Lunar Love letter 🌒 - Feb 20 2023
estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Today's Highlights:
Important Dates
Journal Prompts
Yoga Off the Mat
Energy Worthy Investment
Real Time Share
Important dates this cycle (in EST):
Lunar Cycle Duration: 2/20-3/20
New Moon: 2/20 ← we are here
First Quarter Moon: 2/27
Full Moon: 3/7 Worm Moon
Last Quarter Moon: 3/14
Spring Equinox: 3/20
Happy good day to your beautiful heart 💜
Welcome to the first Lunar Love Letter from Zenful Mindings 🌒
This month’s lunar cycle hinges on a full moon known as the Worm Moon*. Within this cycle, (where I’m at) we are noticing the earth transitioning from winter to spring, and the Spring Equinox falls right on the last day of the cycle.
Think about that: the last sliver of the Worm Moon takes us right into a literal new season – one of new growth 🪴 and promise.
This whole cycle is gearing us up for the next – it’s a cycle of waking up and slowly working our way out of hibernation. Of gently moving back toward a more lively flow. Of shedding our battened down hatches for airier environs. Of noticing the first inklings of spring as Mother Earth 🌎 wakes up from her deep slumber.
The new moon of this cycle is a magical time to reflect on the last cycle as we wrap up one season and look forward to what we want to manifest during this re-awakening process as we head towards spring.
Here are some journal prompts 📓 to get your noggin, heart, and spirit invested and mulling over what those intentions could be:
What do you need to wrap up from this slow winter?
What parts of you have been hibernating?
Where do you feel the buzz of new energy in your life?
What feels ready to emerge for you?
I encourage you to sit with those ideas throughout this lunar cycle and see what pops up. Think of these as love letters to yourself where you can explore your own inner workings 🤗
Good tidings and well wishes for this lovely new moon 🌑
Yoga Off the Mat
Grounding and finding stillness at the beginning of a physical yoga practice (asana) allows me to drop into my body, to remember that I’m organic matter, and that I matter.
This takes a few minutes to settle in and gain a sense of presence, but it’s worth it to quiet the chatter I’m usually bringing onto my mat from non-mat life. It’s a mini hibernation before the practice gets juicy.
It’s this piece that I encourage you to try off the mat for this new moon - to practice presence in stillness so you can emerge to bloom when the season is upon us.
It can be a challenge, but the good news is that you can do it anywhere and practically anytime: sitting at your desk, washing dishes, standing in the shower, etc. Pause and notice your environment. What can you see? Hear? Feel? Smell? Taste? Then turn your attention inward. What sensations are you experiencing? Try not to judge, but just observe with curiosity.
Follow this by taking 3-5 slow breaths in and out through your nose as best as you can. Gently emerge and return to your next task or activity. Notice any difference or changes that you experience.
I invite you to try this a few times between now and the next letter, and I’m excited to hear how it goes for you. Shoot me a message to let me know 💌
Energy Worthy Investment
Seed cycling!
If you menstruate (even if you don’t), I highly recommend this.
I’ve been learning about what nutrients I need to increase during certain phases of my menstrual cycle and what foods I can easily add into my meals (because I’m busy). Seed cycling is a small and realistic thing you can add to an already busy life – I just add mine to my morning fruit and yogurt (delicious!). The seeds are pretty common, pumpkin and flax seeds during days 1-14, and sesame and sunflower seeds during days 15-28 (days are approximate and depend on your individual cycle), so they’re usually readily available at most grocery stores.
Here’s a great podcast 🎧 episode from The Lunar Body with Kristen Ciccolini for more in-depth info and a fun resource if you want premade kits: "Seed Cycling with Kate Morton"
If you try this, I’d be interested to hear about your experience or if you already have resources you love. Feel free to share in an email or direct message
Real Life Share
As I prep this first letter, I’m in my luteal phase, and I’m reflecting on how scattered and resigned I feel. I desperately crave cuddling on my couch 🛋️ under my favorite blanket or a gentle hike in the woods. Usually I get down on myself about this and internally find me belittling me for my lack of motivation.
But.
Since I’ve started studying cycle syncing, I have a greater appreciation for how nature signals to us that it’s a time to slow down and become restful 💤. That’s why my energy feels zapped. So it’s not a personal failing. It’s just a natural phase of the cycle I’m in, and that is making it so much easier for me to give myself grace and acknowledge other areas where I need more nourishment. That’s my act of self love 💜
Tell me about yours! What are you doing during this phase to love on yourself more? Drop me a line to share or ask any questions 💌
*The moon names and phase details given here are as given on the Farmers' Almanac website. There are many other moon names and stories from other cultures that are not included here, but I encourage you to do your own research. It’s fascinating!
**Any physical practice mentioned in this email should be done in an environment that is conducive to safety. You know your body best. Only do what feels right for you based on your unique situation. Please consult an appropriately credentialed medical provider before starting any new regimen.
All resources mentioned in this newsletter are included for research purposes only and are not affiliated with Zenful Mindings LLC.
