A day off? That's lunacy!
Saturday marks another moon day. One of two days of most months, ashtangis will gather in fourbucks rather than the shala, trading contortion for coffee.
No yoga practice on a moon day. A rather foreign concept to most other yogis ... hell, Bikram's such a badass - those folks don't even take Christmas off!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not begrudging the extra day off and a morning to sleep in. My husband has remarked that he wishes the business world would observe our loonier ways - but this is also the man that naps every day.
Just the same - I'd like to know why. So I asked my friend Carrie. She's not just an ashtangi - but an astronomer to boot.
ME: Carrie - you are an astronomer who practices ashtanga, right?
CARRIE: Yes.
I teach physics and astronomy at Montgomery College and I maintain the
college's observatory. We have public nights at the telescope every 1st
and 3rd Friday of the month. I started practicing Ashtanga a little over a year and a half ago.
<insert here, ME: "Yes, Peg - you are crazy">
CARRIE: Quantifying the lunar effect scientifically is challenging. A common misconception I get from my students is that since the moon is primarily responsible for the tides, it must have some effect on the human body since we are made of mostly water. This is not true! The moon's tidal force cannot directly affect objects as tiny as humans.
A back of the envelope calculation shows that a yoga instructor adjusting my Paschimottanasana would have more tidal force on me than the moon does.
Do YOU know why ashtangis take moon days off?
CARRIE: I've often wondered about this. I imagine it's a good way to get in a couple of rest days each month, but perhaps the real answer is something more interesting that you only get to learn after the intermediate series??
So I asked Aliya Weise - because not only is he an authorized Level II Ashtanga Teacher, but he can also stand on his hands and put his feet on his head, which, in my book, makes him pretty damn cool. (Not to mention he has the most adorable son EVAH??!)
Anyway ...
ME: Aliya, why don't Ashtangi's practice on moondays??
ALIYA: I think most who follow moon days do so out of respect to Guruji. Guruji was an ardent believer in jyotish astrologer and thought it unwise to practice on days when the new moon or full moon fell.
That being said, there are those who believe in the astrological influence of the full and new moon and therefore do not practice on those days for the same reason Guruji did not. Basically, the conjunction creates unstable energy and makes an injury more likely.
Of course, there are most certainly those who simply want the random day off from practice and so they take moon days that fit in with their schedule or make for a long weekend perhaps. Although, I would caution you that appearance may be deceiving.
For example, some consult with Hindu priests for the best day to honor the moon and this can lead to some variations due to time zones, calculation mistakes, etc. Supposedly this website is one of the most authoritative: http://www.mypanchang.com/
I suppose in the end the decision how and why to honor the moon day is like the decision how and why to practice Ashtanga yoga. It probably varies a lot from person to person.
Which means come Saturday - you can catch me at the Leaf and Bean, Montana's version of Fourbucks.
Something fun to try Saturday night ...
CARRIE: Ever notice that when the full moon is low on the horizon it looks really big? This is actually an optical illusion- the moon's angular size in the sky is constant over the course of an evening. I tell my students they can make the illusion go away by viewing the moon upside down between their legs when it is low on the horizon.
Next full moon, go out just after sunset and look east. The full moon will be big on the horizon. Now get yourself into Prasarita Padottanasana and look at the moon again. The moon will look smaller! This really works, I've tried it!
Thanks Carrie ... people think Ashtangis are a bit looney already. This is NOT going to help!
No yoga practice on a moon day. A rather foreign concept to most other yogis ... hell, Bikram's such a badass - those folks don't even take Christmas off!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not begrudging the extra day off and a morning to sleep in. My husband has remarked that he wishes the business world would observe our loonier ways - but this is also the man that naps every day.
Just the same - I'd like to know why. So I asked my friend Carrie. She's not just an ashtangi - but an astronomer to boot.
ME: Carrie - you are an astronomer who practices ashtanga, right?
CARRIE: Yes.
I teach physics and astronomy at Montgomery College and I maintain the
college's observatory. We have public nights at the telescope every 1st
and 3rd Friday of the month. I started practicing Ashtanga a little over a year and a half ago.ME: In my other life, when I was a guidance counselor, I used to call out sick on moon days because of all the kids gone whacky ... but perhaps I was the whacky one.CARRIE: I see you as a delightful anomaly.
ME: So I'm not crazy when I say the moon affects my mood too?CARRIE: Ah, the lunar effect! Throughout history there have been claims that the full moon influences human behavior, but studies have been unable to find a correlation. Researchers have looked for things like an increase in crime or emergency room visits occurring during the full moon and have found none.
<insert here, ME: "Yes, Peg - you are crazy">
CARRIE: Quantifying the lunar effect scientifically is challenging. A common misconception I get from my students is that since the moon is primarily responsible for the tides, it must have some effect on the human body since we are made of mostly water. This is not true! The moon's tidal force cannot directly affect objects as tiny as humans.
A back of the envelope calculation shows that a yoga instructor adjusting my Paschimottanasana would have more tidal force on me than the moon does.
ME: You're funny! That must be the astronomer in you because generally, ashtangis are not very funny ... unless you talking quirky funny as opposed to haha funny. Which leads me to my real quest of quirks ...
Do YOU know why ashtangis take moon days off?
CARRIE: I've often wondered about this. I imagine it's a good way to get in a couple of rest days each month, but perhaps the real answer is something more interesting that you only get to learn after the intermediate series??
So I asked Aliya Weise - because not only is he an authorized Level II Ashtanga Teacher, but he can also stand on his hands and put his feet on his head, which, in my book, makes him pretty damn cool. (Not to mention he has the most adorable son EVAH??!)Anyway ...
ME: Aliya, why don't Ashtangi's practice on moondays??
ALIYA: I think most who follow moon days do so out of respect to Guruji. Guruji was an ardent believer in jyotish astrologer and thought it unwise to practice on days when the new moon or full moon fell.
That being said, there are those who believe in the astrological influence of the full and new moon and therefore do not practice on those days for the same reason Guruji did not. Basically, the conjunction creates unstable energy and makes an injury more likely.
Of course, there are most certainly those who simply want the random day off from practice and so they take moon days that fit in with their schedule or make for a long weekend perhaps. Although, I would caution you that appearance may be deceiving.
For example, some consult with Hindu priests for the best day to honor the moon and this can lead to some variations due to time zones, calculation mistakes, etc. Supposedly this website is one of the most authoritative: http://www.mypanchang.com/
I suppose in the end the decision how and why to honor the moon day is like the decision how and why to practice Ashtanga yoga. It probably varies a lot from person to person.
Which means come Saturday - you can catch me at the Leaf and Bean, Montana's version of Fourbucks.
Something fun to try Saturday night ...
CARRIE: Ever notice that when the full moon is low on the horizon it looks really big? This is actually an optical illusion- the moon's angular size in the sky is constant over the course of an evening. I tell my students they can make the illusion go away by viewing the moon upside down between their legs when it is low on the horizon.
Next full moon, go out just after sunset and look east. The full moon will be big on the horizon. Now get yourself into Prasarita Padottanasana and look at the moon again. The moon will look smaller! This really works, I've tried it!
Thanks Carrie ... people think Ashtangis are a bit looney already. This is NOT going to help!
Posted by peg mulqueen at 8/11/2011 7:03 PM 
Categories: ashtanga yoga, moon cycle
Tags: aliya weisse carrie fitzgerald moon days ashtanga
Categories: ashtanga yoga, moon cycle
Tags: aliya weisse carrie fitzgerald moon days ashtanga
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