If life wasn't so stressful and if we weren't so disconnected from Nature and her rhythms, what would our bodies tell us?

Is there an ideal time for women to bleed each month that coincides with the Moon cycles and the earth's rhythms?

The Moon is such a primary force in our lives- connected to emotions, our inner tides, the feminine, creativity and change. She brings her constant dance into our lives, changing our moods and feelings with her waxes and wanes. She changes nakshatras about once every day and changes signs roughly every 2.5 days. We feel her many changes within us, moving through us, moving us, constantly. As Jupiter moves into Cancer on June 18th, 2014, our work with the emotions and the Moon increases and expands for the coming twelve months. (Moon rules the sign of Cancer). Read more about this remarkable Jupiter transit.

Women, the divine beings that we are, get to experience the Moon's flow in a very physical way through out her cycles. When we ovulate, creative potential is ripe. When we bleed, we are letting go of and cleansing the previous cycle. In this way, we wax and wane with her, inviting in and letting go with each of her tidal shifts.

Ayurvedically speaking, it is ideal to bleed with the full Moon. This is what my dear and trusted ayurvedic doctor, Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra of the Shaka Vansya tradition, says:

"The ayurvedic shastra-s, ancient medical texts, explain that the expected time for the menstrual cycle is during the full moon. During the full moon, women have access to the flow of uninterrupted soma. However, due to stress, hectic lifestyle, imbalanced diet, and many other factors, many women will tend to have their cycle erratically, not with or around the full moon. Most have their cycle during the new moon. This is an indication that there are imbalances that need to be addressed. It is a sign to pay more attention to restoring the natural cycles of her body, and to support it, so that she can get back on track and have her flow with the full moon."

Not surprisingly, this corroborates with what Jyotish says about Suklanta, which is starting our "new Moon" cycle with the full Moon. Similar to exalted planets in that they are "full" and can't be "added to", a full Moon (or Purnima) means that it is full to capacity, there's no more room for it to expand and grow; it is complete. In this way, we can interpret the full Moon as a "new Moon" in that it marks the beginning of a new cycle of emptying itself and refilling itself.

Beginning a lunar month at the Purnima is called Suklanta and differs from starting the count from the new Moon (Amavasya) which is the point when the Moon is empty and is waiting to be filled by the Sun. Purnima is in the middle of the Lakshmi phase of the Moon cycle, whereas Amavasya is the moment during the cycle where Kali and Durga meet. Clearly, the energy is quite different for each of these.

These different methods of starting the lunar calendar remind me of the saying "is your glass half empty or half full?!" When do we start our "new Moon" calendar and begin our new lunar month? When we are full and satisfied or when we are empty and needing to be nourished?

If we think of our menstrual cycle as a signal from the body, and our connection to the lunar messages, then this way of counting with the Moon makes sense. The full Moon is the ripest phase of the transit and the menstrual cycle is the body's signal that we are full and filled to capacity; our cup runneth over. Literally. Ovulation, however, is considered a time of potential. Eggs are being released for possible fertilization, which is a signal that the body is ripe and ready for that special spark of creativity. This is a time of possibility, momentum, action and desire. This "potential" aligns with the new Moon, or amavasya; a time when our cups are empty and waiting to be filled.

When we listen to our body's messages (really listen) then we get answers. Here are some questions for your harvesting process during both the waxing cycle (Shukla Paksha) leading up to the full Moon (Purnima), as well as the for the waning cycle (Krishna Paksha) leading into the new Moon (Amavasya).

Harvesting for the new Moon (Amavasya):

What am I ripe and ready for? What are my desires for the next two weeks? What action steps can I take for greater fruits and a richer harvest? What potential awaits me? What strength am I arriving at? What actions were left undone in the last cycle that I need to revisit? How do I want to move forward? Where do I want to channel my creativity and how? What support do I need with my efforts? What am I stepping towards?

Harvesting for the full Moon (Purnima):

Where am I full? Where am I willing to let go and release? Where can I surrender and allow my self to flow more? Where have I been pushing too hard? Where can I allow more ease? What needs are not being met? What parts of my life do I need more support with? Can I ask for what I need? What am I not expressing? What am I depressed/frustrated/angry/sad about from this last cycle? What feels disappointing? What would I like to see shift in the next cycle?

