Moon Phase Yoga: Full Moon & New Moon Sequences for a Powerful Lunar Practice

Introduction

Every 29.5 days the moon completes its cycle from invisible new moon to radiant full moon and back again. For thousands of years, yogis have tracked that rhythm and shaped their practice accordingly — moving with energy rather than against it, releasing what no longer serves them on the full moon, planting seeds of intention on the new.

If you have ever noticed that your energy surges around the full moon, that sleep becomes elusive, that emotions run closer to the surface — you have already felt the lunar pull. Moon phase yoga gives you a framework to work with those fluctuations instead of being caught off guard by them.

This guide is for yoga teachers who want to offer themed lunar classes, and for personal practitioners who want a meaningful 29-day rhythm beyond their regular mat time. You will find the history of lunar practice, the science that supports it, two complete sequences, the Moon Salutation broken down pose by pose, and practical guidance for weaving the moon cycle into your teaching calendar. FLOW's free sequence builder makes it easy to plan and save your lunar sequences so they are ready before every new and full moon.

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The Tradition of Lunar Practice in Yoga

Ancient Roots

The connection between the moon and yoga is older than the word "yoga" itself. The Sanskrit word chandra (moon) appears throughout the Vedas, the oldest body of yogic literature. In Hatha Yoga — the branch most of us practice today — the name itself encodes the duality: ha means sun, tha means moon. The entire system is designed to balance solar and lunar energies within the body.

In Ashtanga Yoga, Pattabhi Jois famously observed traditional moon days — both full and new moon — as rest days. His reasoning: the moon's gravitational pull affects the body's fluids and energy, making intense practice inadvisable. Other schools took a different approach, creating specific moon-day practices that honoured the energy of each phase rather than abstaining altogether.

The Kundalini tradition has long used Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation) as a cooling, feminine complement to Surya Namaskar. Yin and Restorative yoga — both deeply cooling and receptive in nature — are now commonly taught as lunar practices, especially around the new moon.

The Moon, Emotions, and the Body

The moon's gravitational pull demonstrably affects large bodies of water. The human body is roughly 60% water. Emerging research into circalunar rhythms — biological cycles that track the lunar month — suggests the moon may influence sleep architecture, cortisol patterns, and mood regulation, particularly in people who menstruate.

Ayurveda, yoga's sister science, places great importance on lunar timing. Full moon is associated with heightened pitta (fire) energy: passion, intensity, potential irritability. New moon is associated with vata (air/space): creativity, beginnings, sometimes anxiety. Practically speaking, this translates to a more active, heat-building practice at the full moon and a slower, grounding practice at the new moon — which is exactly the framework we use in the sequences below.

Pro Tip: You do not need students to believe in astrology to benefit from lunar yoga classes. Frame the full moon practice as "a sequence designed for peak-energy periods" and the new moon practice as "an introspective, restorative flow for new beginnings." The benefits are real regardless of the metaphysical framing.

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The Full Moon Sequence (60 Minutes)

Full moon energy is expansive, illuminating, and emotionally heightened. The sequence below leans into that heat with active, open poses — especially heart openers, standing balances, and backbends — while building toward a release in the final 15 minutes. Pair this with a restorative yoga Savasana extended to 10 minutes.

Theme: Release, illuminate, expand. Energy arc: Build heat steadily → peak with standing balance or backbend → soften into release. Props needed: Block (optional), blanket for Savasana.

Full Moon Sequence Breakdown

Opening (10 minutes)

Seated breathing: Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril) × 10 rounds — balances ida/pingala, solar/lunar channels

Seated side stretch: 1 minute each side

Cat-Cow × 8 rounds, allowing the spine to move freely

Thread the Needle × 3 each side — begin releasing the upper back and shoulders

Transition to standing

Sun Salutation Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Surya Namaskar A × 3 rounds, slow and deliberate

Surya Namaskar B × 2 rounds

Standing Sequence — Expansive and Illuminating (20 minutes)

Warrior I → Warrior II → Reverse Warrior: 5 breaths each, repeat both sides

Extended Side Angle with full bind option: 8 breaths each side

Triangle Pose: 8 breaths each side

Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana — named for the moon itself): 5 breaths each side, use a block under the bottom hand if needed

Standing Wide-Leg Forward Fold with hands clasped behind back: 10 breaths — inversion energy with heart opening

Peak Poses — Backbends and Heart Opening (10 minutes)

Camel Pose: 3 × 5 breaths — the full moon calls for open-hearted vulnerability

Bridge Pose × 3, holding the third for 10 breaths

Optional Wheel Pose for experienced practitioners: 1–3 rounds

Release — Letting Go Under the Full Moon (10 minutes)

Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana): 5 minutes with blanket over the body

Supine Twist: 2 minutes each side

Happy Baby: 2 minutes — playful, releasing any remaining hip tension

Savasana (10 minutes)

Extended Savasana is non-negotiable here. Invite students to mentally release one thing that no longer serves them — a habit, a relationship dynamic, a belief about themselves. The full moon is traditionally associated with completion and release.

