As I write this, it is the eve of a new moon, my favorite day of the month! New moons mean new beginnings, new intentions, and a new set of challenges to dive into for the month ahead.
A new moon brings the perfect energy for new beginnings. This is a time to pause, reflect, and decide what changes you’d like to make moving forward.
Preparing your mind, body, and spirit for this experience helps you have clarity, space, and the energy you need to support your process and intentions.
Preparing your mind:
Find some quiet time to set aside just for you and this process. You’ll want to find a space where you won’t be disturbed by others or distractions and where you can be alone with your thoughts.
Begin with taking a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Allow the breaths assist you in cleansing and quieting your mind. Next, shift your breathing to long inhales and exhales of equal lengths, with the breath entering and exiting from your nose. (If this isn’t available to you, breathe however works for you, keeping the cadence of equal inhales and exhales). If it is available to you, close your eyes. For a few breaths, focus on the sound the air makes as it enters and exits your body. For the next few breaths, shift your attention to the rising and falling of your chest. When you feel you have found yourself at or closer to your center, you can resume your normal breathing pattern.
You can do this practice before setting your intentions for a new moon or whenever you need to quiet your mind and connect to your center.
Preparing your body:
Your body stores energy just like your mind and as such, it also needs to be “emptied” from time to time. One of the best ways to empty excess energy from the body is through yoga and meditation. (Please note, these are certainly not the only ways).
Meditation in stillness helps quiet the mind and the body and allow the body’s parasympathetic system to take over. It is in this space that the body’s self healing mechanisms turn on and the body begins to work at releasing that which no longer serves it. If you are a regular meditator, either your regular practice or one slightly longer than usual is advised.
If you are brand new to meditating, a guided meditation may be helpful to keep your mind from wandering too much. Another solid alternative is listening to binaural beats or shamantic drumming, both which help adjust the brain waves through the use of sound and help bring the brain and body to a more relaxed space. It is important to choose the method that works for you. It is also important to note that what works one day might not work another and to be open to trying different approaches as needed.
Yoga comes in many different forms. Again, choosing the form that works the best for you is key here. All styles of yoga help to clear the body of excess energy in some capacity. Some forms of yoga are more gentle and restorative and other forms are more strength based and active. Yin yoga, one of my personal favorites, is an excellent yoga for clearing your body. You can take my free Yin Yoga for the New Moon class here. Regardless of what style of yoga you choose, be sure to set the intention to allow for space to be made for the new moon and your new intentions.
Preparing your spirit:
It’s quite easy to make decisions from your mind, since that is where you likely operate and live your life from. But making decisions from your spirit, or heart, is another thing. When making major decisions in life, it is always helpful to check in with your spirit.
To do this practice, you’ll again want to find a quiet space where you will not be disturbed. It is helpful to do either (or both)! of the steps above before checking in with your spirit.
If it is available to you, close your eyes. If not, try to focus on a plain spot nearby. Place your dominant (meaning the hand you write with) hand over your heart. Place your other hand on top. First, take a few moments to tune into the beating of your heart. You may leave your hands over your heart as you continue with the next steps.
Imagine yourself pulling apart two curtains (any color). On the side of the curtains you are on is your human self, your ego, the version of you that you spend most of your life living from. On the other side of the curtains is your pure spirit, your heart, that deep, authentic version of you. Imagine yourself walking through the curtains to the side your spirit resides on. While you are on this side, you can observe the differences from your ego self and your spirit self. Your spirit self may appear to look differently, dress or talk differently, or be in surroundings different than your current life. This is where you can connect with your spirit self and either ask questions of your spirit or infer from the surroundings and what you see to help you make decisions from your heart space. Before leaving this space and coming back through the curtains, be sure to thank your spirit. As you imagine yourself walking back through the curtains and back to your human self, tune back into the beating of your heart beneath your hands. Next, begin to slowly tap your fingers on your chest. Finally, you can open your eyes. When doing this work with your spirit, it is always helpful to write down whatever you experienced as it often does not stick around in your memory for long.
These practices are not only reserved for the new moon. You can call on them whenever you need to make a big decision, center yourself, set intentions, or just spend a little time with your own beautiful soul.
As you set your intentions for the new moon, aim for what it is you truly want out of life!
I hope you know that your life is valuable, meaningful, and incredible, simply because you exist. I hope you know that you deserve everything you desire out of life and I hope you have the courage to take the necessary action to make it happen! I hope you know that you are far more powerful than you can even imagine.
As always, I love and appreciate it when you share my blogs with your friends and on social media and I thank you in advance!
Don’t forget to take my free Yin Yoga for the New Moon class here.
Sign up for an individual session with me here.
Connect with me!
You’ll find information and inspiration here:
You’ll find yin yoga classes, meditations, and other content here:
Hi, I’m Erica
As a Yoga Instructor, Reiki Master, and Intuitive, I’ve come to experience the world in a very different way. I am a lover of all things energy! I believe, more than anything, that energy affects everything. I’m here to help you shift your energy and change your life!