A Yoga Sequence for the Full Moon in Scorpio
This article originally appeared on Yoga Journal
The full Moon in May 2022 coincides with a lunar eclipse in the water sign of Scorpio. Above all else, this lunation will help us get clear about the path we are taking. The lunar eclipse takes us back to ourselves, it draws us to our heart for answers. Scorpio reconnects us to our inner world, our underworld, our intuition, and our inner truths. And the light of this full Moon allows us to open to new energies, which, in turn, enables the power of self-love to heal and lift us, bringing us back in touch with the part of us that feels most like ourselves.
As we reconnect with our bodies, our breath, and our inner stillness, we can access the part of us that understands what to renew, what to accept, or what to release. So often we are in our busy lives, busy bodies, and busy minds. In this practice, we have the chance to connect intimately with ourselves. We do this so we can hear, so we can feel, so we can listen. Honor whatever comes up in your body, in your mind, in your breath, and in your heart.
Take a moment to center your breath on your heart. Witness, without judgment, what comes. Let the energy flow. Let your body be in motion--cleansing, clearing, and connecting to a deeper level of yourself. Freely move through these postures. Let your body release long-held information, restore balance, and bring in the feeling of a sustainable peace. This practice inspires us to seek out resources that bring us more peace in life and in ourselves and draws the energy of peace into us and all around us.
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A yoga practice for the full Moon in Scorpio
Warm up
Begin standing at the front of the mat in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), with your big toes together and your heels slightly apart. If you need, please take your feet hip-width apart. Draw your tailbone down and root down through your heels and the balls of your feet. Lift up through your sternum and crown. Draw your shoulder blades down your back, draw your chin slightly in, and lift your pelvic floor.
Take a moment. Close your eyes. How do you feel? Where in your body could use a little space, a little release, a little satisfaction, a little freedom? Just check in. Search. Breathe that all in as you slowly inhale through your nose, and then sigh it out through your mouth. Repeat 2 more times, please. Breathe in all that information. Then breathe it out, letting the exhale free your spirit. Inhale the breath in, exhale the breath out.
Push down through your feet as you lift through your crown. Place your left hand on your belly and your right hand on your heart and simply connect. That is the word for your practice today: Connect.
Let's begin. Please warm up with 3 Sun Salutation A and 2 Sun Salutation B.
Warrior II Pose
From Downward-Facing Dog Pose, step your right foot forward into Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose), spinning your back heel flat and reaching your right fingertips forward, your left fingertips back. Push through your front heel and sink deeper into your front leg while still pressing through the outer edge of your back foot and engaging your back leg. Lift your pelvic floor, lift your crown. Breathe in, breathe out.
Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior)
From Warrior II, breathe in and reach up and back into Reverse Warrior, front leg strong, front heel pressing down.
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle)
From Reverse Warrior, breathe out as you press through your back leg and bring your left hand outside your left foot and sweep your top arm overhead. You can modify the pose so that your left elbow is on your left knee. You can also reach your right arm straight up or bring your right hand to your right hip. Keep engaging your front heel and drawing your left hip back. Back leg strong, body strong, committed. Be right here. Connect.
Flow
Please find your way to Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat Warrior II, Reverse Warrior, and Extended Side Angle on the other side. Then repeat two times, flowing through the sequence with one breath per movement, pausing 5 breaths in Downward-Facing Dog.
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
From Downward-Facing Dog, move steadily with your breath as you step your right foot forward into Warrior 2, inhale and reach up and back into Reverse Warrior. Exhale and move with strength as you come into Extended Side Angle. Place your left left hand on your hip, take your gaze down to your right toes, and reach your right hand out to the side and a little forward of your right foot. Come onto the fingertips of your right hand to create more space in the chest. Keep your left hand at your hip as you lift your leg leg and stack your left hip on top of your right. Flex your left foot. Firm your right leg, press through your right heel, and bring your left hand to your chest. Breathe into your heart. Open your chest a little deeper as you lean slightly back. Release your left hand down and turn your chest to face the mat, coming into a standing L pose.
Utthita Hasta Pandangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)
From standing L, gaze forward as you slowly come to standing, bending your left knee and drawing it into your chest. With your knee still bent, hook your index and middle fingers around your big toe. Stay here with a bent knee or begin to press through your left heel and straighten your left leg straight forward. Firm your standing leg and keep your gaze forward as you take your left leg out to the side. Draw your tailbone down and lift through the chest. Breathe here. Bring your leg back to center.
Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance or Dancer Pose)
Bend your left knee and bring it to meet your right knee. Rotate your left arm back behind you and grab hold of the inside of your left foot. Please reach your right arm alongside your right ear. Kick your left foot back into your left hand and lean forward. Go to whatever bend feels good in your body and lengthen yourself here.
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
From Dancer, release your left foot. However you wish to arrive there, come into Child’s Pose. Bring your knees out wide, big toes together, hips sink back towards your heels. Extend your chest and arms forward. Relax your chin towards your chest if it feels better. Rest for 5 breaths. Pause here, taking all that in. Notice what is coming up for you. Connect to it, connect to your breath, let whatever needs to leave, leave. Whatever you need to let yourself receive, open to that here.
Come back into Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat the flow on the second side. Once that’s complete, come to standing, placing your hands anywhere on your body or by your side. Take a deep breath out here. Release what you don't need, bring in what you do need. Notice. Connect to what you need here.
Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
From standing, please lower yourself to standing on your knees, bringing them hips-width apart. We are coming into Camel Pose with your hands on the low back. Lift your chest, reach back for your heels, and continue to lift your chest. Once you have strong engagement here, if it feels comfortable for you, place your right hand on your heart and lift your heart into it, pressing it open a little more. Switch and bring your left hand to your heart and breath in, lift up, and release your left hand back to your heels. Feel the full posture moving energy through your heart.
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
From Camel Pose, slowly lift your chest and head. Bring your knees out wide, big toes together, hips sink back towards your heels. Extend your chest and arms forward. Relax your chin towards your chest if it feels better. Take a deep breath here and release a big sigh out. Connect for a moment here with your body. Hear your breath, listen to your experience here in the moment. Breathing in with ease, breathing out with ease. Beautiful.
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
You can end your practice in seated meditation or Savasana. Bring your hands to your body wherever they feel called to be. Breathe into that space, feel into that space. The more connection we have to our inner experience, the more vitality, peace, graciousness, love, we carry for ourselves. As we carry all of that for ourselves, we give all of that out to others. Connect. Allow yourself to be right where you are, connected to who you are. Continue in meditation or in Savasana.
I am strong. I am capable. I am here.
About our contributor
Tara Martell is a believer, spiritual mentor, energy medicine woman, intuitive, visionary, life coach, writer, master teacher, mom, yoga teacher, and yoga teacher-trainer. She has mentored numerous yoga students and teachers, co-wrote a yoga teacher training manual, and led international yoga retreats. She has spent the last two decades seeking, finding, and healing herself through yoga, spiritual work, and self-study. Follow her on Instagram @tt_1love.
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