| New Moon | Full Moon |
|---|---|
| Jan 11 | Jan 26 |
| Feb 10 | Feb 24 |
| Mar 10 | Mar 25 |
| Apr 9 | Apr 24 |
| May 8 | May 23 |
| Jun 6 | Jun 22 |
| Jul 6 | Jul 21 |
| Aug 4 | Aug 20 |
| Sep 3 | Sep 18 |
| Oct 3 | Oct 17 |
| Nov 1 | Nov 16 |
| Dec 1 | Dec 15 |
| Dec 31 |
There is no early morning Mysore practice on New Moon and Full Moon days
Evening classes are running as scheduled.
Why?
For Ashtangis with a daily practice, taking moon days off is a way to have some rest, plain and simple. Ashtanga practice can be strenuous, and some time off may help to “soften” the practice and allow the body to incorporate changes.
Also, for Ashtanga teachers with a daily teaching schedule, moon days can be a blessing!
“The body is made up of 65% water, and look how the moon influences the ocean tides. The human body is also affected by gravitational forces from the moon.”
The relative positions create different energetic experiences that can be compared to the breath cycle. The full moon energy corresponds to the end of inhalation when the force of prana is greatest. This is an expansive, upward moving force that makes us feel energetic and emotional, but not well grounded. The Upanishads state that the main prana lives in the head. During the full moon we tend to be more headstrong.
The new moon energy corresponds to the end of exhalation when the force of apana is greatest. Apana is a contracting, downward moving force that makes us feel calm and grounded, but dense and disinclined towards physical exertion.