Journaling Prompts for Students After Full Moon Practice

What am I ready to release this cycle?

What have I been illuminated to see clearly this month?

Where in my life is something coming to full fruition?

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The New Moon Sequence (45 Minutes)

The new moon is dark, quiet, and potent with potential. It is the cosmic equivalent of a blank page. This sequence is slower, more introspective, and includes more restorative holds. It is genuinely accessible to all levels and pairs beautifully with yoga for anxiety sequences for students who find the introspective energy of the new moon stirring.

Theme: Intention, beginnings, grounding. Energy arc: Arrive fully → turn inward → plant seeds of intention. Props needed: 2 blocks, bolster or rolled blanket, eye pillow (optional).

New Moon Sequence Breakdown

Arriving (10 minutes)

Constructive Rest: lie on the back, knees bent, feet flat — 3 minutes of simple conscious breathing

Supine Knee-to-Chest stretch: 1 minute each side

Seated Easy Pose with hands on knees, eyes closed: 3 minutes of breath awareness

Set intention — invite students to hold a seed question: What am I calling in this cycle?

Gentle Movement — Waking the Body Slowly (15 minutes)

Seated Cat-Cow × 6 rounds

Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) with hands on the front thigh: 8 breaths each side — grounding and centering

Lizard Pose with blocks under both hands: 8 breaths each side

Seated Wide-Angle Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana): 2 minutes, torso draped forward on a bolster

Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) with forward fold: 2 minutes

Moon Salutation — Core of the New Moon Practice (10 minutes)

Perform 2 full rounds of Moon Salutation (detailed step-by-step in the next section). Move slowly, making each transition a meditation in itself.

Restorative Closing (10 minutes)

Supported Child's Pose with bolster under the torso: 4 minutes — surrender, returning to the womb of possibility

Reclined Butterfly: 3 minutes

Savasana with eye pillow: 8 minutes minimum

Pro Tip: Play low-frequency ambient music or Tibetan singing bowl recordings during the new moon practice. The quiet, introspective energy is deepened by sound environments that match the mood. Silence also works beautifully — try both and see what resonates with your students.

Journaling Prompts for Students After New Moon Practice

What one intention am I planting this lunar cycle?

What qualities do I want to cultivate in the next 29 days?

What small action can I take this week that aligns with my intention?

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Moon Salutation Step-by-Step

Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation) moves laterally — stepping wide rather than stepping forward and back — which gives it a cooling, grounding quality distinct from the heating, linear Sun Salutation. There are several variations; the sequence below is widely taught and suitable for intermediate practitioners. You can build it in our pose library using FLOW's sequence builder.

Starting Position: Mountain Pose (Tadasana) at the top of your mat, hands at heart.

Inhale — raise arms overhead, slight backbend (Urdhva Hastasana)

Exhale — forward fold (Uttanasana)

Inhale — step the right foot wide to the right, coming into a wide stance (Goddess Pose / Utkata Konasana) — arms wide, elbows bent at 90°

Exhale — shift weight to the right into a Side Lunge (Skandasana) — left leg extended, left toes pointing up, hands frame the right foot

Inhale — straighten, both feet now flat and wide — shift to center

Exhale — shift to the left into Side Lunge on the left side

Inhale — return to Goddess Pose

Exhale — pivot feet parallel, fold into Wide-Leg Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Inhale — come up halfway, hands on shins

Exhale — step left foot to meet right at the top of the mat, forward fold

Inhale — rise to standing, arms overhead

Exhale — hands to heart, Mountain Pose

That completes one half. Repeat stepping the LEFT foot wide first for the second half. Together, both halves form one full round.

Pro Tip: Teach Moon Salutation as a "cooling down" alternative to Sun Salutations on days when students arrive with high energy or emotional intensity. It is also the perfect centerpiece for a new moon class, embodying the lateral, receptive, earth-bound quality of lunar energy.

