I love the regular reliability of the moon. The moon was humanity’s first calendar, a gentle and persistent reminder that time is passing. Sometimes life can be so busy it is easy to get disconnected from the natural rhythms of life that actually keep us happy and healthy.
One of the perks of working until midnight is I get to look at the night sky when I get home from work. I take a few moments when the weather is nice and the sky is clear to step out of the well-lit driveway and look up at the stars and take a few deep breaths. The night sky really is an astonishment. There are shooting stars, bright planets close to the horizon and of course the moon. Over the years I have figured out where the moon will be when. It gives me a great feeling of comfort and connection to look up and know where the beautiful moon will be, where it is in its phases and what time it is. Connection to nature and mindfulness have many benefits (Mindfulness article Huff Post) and taking some time outside before bed to look up at the stars is a wonderful way to end the day. (And now is the time before the mosquitoes fully descend!)
By NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Flickr: New Moon) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
Taking a break before doing the next thing and being in your body is really what mindfulness is about. Simple, yes; but it can be hard to remember to do it! Using the moon as an anchor for that moment of awareness is practical and magical at the same time. You connect to your body in a moment of mindfulness as you breathe. While feeling the darkness and hearing the sounds of the natural world around you gives you chance to take in the magnitude of space out there past the moon, which can really put things in perspective.
“Let the waters settle you will see stars and moon mirrored in your Being.” –Rumi
The moon it is a waning crescent today, During this phase it is up in the sky most of the day and setting at sunset. Traditionally it is a time for letting go of things and releasing what you no longer need, which always sounds like a good idea. I know life is busy and sometimes I’m relieved when it’s raining or cloudy when I drive home from work because I can just stagger into the house with my bags and go to bed. But when I do step into the darkness and look up at the sky I never regret it. I invite you to check out the sky this week and tell me what you see in the comments below.
(I’m creating the on-line Moon Class I keep mentioning and it is going to be great fun. I’ve got some wonderful people who are interested and it will involve weekly phone/online classes and some gifties (a moon necklace and some lunar essential oils in a roll-on. Fun!) Email or facebook me if you are interested or if you have any questions or want to talk.)