These harvesting questions are especially helpful with embodiment work that bridges movement + art and harnesses the creativity within us. Please explore my workshop offerings and podcasts for details.

I also love working with mandalas for both new and full Moon. Mandalas and the Moon are symbolically and metaphorically unified. This shape can offer us much awareness and creative potential. Get ideas for mandala creation from my waxing and waning Creative Rituals.

Need more connection with the Moon? Read more about the importance of the Moon.

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Moon is waxing this week (Shukla Paksha) and transits Gemini, Cancer (its own sign), and into Leo this week.

For a jyotish Moon-centered approach to your day, follow my daily Moon Mind posts via Face Book.

Full Moon is on 2.14 in Leo and in Magha nakshatra at 17:51 CST. Many will be celebrating Valentine's Day as well and since it falls on a Friday, the fullness of the Moon will certainly expand our emotional capacity. This is a Full Moon that enlivens mother/father energies and both masculine/feminine paradigms. With Moon transiting a sign ruled by the Sun (and receiving direct drishti seven houses away from the Sun and Mercury) the mental/emotional bodies will be enlivened and activated, offering an increased capacity to feel, emote and express.

Magha nakshatra is connected to Pitr and the planet Ketu. Karma, authority, lineage and a sense of duty come alive with this nakshatra as well as a heightened masculine energy. Leo, ruled by the Sun, is a natural leader and loves to take center stage, have a sense of power, and ideally offer its compassion and support to those they serve. Ancestral lineage (especially father's) will be enlivened with this Full Moon (and in the coming weeks) so listen for their subtle messages and offerings. Take a moment on this day to pause, pay your respects at the altar, light a candle and give gratitude to those who have come before you. Your lineage is urging you forward; your life and actions are ensuring this momentum. Devotion, love and service are always excellent ways to honor one's lineage.

This is a "wild card" type of Full Moon in some ways with the connection to Ketu. Both Sun and Moon will be touched by the nodes through drishti. Look for sparks to fly! Let's just hope for the good kind of sparks!

Sun moves to Aquarius on 2.12, joining Mercury there as well- both transiting Dhanishta nakshatra. Mercury and Sun receive drishti from Jupiter and Rahu in this position. Ruled by Vasu, which means wealthy, excellent and shining, the Vasu devas bring prosperity and fame to us. There is a lot of creativity with this star as well as the ability to "see" as it's connected to shining light on situations, sharing messages and also to growth on the material plane of existence. Mercury and Sun can offer material gains to us right now through re-tracing steps, making improvements on past actions and in general, refining our approach and tactics. Think big and be prepared to act with a sense of urgency. Keep your mind cool this week. Read more about retrograde Mercury here.

Similar to exalted planets in that they are "full" and can't be "added to", a Full Moon (or Purnima) means that it is full to capacity, there's no more room for it to expand and grow; it is complete. In this way, we can interpret the Full Moon as a "New Moon" in that it marks the beginning of a new cycle of emptying itself and refilling itself (mirroring our internal process). Beginning a lunar month at the Purnima is called Suklanta and differs from starting the count from the New Moon (Amavasya) which is the point when the Moon is empty and is waiting to be filled by the Sun. Purnima is in the middle of the Lakshmi phase of the Moon cycle whereas Amavasya is the moment during the cycle where Kali and Durga meet. Clearly, the energy is quite different; mirrored in our internal experience as well. These different methods of starting the lunar calendar remind me of the saying "is your glass half empty or half full?!" When do we start our "New Moon" calendar and begin our new lunar month? When we are full and satisfied or when we are empty and needing to be nourished? It is with this question in mind that I came up with this week's Creative Engagement Activity.

Read more about the importance of the Moon.

For increased awareness, utilize my jyotish inspired Body-centered Expressive Art Therapy articles. Each week I post a new Creative Engagement Activity to help inspire your own unique creative process, Self-tracking, and to enrich your cultivation of presence. This week we tap into our emptiness and our fullness.

