When I teach ashtanga on new and full moon days*, I always tell the students that in Mysore they don't practice at all on those days; that the energy is considered to be unstable and that if you injure yourself on a moon day it takes twice as long to heal. I asked them to have a soft practice and to save their big breakthrough for another day.
Today I mentioned that a new moon usually means low energy.
After class a student suggested that projects begun on a new moon day come to fruition on the full moon. I sort of nodded, but it didn't sit right with me.
Later, I went online and found this:
"On new moon days, the raja-tama spreading ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.), people engaged in occult rituals and predominantly rajasik and tamasik people are strongly influenced and receive black energy for their raja-tama activities. As it is a day conducive for negative activities, it is considered an inauspicious day for any positive activities. As the raja-tama from the moon affects the mind, the incidence of raja-tama tendencies like running away, suicide or possession by ghosts is highest on new moon. Especially during the night, as the otherwise naturally available purification by the Absolute Cosmic Fire element through the Sun being absent, new moon night is a golden opportunity for the ghosts to cause distress to man....
"....Spiritual research has further revealed that there are some finer differences between the effect of new moon and full moon on man. Overall the distressing effect of moon on man is more on new moon than on full moon. The adverse effect of full moon is more on the physical body whereas that of new moon is more on the mind. The effect of full moon is more apparent whereas the effect on new moon is more intangible (subtle). As the effect of new moon is not apparent to the person, it is even more dangerous. This is because as he is not aware of the distress, no step is taken to overcome it."
No wonder nothing got done today...
again.
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*Yes, the bad lady teaches led classes on moon days - do you really think the health club is going to close down because of the moon? She tries to limit the class to a soft, slow, half primary series. She doesn't usually practice astanga on moon days - not since injuring her right knee on a full moon back in '03. It took nine. long. miserable. months. to heal.
So is it just in ashtanga that yoga is not practiced on the new/full moons? Does Dharma Mittra advocate the same? thanks!
ReplyDeleteDharma holds classes on moon days, and I've never heard him say anything about practicing or not practicing on those days.
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