Creativity takes courage.
Henri Matisse
Full Moon: PEAK energy, gratitude, celebration, release toxic thoughts/energy (Try this journal prompt: In what areas of your life are you thriving? What/who do you have to be grateful for? In what areas of your life are you struggling with? How can you find some gratitude or acceptance within the process of growth or change?)
Virgo Transit: Earth, logical, service/action oriented, practical, determined (lesson: not everything has a 'fix.' Sometimes, the solution is in the acceptance.)
March 10, 2020. Here we are at another full moon. Another beautiful opportunity to step back and admire the work you've created (in your life, in your community, or maybe in your actual art.) This is the time to breathe in and accept all that has already manifested throughout these past couple weeks of action and intention setting. This is also the time to exhale and release any toxic thoughts or beliefs that may be holding you back from fully appreciating all that you are and all that you have created. This can help you release any unmet expectations and prevent it from turning into fuel for that mean spirited inner-critic that many of us battle.
I really love this quote by Henri Matisse because it holds SO much truth... creativity really does take a lot of courage. I believe this to be true because of how true, authentic creativity comes from digging deep and finding your roots and exposing them for all to see. That vulnerability is a really scary thing because it requires us to face everything within ourselves and share everything, regardless of whether or not we like what we see.
Our moon is currently passing through Virgo--an Earthy star sign, very wrapped up in explaining everything in a logical way. They are also very methodical in setting up action plans to achieve success. This can be an excellent thing, especially during the first quarter moon as it is a time to focus on getting things done to reach your new moon intention... however, during the full moon, it can bring some challenges (as they all do). As you reflect on everything that has manifested as a result of all the steps you've taken leading up to this point, try your best to really highlight what you do have and what you're grateful for. Not to sound too cliche, but just focus on the present moment and allow yourself to glow and radiate your gratitude for your current space. The peak energy of the full moon will amplify anything that is already present inside of you. Let go of any toxic thoughts that may be preventing you from showing creativity because that will also be amplified if you allow it to take over during this time.
I know that's all easier said than done. Especially if you're in the middle of a very challenging time. However, even if you aren't currently experiencing any significant trials, the very process of 'digging deep' can uncover some older, generational trauma. Telling someone who has been through any type of trauma (emotional or physical) to just be grateful and focus on the positive can sound like a big slap in the face. I know I definitely felt that way whenever I was facing difficult seasons. If you are battling any traumatic experiences or mental health problems, definitely seek professional help. I'll start compiling resources for anyone looking for that support and create a page on my website.
One thing that may help in the meantime, is to find a safe place or a safe person to keep you grounded as you try to find some sort of acceptance for any emotions that are passing through you right now. This does not mean you have to accept or be grateful for any abuse or trauma that you have been through. What it does mean is to stop running from it. The avoidance keeps you unaware; and as long as you are unaware of your automatic responses and triggers, it'll remain a cycle of suffering. Use this full moon energy to help face any areas of your life that need acceptance so that you can move forward and start to create a new, healthier cycle. Even if you cannot think of any situational thing to be grateful for at this time, try to think of one thing about yourself to be grateful for. Just start small and see how it grows!
Another way we can increase our creative energy is simply by MOVING our bodies! Join me for a hip and heart-opening yoga flow:
Yoga Flow for Rooting into Creativity
This is my very first YouTube Yoga Flow! I have committed to at least one YouTube Flow a month. I chose to use the full moon as my time of the month to release these videos for many reasons, but partly because it’s a time of celebration. I want to share these yoga flow videos with you as a way to celebrate all we have been working towards the whole moon cycle. Also, Māhealani is the name of the FULL MOON in Hawaiian (read more about the story of my website name here), so I thought it’d be even more fitting to share on the day of the full moon!
The way I teach and theme my classes is always dependent on that day’s moon phase and transit sign, but in order to keep each video I share relevant to any date or time, I am going to keep them a little more generalized. It will still definitely be a flow inspired by the moon at the time I am posting it! Take today’s flow, for instance. My focus was on opening up the hips and chest area because that is where the sacral chakra and heart chakra are respectively. The sacral chakra is the home of our creative energy and the heart chakra is all about feeling, emotion, connection and gratitude. Tapping into these areas will help us to open up, find that courage to be vulnerable and create in a beautiful and unique way. Our transit sign, Virgo, is an earth sign, and very logical so I cued a lot to your connection to the Earth or your mat. I also made extra effort to make sure I was not only explaining what we were doing, but why we were doing it. This also contributed to the title: Yoga Flow | Root into Creativity. Finally, I tied in the moon in Virgo lesson of acceptance and gratitude for the present moment and your current feelings so that we can practice not only being ok with what our bodies are capable of at this time but actually celebrate those aspects of ourselves!
Show Creativity
Let’s dig a little deeper into this topic of rooting down to show creativity. The more grounded we are able to feel, the deeper the connection to our roots, the safer we will feel in our environment, no matter what is going on around us. That safety will then translate to growth, fruit, and prosperity.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:3
I started reading through the book of Psalms because they are so beautifully poetic. They always give such great inspiration for creativity. I really like Psalm 1 because it references a tree being planted (deeply rooted down) by streams of water. Its deep roots allowed it to stand strong, and the streams of water (adversity) allowed it to grow and create delicious fruits. It was prosperous!
My prayer for all of you is that you'll try out the journal prompt provided at the beginning of this post (Personal journal prompt: In what areas of your life are you thriving? What/who do you have to be grateful for? In what areas of your life are you struggling with? How can you find some gratitude or acceptance within the process of growth or change?) and dig deep into your own roots. What are the wins in your life that you can celebrate and allow the full moon to amplify? I pray that even as you come across areas or mindsets that don't spark joy or allow you to easily access this grateful spirit, that you will be able to dig a little deeper and find some acceptance to be able to sit with it and experience it without judgement. I hope that each of you will be able to feel this gratitude start to radiate and allow you to open up and get creative in how you express yourself and share your story.
Namaste,
Keila