The Moon, Daoism and Women
Daoism as a tradition of cultivation is embedded within the understanding of our place within the natural cycles of the planet and heavenly bodies. Connecting to the earth is just that, the planet, and balancing this connection with that of heaven is also just that; the stars, moon and heavenly bodies, not a man in a white nighty up there somewhere having opinions on our behaviour!
So what does it mean to train in harmony with the moon’s cycles within Daoism? Blood is the thing, for women. The movement of it, nourishing of it, losing of it, and health of it. Within Daoist theory men are more aligned with their Qi, women their blood. Simply put the movement of the moon moves the fluids on the planet and the fluids within our bodies, the menstrual cycle being governed by this planetary pull. When women’s cycles are in harmony with this greater and lesser pull exerted on the planet by the moons phase, the blood is healthier; the women’s body expels emotional and physical imbalances more efficiently as her natural attunement to the cycles of the planet is restored. Restored from the cultural attitude to menstruation as something to be ashamed of, ignore, suppress with contraceptive drugs and fundamentally fear.
For many women on my courses to ‘reframe’ their relationship to menstruation with this knowledge is a life changing moment. Releasing them from years of disconnecting shame or simply an attitude of annoyed tolerance, into one of celebration and respect for what we as females are capable of. So in short when the moon is new (or dark) the magnetic pull upwards of the moon is at its lowest therefore a stronger downward pull (in Daoist terminology a more Yin time). Ideally this is the time when a women in balance with her body will menstruate, this menstruation aided by the downward pull from the planet being stronger as the magnetic upward pull of the moon is weaker, to assist in the removal of pathogens from her system through her menstrual blood. We will feel quieter, more internal, the muscles a little weaker during this time.
Full moon on the other hand is ideally the time for ovulation, for the peak of expansion upwards/outwards, (the most Yang time of the month). Time when energy should be high, muscles strong, good time to exercise more, and meditation will have an entirely different quality. Not such a great time for menstruation as the tendency is for everything to want to go up, so menstruating now is less efficient as a cleanse. There are specific practices for adjusting oneself to these cycles, which work in my experience very fast for women. A number of women on my courses who’s cycles have been very difficult or unbalanced have found within a month or two of practicing moon-gazing and dark moon Qi Gong, have reduced pain, blood flow and much happier with their overall balance in the body. For menstruating women this transforms the relationship to their femininity into something connecting to the wider environment, to each other and can be a profoundly healing journey of reclamation of feminine power. For women who have travelled through the menopause (called our ‘second spring’ in Daoism) this monthly cycle continues, just not reflected in the physical loss of blood any longer. The practices however continue to nourish her body, the central channel and the profound evolution of consciousness, which according to Daoist writings about this period of a women’s life, is occurring at this time. For more details on Womens energy work and Nei Gong read Daoist Nei Gong for Women written by Roni Edlund and Damo Mitchell, for which I wrote the forward, it’s a wonderful book. Thank you to Jaydee for the wonderful picture, she took it after a particularly strong evening of practice here.
