Hello!
Welcome to The Moon Space Quarterly.
If you’re wondering who this and why you’re receiving this email, The Moon Space is an evolution of my previous yoga project ‘Luna Sadhana’.
What is The Moon Space?
The Moon Space is both a physical and digital space. It is the name of my home studio where I teach students 1-1. Digitally, I share my writing through blog posts and articles, as well as additional online content that will soon be available through the website. I also teach studio yoga classes in and around Brighton- 2023 class schedule to be confirmed soon :)
I am currently studying for an MA in Yoga & Meditation Traditions and Medical Anthropology. My research explores the intersection of modern yoga and conventional healthcare systems. This research influences my teaching, writing and much of what I will share through The Moon Space.
The Moon Space Quarterly will be a seasonally-curated online publication. As its name suggests, it will be posted quarterly in December, March, June and September.
The Moon Space seeks to analyse what exactly constitutes our health. Also, then asking the question: what are the frameworks for our healing?
This December’s newsletter will serve as an introduction and update. In future newsletters, you can expect articles, interviews, book reviews, seasonal recipes + more, inspired by research on health and healing.
If this is no longer the sort of newsletter you are interested in, you can unsubscribe at the bottom of this email, no hard feelings :)
Upcoming moon cycles:
Our final new moon of the year will be 23rd December. The moon will be in the sign of Capricorn. This alignment brings together the internal and reflective nature of the new moon with the energetics of Capricorn: security, preparation, gathering resources with practicality and pragmatism.
2023 Moon Calendar is now available
The 2023 moon calendar includes dates and times for the new and full moons plus their astrological positions. Ideal to use as a reference for planning your practice around the moon and to connect deeper with its cycles. It can also be used as a reference for biodynamic gardening.
Printed on A3 recycled paper, UK times and dates (GMT/BST)
Recent Yoga Articles
How old is yoga? A brief history from its early texts to today.
We know that yoga is an ancient practice, however, its exact date and origins are difficult to pin down. It’s common to hear the tradition dated at 5000 years old, yet research has identified postural yoga as we know it to be more recent than perhaps we had once believed.
For a more precise answer, we may need to define exactly what we mean by ‘yoga’. What we now practice in class may be very different to what is described as yoga in early texts. Naturally, yoga has evolved over time and through various cultural influences…
Yin yoga explained- 8 yin yoga poses to soothe the soul.
The name ‘yin yoga’ comes from the Chinese yin-yang concept, representing two connected, yet opposing energetic states of equilibrium and duality.
Yin is said to represent: the internal, the moon, dark, cold, stillness, and slowing down, while Yang represents: the external, the sun, heat, light, and dynamic movement.
From this perspective, much of the yoga practiced in the west could be described as yang, with its focus on strength and stamina. Therefore, yin yoga is a wonderful compliment to a regular yoga practice for achieving balance and well-being…
10 seated yoga poses for a grounded practice.
Yoga is a diverse practice with a wide range of teachings and techniques to draw from. Sometimes it can be necessary to adapt our yoga practice to our body’s needs and our shifting lifestyles.
A dynamic yoga practice may not always be the best thing for us. Instead, a grounding, floor-based practice might be the perfect antidote for challenging times of stress and high demands.
A ‘grounded’ yoga practice will help you to de-stress and connect back to yourself and your body. Seated and floor-based postures are the perfect way to ground yourself and are also a great way to get back into your yoga practice after a minor injury or illness…
Book Reviews
A selection of environmental-themed books I have been reading over the past few months:
Silent Spring was originally published in the 1960s. It’s saddening that we are still facing many of the same issues all this time later. Beautifully written, her description of chemicals and pesticides poisoning our earth is almost bittersweet to read.
The Lost Language of Plants, Stephen Buhner has now sadly passed on, just a few days before I am writing this. All of his books are extraordinary reads. I highly recommend this one, even if only for Chapter 6 ‘The End of Antibiotics’.
The One-Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka thoughtfully demonstrates the connection of the human spirit with the land. Perhaps comparable to Rudolph Steiner's philosophy on health, education and farming. I finished the book in just two days as it was not easy to put down.
The Dream of the Earth, like Fukuoka, Thomas Berry will open your mind to new ways of seeing our current environmental and economical reality. A prayer for the earth to receive the respect it so desperately deserves.
Braiding Sweetgrass almost blurs the line between fiction/non-fiction and certainly lived up to its hype. The stories will stay with you for some time.
More next time…
For now, wishing you a wonderful Christmas and New Year!