Traditional Ashtanga Yoga is practiced Sunday through Friday, with Saturdays and “moon days” off. That is not always practical for modern yoga practitioners and so Studio Eight Yoga offers daily classes.

Moon days are the days closest to the Full Moon and New Moon. The tidal pull of the sun and moon affects our bodies, which are 70 percent water. The lunar cycle has been compared to the breath cycle, with the full moon likened to the pause at the end of inhalation, when prana, outward energy, and expansiveness are strongest. The new moon is like the end of exhalation, when apana, groundedness, and contraction are strongest.

Ladies, you may practice yoga during all phases of your monthly cycle. If you feel well enough to go to work, you are well enough to practice, and it can even help make you feel better.

With a regular yoga practice, you will begin to notice your own body’s rhythms and the effects of the lunar cycle, and may choose to adjust your practice accordingly.