Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Mindful mama moon time

Welcome to the March Mindful Mama Carnival: Mindful Mama Challenge
This post was written for inclusion in the Mindful Mama Carnival hosted by Becoming Crunchy and TouchstoneZ. This month our participants have challenges they've set for themselves toward becoming more mindful. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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Over the past four years I have become more attuned to my cycles. Over the past year I have become more attuned to the moon's cycles. For the past six months I have been weaving the two together. The impact on my life, and my family's life has been profound.

I started by focusing on the full moon. By absorbing the high energy during my ovulation and retreating at the dark moon. I had the most common "white moon" cycle - bleeding on the dark moon, ovulating on the full moon. At ovulation I knew I would be full of energy from both the moon's phase, and my own hormonal balance. As the moon waned, my mood darkened and I would need to retreat, need to take more time to myself, need to remind myself that I wasn't actually angry at the children, but just pre-menstrual and needing more quiet, more head space. In this way I could be more gentle and loving with myself, and therefore with my children, rather than perceiving them as "the problem". I knew where I was at with myself. It felt good. So different from the intense, out of control mood-swings of PMS when I had got my periods back after our second child.

But then two months ago when my Moon Time book was at the publishers, and I was feeling full of understanding of my cycle and all women, my cycle flipped to a red moon cycle - bleeding at the full moon, ovulating at the new moon. And what's more, the full moon hid behind winter clouds for two months.

Suddenly  I could not look up and know where I was. I felt at sea. Neither rooted in my body wisdom, or the moon's cycles. I felt wobbly and unsure. My PMS felt more out of control.

I needed an aide de memoire to help me to re-connect to where I was in both cycles. Enter the moon dial.  


I had been considering stocking them on my website, and had ordered a sample to check it for quality. It could not have arrived at a more opportune time. My moon time arrived on the same day! I turned Day 1 on the outer petals to align with the phase of the moon: full. Then jotted on the first petal the day's date and my symptoms. Then I aligned the  inner dial to the Wise Woman phase, and the middle one to the month of the year. Now I had a beautiful, visual reminder to help me keep track.


This has been my (almost) daily practice since: a simple way of checking in with myself, and with the moon, of grounding myself once more in my own rhythms and those of the heavens. 

An interesting addition to this has been noticing how the moon seems to effect the children too. The full moon energises them, and yet, on a red moon cycle, my energies are low at this time as I am bleeding. This is a challenging energetic dichotomy, but again, one which now I am mindful of it, becomes easier to manage without blame and anger, but simply by observing.

And so as I write, I am trying to consciously shift my cycle back to the white moon phase, as I feel much more attuned to myself, the moon's energy and my children's energies, when I ovulate at full moon. We are bringing full moon celebration into our family's monthly life together. As well as celebrating on the blog, the children and I observe the moon together as she waxes, guestimating when she will be full once more. Last month we went down to the beach, drew a labyrinth in the sand and walked it together, before singing, strolling and dancing in the moonlight. Next month we are planning a ceremonial fire in our garden. 

Are you attuned to your own cycle, and to the moon? Have you any experience with realigning your cycle and any wisdom you can share from your experiences?

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13 comments:

  1. fabulous post as always! and thank you for the links! My children normally call me "Mom" or "Mommy" but this morning my 5 year old bundle of loveliness gave me a hug and simply said "Mama" Now I see how important a word can be. Mom is "can you do this" Mommy is "I need" but Mama is well, MAMA!

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  2. Thank you, Lucy. I enjoyed reading about your experience with acknowledging the moon cycles along with your menstrual cycles and the energy of the children. The parallels sounds very interesting.

    Currently, I am not menstruating due to pregnancy but definitely relate to the changing energies of the moon/sun/universe. I appreciate this example and when I *do* start menstruating again I will keep it in mind for reflective value. Acknowledging all of the energies of the universe helps me to feel and stay grounded also. Much love to you and yours.

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  3. I'm not attuned to the moon, but I was getting much more in tune with my cycle before I became pregnant with Ailia. I found I was so much more energetic the week of/after my period. Perhaps that is part of my feeling of depression/floundering lately - I'm not cycling!

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  4. Hi Dionna - I found not cycling after birth very challenging for my energies, libido and post natal depressive episodes - - felt very at sea - it is also MUCH more tiring having more than one kiddie - life for me has been a LOT of floundering with babies!!

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  5. I think I need to really think about this. I've never had regular cycles and have always had problems... Even though it's all just getting weirder as I get older, I want to experience what you're describing. The consciousness alone sound soothing.
    And I really want to be able to present my daughter with this wisdome when her time comes.
    I do like that Moon Dial, did you decide to stock them?

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  6. Yes, they are in my bookstore at www.thehappywomb.com and are £10 plus p &p
    X

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  7. This post resonates with me so much. My children and I LOVE the moon and I have always felt a deep connection to both the sun and the moon, but I have never thought to relate the moon to my own monthly cycle. I will have to let this idea sink in a bit more--and maybe buy your book so I can learn more! Thankyou for sharing this. I am ready to feel more connected to my own body and my femininity.

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  8. How wonderful Patti, I'm glad this resonated with you. I wish you joyful connection x

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  9. What an interesting idea, I've never tried to associate my cycles with the moon. I still am not bleeding since the birth of my 2nd child, but when I start I might try to see where in the moon cycle my own cycle falls.

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  10. Love this post so much Lucy - I always learn a ton from you! All of this is information I would like to learn more about...I love the idea of celebrating with the moon and truly believe we women don't know enough about our cycles - such a significant part of life that so often gets pushed aside as a mere nuisance. (Feeling very happy to have your book as well and looking forward to the opportunity to delve into it!).

    Thank you so much for sharing your lovely wisdom.

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  11. Attuning my cycles with the moon is something I've always wanted to do, but never quite remembered to stick with consistently. I long to honor the woman in me, especially since having children. I finally learned to not only accept, but to celebrate my body for all that it gives me. I'm pregnant right now, but I still notice my mood and energy are cyclical. I think I'll begin tracking those and see if I notice any pattern.

    And once my cycles return, I'd love to pick up your book and wheel to honor the cycle after this last pregnancy.

    Thank you for participating in the Mindful Mama Carnival.

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  12. Thank you all for your comments and willingness to embrace this practice/ idea
    x

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  13. this is just wonderful! I find myself snapping at times realizing that my cycle is starting.....I feel the need to learn more about this and become more in tune with my cycles and times.thanks for this. I plan on looking into the moon dial and your new book!

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