Jours de lune

On moonlit days, the morning Mysore classes are replaced by a pranayama class, open to all, from 6.30am to 8.00am.

 

We studied Vinyasa Krama Yoga with Srivatsa Ramaswami, who was a student of Krishnamacharya. When asked about moon days, Ramaswami replied that during the 33 years of study with Krishnamacharya, they continued classes and practice regardless of moon phases and that this was not part of Krishnamacharya's teaching. 

 

It is likely that in the Ashtanga Vinyasa lineage, “the tradition of resting on moonlit days” began with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. His teacher, T. Krishnamacharya, did not observe moon days, nor did he mention them in his magnum opus Yoga Makaranda (1934).

 

The convention arose from a time in India when most teachers (like Jois) were Brāmanas - priestly caste. On full moons and new moons, Brāmanas had to attend to numerous temple duties and rites, which meant they had no time to teach on those days. Although there were no classes taught, students still had to continue their studies.

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It's true that the period of fluctuating Moon days affects us in different ways, but it's not just the Moon that affects us, it's enough to simply observe, adapt practice and accept the moment, reality as it is, which is what should be done at every moment of life.

 

 

At Ashtanga Yoga Lausanne, we don't have a strict rule that you have to take a break from asana practice. We think it's a good opportunity to practice Pranayama on those days and to adapt the practice by develloping the feeling, rather than practicing out of habit and mechanically, by which we take a moment to simply observe our breathing and become aware of it, not to control it. 

 

Perhaps we can be aware of something, something that's missing in the practice of the postures (Asana).