Moon Compass

The Moon compass became a tool for my healing journey as it directed my focus toward growth and healing. As Yoga’s eight-limbed path increased my awareness, I began to clearly see what no longer served me. A lifetime of conditioned responses to stress and trauma began to disappear, and for the first time, I felt truly free. As a spiritual midwife and holistic health practitioner, nothing has bridged my mind, body, and spirit to the present as the chakra system and Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga.

Yoga's natural healing process leads to freedom when our actions are aligned with our truth. T.K.V. Desikachar explains in The Heart of Yoga that every action has two effects, which is "why it is so important to be attentive to our actions." Desikachar adds, "We must be able to recognize which effects are positive and which are negative so that we can then emphasize the positive and try to neutralize the negative." This is true on and off the mat, like everything in Yoga.

When practicing asana, the physical aspect of Yoga, each pose has a counterpose to restore any adverse effects. For example, following a backbend with a gentle forward fold will bring you back to neutral and regain your balance. This essential element of Yoga has assisted me with changing unwanted patterns and behaviors. It provides an eight-step action plan for overcoming life's negative energies and effects of action. As I compiled my notes and focused on the self-care and wellness journey, I noticed healthy patterns unfold.

The Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang and the self-healing Ayurvedic tradition brought together my holistic health practice. They pointed like a compass toward healing and connected me to the Divine feminine energy of the moon. I began to mirror nature and live seasonally, surrendering to life's flow. I studied the moon and recognized how each phase carries the energy and essence of the seasons. Each breath created space for new opportunities to pause, take action, and create an environment that promotes healing. I expanded and took notes of the new life unfolding before me; when I pieced them all together, the Moon Compass appeared.

Like a detective with an evidence board, all the puzzling pieces of my health issues began to fall into place. The eight phases of the moon, the Eight Limbs of Yoga, eight transitions of the Celtic Wheel, and the powerful chakra system all connected into an eight-directional compass. It pointed inward after the full moon, directing my focus to my foundation, identity, and power. With the new moon, I focused on my heart, breath, and emotion as the compass pointed me toward renewal and action. Like a loving mother, I saw the moon's face reflecting nature back to me. She showed me a kinder, more caring approach to discipline and change.

I wondered what other ways we are connected to the earth's satellite. I found it no coincidence that the moon's journey around the earth is called a "revolution," roughly the same time for the uterus to complete its cycle. Just as the first day of a woman's period marks the beginning of her monthly cycle, so does the new moon celebrate the beginning of the lunar cycle.

If the moon can pull the ocean's tide, with the sea makes up 70% of the earth, then what effects does it have on our bodies, which are 70% water? Whatever the effects, the life energy flowing through us and nature connects us all. As I followed this path by moonlight, I saw four main life stages illuminate before me. The four stages of birth and death, the four stages in the butterfly's metamorphosis, and the four stages of a woman's menstrual cycle all reflecting nature.

I saw life unfold like a blossoming rose as each petal pulled back another layer of becoming. The compass guides transformation, curiosity, and imagination through all ages and stages of life. Whether you identify as a female or want to lace more Yin balance into your Yang energy, create your own compass for the healing revolution. Connect your inner wisdom to the Divine and create your own path to self-healing.

As the oldest healing system and ancient wisdom come alive within the Moon Compass, follow along at your own pace, taking from it whatever truth it may hold for you. Check in daily for guidance on your wellness journey with journal prompts and affirmations or with one Limb at a time for as long as you like. Life gets busy, and days may go by without checking in, but the timing is perfect in the flow of life's energy. As you create a life that expands joyfully, your moon compass will guide you home to your true self.