About the Moon Salutation
The Moon Salutation was created by a group of senior
female teachers at the Kripalu Center in the late 1980s.
Their goal was to honor women's bodies and women's rhythms
while also complementing the Sun Salutation. For some
women during menstruation and menopause, the more familiar
Sun Salutation is too stimulating for the nervous system,
and should be practiced gently or not at all. During
pregnancy, several of its postures are contraindicated,
as they could injure either fetus or mother. In contrast,
the Moon Salutation cools and calms the nervous system,
and includes several of the most beneficial postures
for menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
Men also love practicing the Moon Salutation because
it is such a powerful psychological and spiritual counterbalance
to the Sun Salutation. While the Sun Salutation enacts
the hero's journey-stepping forward to face life's challenges--the
Moon Salutation enacts the journey of descent--sinking
into the depths to discover one's creativity, the process
of literal or metaphoric birth.
Just as the moon goes through dark phases
and returns to its full brilliance, so the Moon Salutation
drops into the depths of lunging and squatting, returning
to triangle, star, and half moon poses with radiant
joy and openness. Further, because it is oriented to
the side it is perfectly suited to practicing in a circle
or facing a partner, opening us to relationship and
community in our Yoga practice. Its earthy squats help
us to feel grounded and open to emotions.
It is helpful to learn the Moon Salutation under the
guidance of a teacher so that you can learn to adapt
it to any special needs your body might have, such as
tight hips or a vulnerable knee. Alternately, Laura's
book on the Moon Salutation provides directions for
practice and variations that are appropriate for a variety
of skill levels.
Once you are familiar with its movements,
you can experiment with practicing it at different times
of the day, such as during a morning stretch break (instead
of a coffee break!), before bedtime as a way to quiet
and center yourself, or even as a way of celebrating
the full moon. You can teach the Moon Salutation to
a friend or family member, and practice it while mirroring
each other, enjoying its balance and completeness. The
Moon Salutation has both ancient and modern roots. The
recovery of the Moon Salutation is part of the recovery
of the divine feminine at this time in history.
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