August 2014 The super moon rising over the treeline

I sat for an hour this morning outside at the fire pit in the clearing in my woods, watching the full moon move across the sky.  A super moon looks so huge because it coincides with the time in the moon’s orbit when it’s closest to Earth. We’ve had three this year and September 9 will be the next. Talk about taking a full moon bath! Here’s –> How to Take A Healing Full Moon Bath.  How I begin my day makes a big difference as to what kind of day I’ll have.  Sometimes, like today,  I want to wake up and paint right away but instead have to be 8-10 hours at the desk doing final layout for the September magazine. I can either pout and grumble and feel like I once again don’t get to do what I want to do when I want to do it. That’s nice pouty self talk to cheer me into my day!  Or I can instead think — more correctly — let me whip out a few hours’ work so I can get to painting afterward, and then carry on my merry day.

My typical routine is to wake early, meditate, play a few hours, then a nap before getting into my day.  As soon as I get up again, I begin work.  The last several months, I’d go to the gym first every other day.  The gym plays pop music, which I don’t mind, but it does change a mindset.

In cool weather, I spend many pre-dawn hours at the firepit. In the hot and muggy summer when misquitoes are out, not so much.  I was reminded this morning how much I love it out there when the weather is cool and dry.  I didn’t have a fire going, but brought out a thermos of hot ginger tea with lemon. I sat in the outdoor chaise under the giant oak, watching the moon through the branches.

It’s still and quiet at 5:00 am, although I could see a squirrel in the shadows and hear a bird behind me.  YinYang sat at the foot of my chair and kept watch with me as the moon crossed the sky.  It looked huge, definitely larger than normal.  It was a balmy, humid 76 degrees. I did some yoga stretches and keep an eye on the moon.  She’d go behind a tree trunk for a few minutes but peek around it again at me.  It felt very call and response.

I thought over my To Do List and mentally prepared myself to go into the office.  Doing yoga on the ground in the silent moonlight is definitely a more mellow start to my day than being in the gym listing to pop music.  I definitely felt restored after my Healing Full Moon Bath.  It’s going to be a good day.