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Waxing and Waning Moon Mini-Practices

Beyond the full and new moon peaks, you can create shorter 15–20 minute practices for the in-between phases.

Waxing Moon Practice (Building Energy — Days 1–13)

The waxing moon moves from new toward full: energy, projects, and intentions are building. The practice should gradually increase in intensity through this phase.

Waxing Crescent (Days 1–6): Gentle flow, forward folds, hip openers — still relatively introspective but beginning to open up.

First Quarter (Days 7–8): More standing poses, begin adding Warrior series — matching the building momentum.

Waxing Gibbous (Days 9–13): Full vinyasa flow, stronger standing sequences, begin introducing backbends — the practice is near its peak.

Quick Waxing Moon Sequence (20 minutes):

Mountain Pose → 3 rounds Surya Namaskar A → Warrior I/II/III series → Tree Pose → Seated Forward Fold → Bridge → Savasana.

Waning Moon Practice (Releasing Energy — Days 15–28)

The waning moon moves from full toward new: energy is integrating and releasing. The practice cools down through this phase.

Waning Gibbous (Days 15–20): Slow down the flow, add longer holds, increase forward folds.

Last Quarter (Days 21–22): Yin-style holds, hip openers, minimal vinyasa.

Waning Crescent (Days 23–28): Almost entirely restorative — long Yin holds, Yoga Nidra, extended Savasana.

Quick Waning Moon Sequence (20 minutes):

Seated centering → Cat-Cow → Low Lunge (2 minutes each side) → Pigeon Pose (3 minutes each side) → Reclined Twist → Savasana.

This waning phase is an ideal time to incorporate yin yoga sequences into students' home practice recommendations.

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Teaching Themed Lunar Classes

Themed lunar classes are among the most popular specialty offerings yoga teachers can add to their schedules. Here is how to do them well.

Planning Your Lunar Class Calendar

A lunar teaching cycle runs approximately every 29.5 days. Most teachers offer:

One New Moon class (within 2 days of the new moon)

One Full Moon class (on or within 1 day of the full moon)

Some teachers add waxing and waning workshops quarterly or seasonally. Use a lunar calendar app or website to identify exact moon dates up to a year in advance, then block those dates for your specialty offerings.

FLOW's free sequence builder is ideal for planning themed sequences well ahead of time. Save your Full Moon and New Moon templates, then adjust them seasonally — a full moon in winter calls for a slightly warmer practice than one in summer.

Setting the Space

The physical environment elevates the theme from "class with a moon topic" to genuine ritual space:

Lighting: Candles or warm amber lighting. Avoid fluorescents entirely.

Sound: Tibetan bowls, ambient drone, or gentle nature sounds. Silence is also powerful.

Temperature: Lunar practices are cooling — keep the room slightly cooler than a typical flow class.

Scent: Sandalwood, jasmine, or rose essential oils are traditionally associated with lunar/feminine energy.

Opening ritual: A brief moment of shared silence or a collective breath at the start of class anchors students in the theme.

Language and Cueing for Lunar Classes

Avoid forcing the metaphor into every cue. Instead, weave the theme naturally:

"Let the exhale carry away what you are ready to release" (full moon)

"With each breath, you are drawing your intention deeper into the body" (new moon)

"Feel the lateral expansion of this pose — like the moon illuminating the full horizon" (half moon, full moon class)

"Notice the stillness at the top of the inhale — that is new moon energy, pure potential before action" (new moon class)

Journaling as Part of Class

Many teachers provide a brief 3–5 minute journaling period at the close of their lunar classes — after Savasana, before students leave. Provide simple prompts on a card or on a whiteboard. This transforms a yoga class into a ritual of reflection that students return to month after month.

Marketing Lunar Classes

Lunar classes market themselves through the natural rhythm of the calendar. Tips:

Post your lunar class schedule at the start of each month with the exact full and new moon dates

Use moon-phase imagery in your social media content (it performs consistently well on Instagram and Pinterest)

Offer a "Lunar Year" package — 24 moon classes (12 full, 12 new) at a discounted rate

Partner with a local wellness space, herbalist, or sound healer for full-moon events

If you want to expand beyond lunar themes into a full teaching specialty, our first yoga class guide and how to theme a yoga class resources are excellent starting points.

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Frequently Asked Questions