It is a big year with multiple {major} planetary changes. We will experience the changes of Jupiter, Rahu and Ketu, Saturn and unusual movements of Mars all in the next eleven months. Big changes are in store for each of us! Feeling uncertain about your action steps? What needs to change in order for growth? What kind of support you need? Schedule a yearly progression with me in order to make your New Year a truly transformational year.

*Horoscopes are based on your Vedic rising sign. You can also check your Moon and Sun signs for further insight. Do the same with your Navamsa signs for further clarity. Do not use these horoscopes with your “Western Sign” as there is likely no correlation. These horoscopes are meant to be used as a broad overview of the current transits and obviously do not address the specifics of an individual’s unique chart.

Aries: Pay attention to heart, emotions and children this week. Relationships are offering insights, growth and challenges. What is working? What isn't? What are you willing to change? What are you learning? Use these lessons with both personal and work relationships. Let go of what is not working. All of it. Mind your health; its vital.

Taurus: You are still going through creative and relational transformations. This week your career picks up speed and force. Continue to be in service and use your work as a healing force. What can your gut offer you? Listen carefully, it is a huge resource right now and can inform your life and actions.

Gemini: Relationships continue to boost your career and offer some support even while some craziness persists with heart and passions. Strive for balance between your asura (demon) and god-self. You are working on your dance with them. Be bold in your creativity and courage this month and take some positive action steps to forward your Self. It's time to get really clear and laser focused on what your gifts and talents are- and use them.

Cancer: This is an "inner to outer" week. Take what offerings you are receiving from your quiet, inner depths and share it later in the week. Heart is swelling and offering its insights and growth to you. Be sure to express your Self to friends, lovers and family. Sun dips into your 8th house this week and marks a "rest phase" for you. Use the coming weeks for inner transformation. Work silently and tend your inner fire; that way you'll come out of this transit refreshed. Meditate.

Leo: Use creative prowess to inform your life and actions. Creativity is a perfect description of your inner experience and the potential you have for finding new and different approaches to your life right now. Be bold in your creative process and creative activation. Try new things. This creative awareness will help you navigate relationships in the coming weeks and can become a tool and resource.

Virgo: Vocalize, communicate, sing, express, share. Seek comfort, support, nourishment. Ask for what you need and want. Retrace steps in order to pick up the pieces you dropped several miles back. Digest, integrate and restore. Attend to your heart creatively. Be mindful of bad habits and people that need to be pruned from your life experience.

Libra: Feeling like you are between a rock and a hard place? Ease some pressure by letting go. Resistance is really holding you back. Can you ease up? Drop some burdens? Let go of expectations? This will be "best practice" in the coming weeks as you face some relational "wake up calls". Let go, let God. Become co-pilot.

Scorpio: Your creative and harmonic voice continues to carry you through. What is your message? What are you expressing and voicing? Who are you becoming and what are you offering? Put it out there this week during the Full Moon and trust this coming month to be a refining process. Expect some pruning, but keep moving. Find your dance.

Sagittarius: The experience of "excess" continues. Is it possible to find some balance when the asuras (demons) and gods are tussling with your inner/outer experience? Get clear, focused and determined about action. Put a plan in place and ask for support. There's a tendency to be complacent and frivolous with time right now. Try not to overly succumb to leisure, bad habits and don't let all the "rules" go. Getting ahead and moving forward requires your consistent diligence. Watch sugar and alcohol intake.

Capricorn: I've said it before, I'll say it again: Power down. There's so much happening that you may lose some grounding. The push to succeed may be so strong right now that you are missing some of the important messages. What can you do differently this time around so you don't burn out? How can you resource your creative forces in order to create a different level of action and courage for your Self?

Aquarius: If you are paying attention, you are quite aware of how powerful this time is and how much you are learning. This week affords a bit of digesting and integrating of the lessons, but later in the week, use these fruits with others- with both personal and work relationships. The coming month requires you to get really clear with others- but first that requires clarity with your Self. Two words: healthy boundaries. Pay attention to what you need and what needs to change.

Pisces: Pull from your depths and the hidden parts of your Self in order to inform your career and offerings. What can you share that is currently hidden? What parts of your emotions, creativity and passions can be part of the offering? Your Sun is going into hiding for the month as it transits your 12th house. Use this time to reconfigure your Self; who and what you are. Meditate.