Lunaception — Aligning With The Moon

Lunaception is a term introduced by Louise Lacey in her book “Lunaception: A Feminine Odyssey into Fertility and Contraception” (1974), in which she discusses the influence of night lightning on the regularity of female menstrual cycles. This idea stems from the fact that in the olden days, ovulation was triggered by the energy of the full moon — the only source of light at night for early societies. The time of the new moon, on the other hand, has been the time of menstruation.

Human sustenance and well-being are tied to the turn of the lunar wheel and women are the cosmic keepers of the moon time.

Maya Tiwari

Progressively, industrialization made us go away from paying attention to the moon cycles or creating rituals around them. Instead of bathing in the moonlight, we are bathing in the blue light emitted by our devices almost 24/7. Even though, not only blue light exposure, but all kinds of artificial light (like a street lamp or a light left on down the hallway) may disrupt the melatonin production and consequently impact other hormones.

How to work with night lightning to benefit your hormones?

Black-out curtains are your night-friends — Make sure, that the room you sleep in, is completely dark (so that you cannot even see your own fingers with lights off!)

Leave your electronic devices outside the bedroom… If it’s not possible, unplug your appliances like TV or router for the night (they’re often an unnecessary source of stand-by light)

If you are working on regulating your cycle or aligning them with the moon cycle: You can let a little bit of light in for 2–3 nights around the time of ovulation or full moon. Red light (eg. red light bulb) will be the least harmless and is said to trigger ovulation.

Adding Ayurveda to the equation

Even though we don’t have a valid scientific proof that the moon influences menstrual cycles, there are research papers out there showing that night light exposure has not only a negative effect on sleep quality, but also on reproductive hormones in women.

In this sense, lunaception is not a solely mystic concept, but also a reminder of the importance of what in Ayurveda, is called Dinacharya. Dinacharya corresponds to a concept of circadian clock. Everything is cyclical in nature. We are a part of nature, therefore we are cyclical beings. The more we are trying to escape this simple truth, the more troubled will be our health and well-being.

Furthermore, when I first heard of lunaception, something clicked. It matches not only with what Ayurveda teaches about our circadian rhythms, but also about the importance of cultivating rituals in general. They keep Vata (our ether and air element) in check… And balancing Vata is the most crucial when it comes to balancing hormones as well!

Yoga, astrology & creating lunar rituals

When I found yoga, at the beginning it used to be mostly a wellness practice for me. I found in it everything that I was looking for. More space and flexibility in the body, that eventually reflected in a deep feeling of inner peace, that I was searching for a long time.

Then, slowly, yoga started to take more and more space in my life. One day, I left a yoga class with teary eyes after the teacher sang the Haidakhandeshwari mantra during the end relaxation. Few days later, I spontaneously signed up for a 2-year long yoga teacher training in the same school that truly changed the course of my life.

As I shared with you my story, managing the hormonal imbalances, I eventually started to crave for more than physical asana practice. I embarked fully on a healing journey, trying out all possible tools and techniques out there. Finally, I found Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology. Even though they are different tools, they share the common goal and that goal is oneness.

As my cycles kept being irregular, even after introducing Ayurvedic routines, I found lunaception and decided to give it a try. I simply fell in love with the concept of aligning my usually long, unpredictable cycles with a rhythmic 28-days long cycle of the moon.

Later on, when I started to learn astrology, I found out the moon was the weakest point in my horoscope. The moon that represents the mind is a central point to look at in Vedic Astrology, when determining health & well-being of an individual. In fact, when you are being asked for your sign in temples in India, what they really ask you for, is your birth star (moon sign), not a sun sign, which we are more familiar with in western astrology.

Channeling the energy of the moon

Connecting with the energies of lunar mansions (Nakshatras) and following the phases of the moon became my spiritual practice. The work that I do around the moon is a tribute towards something greater than I am. I know, my task is to learn how to work with its energy and find out the ways to ride its emotional waves. The more I soothe into them, the less unpredictable and ferocious they become.

Moreover, something that always resonated with me was journaling and expressive writing, as I have kept a diary since I was 10 years old. Working with the moon taught me to direct the stream of thoughts on a specific area each phase for deeper insights and tackling healing one thing at a time.

It’s best to observe the moon on days of Purnima (Full Moon) and Amavasya (New Moon). I check the position — sign, conjunctions, aspects — and most importantly — the lunar mansion (Nakshatra) of the moon and adjust my journaling & yoga practice accordingly.

For example, the new moon in Ashwini Nakshatra — the energy of the new moon always invites us to go inward. Knowing the symbolism and deity of Ashwini informs us additionally that this time is especially auspicious to perform pranayama and expect the powerful effects through energy healing.

Wrap-up

Remember that approaching hormones is a complex area of healing and certainly, there was a lot of factors that contributed to me getting better in this way, not only lunaception. If you would like to learn the complete approach to balancing your hormones, check out my upcoming book Hormone Harmony — Yoga & Ayurveda For Balanced Hormones And Feminine Radiance.