It’s all a phase: What lunar cycles teach us about balance

Polarity plays a significant role in yoga—inhale/exhale, hold/release, root to rise. And we’re always searching for the space between. Balance doesn’t exist without polarity.

Stability in tree pose requires both firm grounding (think about the work your foot is putting in) and flexibility to adjust to the tiny movements created by our own body. These two traits on opposite ends of the spectrum give us the tools to balance physically.

Like our bodies adjusting to a balanced posture, our lives, from the very personal aspects to the overarching environmental and seasonal shifts are in constant flux. Change is the only thing that stays the same, and we’re left always trying to find our footing. The lunar phases—a new moon is set to rise on October 14—can teach us a lot about our search for balance. 

Chinese philosophy refers to the aspects of lunar energy as yin with the opposite being yang. Yin is considered dark, cold, slow and passive. Yang is hot, light and active. These traits can carry strong associations. We refer to unfriendly people as “cold,” we talk about being in a “dark” place and we’re told to take action and avoid being passive. 

But too much yang and we run the risk of burning out. Still, Yin is strong and powerful in its own way. Passivity isn’t about giving up, it’s recognizing what we can’t control, what we can’t change and putting our efforts elsewhere. A slower pace provides the opportunity to observe what happens around us, to turn inward and to recognize how we react to those things. Then it gives us the space we need to reset. 

The waning of a moon reminds us that everything has an end and that we, too, can phase out thoughts, feelings, and processes that no longer work for us. The new moon is considered a time for beginnings. 

Just like the waxing and waning of the moon, autumn—with its longer nights and cooler days—provides space for turning inward and exploring yin and all its traits. Remember to find balance; drink something warm, take a heating vinyasa class, get outside.

And while we celebrate the polar qualities of the spectrum and how each is necessary for balance, avoid labels and judgment. Each end of the poles are not good or bad, they simply are. After all, they exist only because of the other.