Cancer New Moon Asana

The New Moon in watery Cancer, sign of the crab, can bring a month of deep emotional shifts. It can also launch a period of deep reflection on what kind of nurture you want and need most at this time. Perhaps there is something tender to look at under the shell. Welcoming the light sneaking through the cracks of your shell can bring breakthroughs!

I think of the beach now. The crab scattering about as it comes and goes from the waves. Then there’s a moment when the crab finds a meditative stillness on the sand.  The radiant sunlight builds vitality and strength, helping the crab find the love and self acceptance that it needs.

The body region associated with the sign of Cancer is our upper body center: the chest, breasts and tummy. If you’re familiar with the chakras, think 3rd chakra at the upper belly (solar plexus), under the chest.  Cancer energy is sensitive, mothering, compassionate at its best. So think about how such feelings can get stored in this area.  When you FEEL things…the first signals can often manifest as flutters in the belly, shortness of breath, sensation at the heart space, slumped torso when sad, etc.

I find that placing hands to the center of the body as part of a meditation or mindful movement practice is an essential Cancer gesture to aid the process of checking in with the current moment.  This is especially useful during eclipses!  We need this checking in.  With the powers of breath, touch, and attention you can shift the distress to this center’s more balanced states of self acceptance, resilience, forgiveness, and deep wells of love for family (whatever family means to you).

Butterfly pose variations

Where I am in New England the land sings with summer greens and  colorful garden blooms. Long days of light and warmth help soften whatever feelings need to come through. The nature in my garden inspires Butterfly pose variations as the Cancer New Moon shapes to try.

Find a moment on or near the New Moon when you can sit comfortably on the ground, outside. Place the soles of your feet together with knees opening out to the side. You might take a moment to sway the spine, head/neck, and notice what your body needs in the moment.

You might lie down right away for a resting butterfly if exhausted, or you might sit upright in a meditative butterfly with hands to heart and belly.

Either way, take some breaths that begin to nourish your nervous system. Let go.  Relax into how you truly feel.  Then consider how you can best nourish yourself in this state. If you’re needing an uplifting sensation, try lifting your arms up to sky and hooking your thumbs. Use your own arm strength to work the thumb hook and observe the line of energy opening from the hands, down the arms, through the armpits and chest, into the ribs and center.Take 3-5 breaths like this and sense both the front and back of the torso (your center).

You might even try all 3 variations of butterfly shown here, which could create a sweet 10 minute practice for your New Moon in Cancer. Wishing you all a gentle point of inspiration to continue the curiosity that we need to stay present with ourselves.

Jenn Falk lives in the Boston area and has been teaching yoga since 2006. She guides her classes using a blend of yoga tradition, intuition, energy awareness, and the cycles of the Moon. She calls her style of yoga “Lunar Love Flow” which is also the title of her recently published book by the same name.