Pulling Down the Moon

Exhale 2018, Inhale 2019

January 3, 2019

A new year, new you! We often make a New Year’s resolution at the start of a new year in hopes of making changes to improve our lives during the coming year. What starts off as a optimistic plan for the future, Go to the Gym More (i.e. You’re Not in Shape!) or Call Mom and Dad More (Guilt!) comes from a place within us that says we are not good enough and rarely works. What starts off a noteworthy concept, instead becomes a list of our faults. What about instead trading in those old and (albeit) familiar ideas instead for an intention or Sankalpa. A yogis new year’s resolution.


Sankalpa is an intention formed by the mind and heart, it’s what’s behind the emotion of the traditional new year’s resolution. To make a Sankalpa is to make an intention or to resolve (a resolution). A sankalpa allows you praise your effort rather than focus on what you are doing wrong. This is a change from how traditional new year’s resolutions tend to leave us feeling guilty and mad at ourselves for breaking them. Release yourself from holding onto the past and instead create an intention full of possibility for the future.


Start by looking at you resolutions (I know you already made them!) and note how they make you feel (anxious, mad, jealous!). You might need to journal about these feelings over the next few days before this last step. When ready, ask yourself how would you like to feel this year and turn those results oriented resolutions into something that will give this years journey more value.


Here are some suggestions of sankalpas given by Satyananada Saraswati in his book “Yoga Nidra":

-I awaken the spiritual potential.

-I am a positive force in the evolution of others.

-I am successful in all that I undertake.

-I am more aware and more efficient.

-I achieve total health

Or from Catherine Guthrie at Yoga Journal:

-May I be Happy and Open to What Life Brings Me.

Be gentle on yourself, these changes don’t happen overnight. Make your intention/sankalpa a part of your daily ritual to remind yourself what you will accomplish this new year.


Join the Moon in any of our yoga classes to explore and support your sankalpa. Learn more about our free community classes (in Chicago and Highland Park) and our Yoga for Fertility series (in Chicago, Highland Park, and virtually). New additions are added to our calendar every month!

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Tips for Spring Restoration

February 18, 2025
Spring arrives next month, and with it, more cold days (perhaps even snow)! But March also brings the promise of new life. We love this time of year. The ground starts to smell fresh and ripe. Small green buds begin to swell from the earth reaching up, up, up. Birds chatter in the trees. The sun stays in the sky a little longer each day. After a long, cold winter of hibernation, spring restores nature’s beauty. Spring inspires us to restore ourselves, too and these self-care techniques will lead you to restoration of mind, body and spirit. Hydrate. Drink a glass or two of water first thing in the morning. Keeping yourself hydrated helps boost your mood, improves brain power and protects you against disease. Make a gratitude list. Spending just a few minutes a day writing down what you are grateful for can dramatically shift your day. The more gratitude you have, the more open to abundance you become. Breathe. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice breathing. There are so many benefits! Among them, diaphragmatic breathing alleviates stress, reduces pain, strengthens internal muscles and moves blood to organs and tissues. If you’re not sure how to get started, try our Breathe & Restore Workshop or schedule an Soothe the Senses: Calm the Nervous System Fertility Enhancing Massage™ to receive some hands-on breath work coaching. Stretch. Five to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning increases energy levels, enhances circulation, reduces injury and centers your mind. Even better is a regular yoga practice. Get started by downloading the Fully Fertile App today to give you a jump start! Our next Signature Yoga for Fertility Series begins on Monday, February 24th to reduce anxiety and stress by 20% or more in just six weeks. Eliminate something from your diet that isn’t serving you. I nstead of overhauling your entire diet, start by taking out one food that doesn’t nourish your body. Replace it with a different item that supports your desire for restoration. Learn even more by working with scheduling a nutrition consult ! We look forward to seeing you virtually or in-person at one of our centers to help you get started. Many wishes for a beautiful spring!
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