile, it felt a little odd embracing the darkness of night. But to embrace myself as a woman, I needed that connection with the feminine energy of the moon. I started keeping a moon journal, which tracks my menstrual cycle, how it coincides with the moon cycles, and includes daily notes on how I feel. I also work on acknowledging that every thing I feel is relevant, however uncomfortable or irritable I may be at times.
For the last seven years, I’ve been either pregnant and/or breastfeeding, so my cycles have not really been regular at all. I know it’s normal, but it leaves me feeling a bit scattered, so connecting to the cycles of the moon has been really soothing to me. I remember how much I loved having a skylight growing up and seeing the full moon rays from my bed. I try to go outside and look at the moon when I can now, and I also found a really cool face for my Apple Watch that shows the moon in current time. (It also gives you the option to see the earth and the planets.)
As animals, we are affected by the moon cycles. We all have a natural rhythm. It is easy to ignore those rhythms in our current world. But by ignoring them, we’re losing some of our wisdom, some of our connection, some of the energy that completes us. I may have an addiction to the sun, but the light of the moon helps me embrace the beauty in my lightness AND my darkness. It does complete me.
So go outside tonight. Set an intention. Write it down. Set it on fire in the moonlight. Make a commitment to pay attention to the natural rhythm that always is. Do some moonbathing in savasana. Feel the moonlight. It will illuminate the beauty of your darkness.
If you feel inclined, join me at Ramsey Park tonight for a Full Moon Yoga class at 7:30 PM. It’s $20, and proceeds benefit UT Southwestern Medical Center to support brain tumor research by Dr. Elizabeth Maher.
