Hi,
My name is Lauren and today I'm going to guide you in a practice of connecting your breathing with the phases of the moon.
After we connect our breath with the great celestial body of the moon we will practice gaining insight into the phases of our own life.
This breathing technique is one that I learned from Alexis J Cunningfolk and to do it we're going to first get comfortable in a place where you can experience silence and rest.
Ideally laying down.
If there's a way that you can be even 10% more comfortable right now go ahead and make those adjustments.
Now that you've settled in we're going to connect to our breath.
At first just noticing the air as it enters your body and noticing when the air leaves your body.
With your eyes closed if that is safe and comfortable for you to do,
Bring to your heart mind the image of the moon.
Recall the moon as you have last seen her.
When you have that image of the moon begin to breathe with that image in your mind.
If you live in the northern hemisphere the moon grows from the right side of a crescent.
It waxes into a half moon and a gibbous growing until it reaches the full moon and then it diminishes.
It wanes into a gibbous and a half moon and a crescent on the left side.
To align our breath with the phase of the moon imagine the moon as a tiny sliver at the beginning of your in-breath.
Growing gradually until it reaches a full moon at the height of your inhale and let your breath wane.
Letting the image of the moon in your mind wane until it is only a crescent.
When your breath is totally gone,
Darkness,
Stillness,
Silence.
And on the next inhale that tiny sliver reappears in the sky of your mind growing into a half moon,
A gibbous and a full moon at the height of your in-breath and waning into a gibbous,
Half moon and a crescent into darkness at the end of your out-breath.
Breathe like this on your own for a few more cycles allowing the moon to become dark on the out-breath.
Now as we breathe still with the cycles of the moon,
We're going to see if we can hold that space in between just a little longer.
So on the inhale growing,
Waxing to the full moon and hold at the top just a moment.
Allow yourself to be bathed in the full moon's light and let go the breath.
And at the bottom of the exhale in the dark of the moon,
Hold for just a moment in that silent space.
Breathing again,
In.
Hold at the top,
Bright full moon illuminating.
Breathe here for a few more breaths.
Now intuitively allow the phase of your own life to arise in your heart-mind.
Are you in a time of your life that is growing?
Have you planted seeds of intention and you're actively working towards your goals?
Are you in a time of illumination at the height of your power?
Or have you recently let something go that no longer serves you?
A relationship,
A job,
Or a habit?
Letting that wane from your life.
Or are you walking in darkness?
Unsure?
Or resting?
Whatever phase you're in,
Just allow that to intuitively rise up to you and present itself as an image and breathing with the cycles of the moon.
See if you can bring that specific phase a little closer to you.
Allowing the moon to wane.
Noticing and stopping where it feels intuitively right for whatever phase you're in in your life right now.
And on the next inhale,
See if you can bring that phase of the moon closer to you.
In your heart-mind,
Reach out.
See the moon moving towards you as you move towards the moon.
And let that phase of the moon enter into your heart,
Into your spirit.
And let the wisdom of that phase of the moon permeate your whole being.
Let's sit here for a while and see what the wisdom of this moon phase has to teach us.
A little tarot wisdom from the moon card.
The moon is number 18 in the major arcana,
And it rests in the space between the star and the sun.
The star is a card of rest and rejuvenation.
And the sun is a card and a moment of clarity.
It holds the space of inner wisdom.
It holds the mystery.
The space in between.
In between rest.
The moon is always there,
Even when you cannot see the moon.
Holding the space for us to connect to our inner wisdom.
The phases of our life.
The cycles of our bodies.
Ebbing and flowing like the tide that is controlled by the moon.
Rising and falling and waning.
Let's allow for the wisdom of the phases of the moon to fully integrate into our spirits.
And bring to mind again the phase of the moon that intuitively arose for you.
Feel it living inside of you.
And let that phase comfort you as you drift into dreaming.
Guided by your inner moon and breathing out,
Finding your moon phase.
Breathing in.
Letting that phase of the moon reside ever more deeply in your heart.
Do not be afraid.
The moon has much to teach us.
Much in the way of letting go the dark spaces.
The moon has much to teach us about the way we use our energy.
The moon has much to teach us about rest.
The moon is not afraid of changing.
She does it every day.
What does the moon have to teach you at this time in your life?
Thank you for your practice.
