Moon Salutation October 7th at 7:15 Mercy Center

One of the most beautiful things about the Full Moon Labyrinth walk at the Mercy Center is that the moon is over the water.  Both the Moon and the Water are symbols of change and reflection. The Moon reflects the Sun's light; the Water reflects the Moon.  The Moon changes the tide and the Moon's appearance in the sky changes, waxing and waning.

The Labyrinth walk will begin at 6:00 

People gather in the dining room for a centering prayer and brief intro to the labyrinth. You head out to the oceanside labyrinth to walk it in quiet meditation, following the circles in and out, round and round. 

The walk closes with a prayer and come back to the dining room for a cup of tea.

At 7:15, you will be able to participate in a Full Moon Salutation or Chandra Namaskar.  Registration is available on the Mercy Center's website  https://www.mercybythesea.org/CourseCatalog/classView.asp?id=1580


The Moon Salutation focuses on calming yoga poses.  There are many variations of the Moon Salutation.  

We will begin with warming up versions, slowly adding more layers to the Moon Salutation.  In the Viniyoga (adaptable yoga) style we will begin with moving the body in and out of the poses and add more complexity with each round of the salutation.  There are 16 poses in all.  They mirror each other and the cycles of the moon with poses like crescent moon and crescent lunge poses.   Poses are done facing the long ends the mat .  Mats, however are not needed since the poses do not require anything but the feet touching the earth.  Shoes are optional  All poses are weight bearing on the legs only, not the hands or wrists.  All levels welcome. 

You will be guided through versions that are easier on the body first and then move into versions that may be more challenging if you wish.  The Moon Salutation is meant to be a calming series of poses so students should take care to focus on rejuvenation and renewing, being kind to their bodies rather than pushing or striving.  The Sun Salutation, which may be more familiar to people is meant to warm the body and create energy.  The Moon Salutation is meant to do the opposite.  Yoga for the body is called Hatha Yoga which literally means  the Sun (Ha) and the Moon (Tha).  Yoga is all about finding balance and this Moon Salutation done after a contemplative Labyrinth walk will aid you in finding a center and calm, a peace and relaxation, a recognition of the cycle of change in life, and a time to honor the journey.