A moonlit interlude
Posted: January 10, 2012 Filed under: 365 Yoga Challenge, Earth, Fire, full moon, goals, health, home, Letting Go, nature, Photography, pond, Spirit, water, weather, winter, yoga | Tags: full moon, ice, moonlight, nature, Photography, pond, water, winter, Yoga 53 Comments
Up at six o’clock this morning, I unrolled my yoga mat in the moonlight that was pouring through the living room windows. It is day 107 of my year-long yoga challenge.
I am grateful for the timer on our thermostat. The heat kicks on around 5:30am, and the house was nice and warm by the time I left bed, creating an interesting contrast between the silvery, cold moonlight spilling onto the icy pond and through the windows, and the warm breeze blowing out of the heating ducts.
Riding the moonlight
My yoga practice was expansive this morning. Space created where there was tightness. Lightness replacing a sense of plodding heaviness. Transitions were smooth and graceful. Oh, how I usually struggle with transitions! They become so much easier when I’m in the flow.
Meditating on the Wolf Moon
After the yoga practice, after the seated meditation, I stepped outside and walked down to the deck. I stood there in the remaining snow, feet bare, taking photos of the moonlight on the ice. I can’t remember the last time I walked barefoot on snow. It’s exhilarating. Refreshing. My feet enjoyed every moment of it. No frostbite occurred. I know my limits, even if it has been a while.
January’s full moon goes by many names including Rainbow Fish Moon, Moon of the Terrible, Cooking Moon, Cold Moon, Winter Moon, and Wolf Moon. I like Wolf Moon. It suits the moon I saw this morning.
I could almost hear a wolf howling somewhere off in the distance. It would have to be a pretty good distance (and a pretty good howl!) as are there are supposedly no (wild) wolves in Ohio.
Well, nothing else new here in the Bogs today. Thank you for stopping by. We have had lots of sunshine and it has warmed up nicely throughout the day, making it a good evening to sit on the deck and watch the sun go down. Better wear a coat. It gets pretty chilly once the the sun leaves us for the night. The nighttime chill is the reason the surface of the pond is still icy. It takes a while for it to thaw once its frozen over.
Life in the Bogs 
Robin, you walk barefoot on the snow too?!?? WHOOT!!!
Those are gorgeous captures.
Thanks, Paul. 🙂
It’s good to know I’m not the only one crazy enough to walk barefoot in the snow. (I don’t really think it’s crazy, but it seems that other people do.)
Wow, can’t believe you walked in the snow in your bare feet. I read that sentence over and over, thinking I must have misread it.
Kathy
lol, Kathy! It’s one of my favorite things to do. 🙂
Love the photographs – the first being my favourite.
Thank you, Colline. And thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂
The full moon was so lovely last night and this morning here at our house, too…sooo beautiful. How special that you get to see it reflected off the pond…a beautiful way to start a day… the photos are magical.
Thank you, Kathy (PP). The pond and the various views it presents on a daily basis are something I am very thankful for. 🙂
So glad you had a good morning! After the troubles of late, I imagine it was even more sweet than usual!
Walking in the snow in BARE FEET! You are a brave woman! We had a light snow overnight and the temps were frigid. Not ONCE did it cross my mind to step out into the snow sans shoes!
The Wolf Moon is lovely….in all the colors you’ve shown.
Thank you, Tracy. 🙂
Walking in snow in bare feet isn’t so bad. You have to pick the right day to do it. A -7 degree day, for instance, would not be the right day. Usually if it’s warm enough for me to go without gloves on my hands, it’s warm enough to enjoy the snow on my feet for a little while. They seem to appreciate it, too.
great set of photo,s
Thank you, MaenAmor. 🙂
What a great way to start the day. Lovely shots.
It was, PhilosopherMouse. Thank you. 🙂
The blues in the first few photos are stunning! I love the swirls in the first shot! The moon shots taken with different filters (I’m guessing) are also quite amazing!
Thank you, Sharon. 🙂
The moon shots were taken with the white balance set to tungsten (top shot) and then open shade (last shot). The middle two shots were tinted in post-processing.
As always your photos are delightful and so peace instilling. I am going to share your blog with another gal.. this is so special! And I agree, it’s a Wolf Moon;)
Thank you so much, Smidge. 🙂
I wasn’t going to comment but I can’t stop myself. These photos are stunning!
Thank you, LadyFi. 🙂
I do the same thing when I visit your blog. Your photos are often so stunning I feel I must comment.
Wow.
🙂
your post today gives me a great sense of peacefulness … the mat, the yoga, taking pictures of the woolf moon, walking barefoot on the snow … a sense of freedom too …
we don´t have snow in BA but I love love when it´s very early in the morning and the grass is dewy and I get to walk barefoot on it. I´d love to experience snow (specially in a day like today, it´s like being inside an oven!)
have a nice day!
Thank you, Ellen. 🙂
I love to walk in the dew, too. I once read something about a custom (Lithuanian, I think) of greeting the sun and washing one’s face with the morning dew on Midsummer’s Day, so I practice that too. It’s quite refreshing.
what a lovely custom!! I think I´ll adopt it 🙂
Almost… almost makes me want to move to the bogs. 🙂
lol, Brian! It’s too cold for you here. But I’m flattered the photos were inspiring enough to make you almost want to move to the Bogs. 🙂
Incredible shots…..
Thank you, Cecelia. 🙂
Great shots!
Thanks, TBM. 🙂
Absolutely stunning photos. You might already have guessed that I like blue and this blue is amazing. It’s almost as though somebody has emptied a can of paint in the first photo, the texture is wonderful.
Thank you, David. 🙂
Mother Nature has been providing that great texture as well as patterns on the ice. It’s a weird winter here this year, but that weirdness is providing things I don’t normally see.
Beautiful shots, the colours are wonderful as is the whole setup. Lovely.
Thank you, Nigel. 🙂
The colour in these photos is so rich, Robin– that blue in the top photo is absolutely breathtaking! I’ve heard that a very rich blue like that is actually the colour that connects our world with the world of the subconscious and magic. Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to today’s photos!
I’m also stunned to read that you are more than 100 days into this year’s yoga challenge. You’re making me wish that I enjoyed yoga more… can you remind me what DVD you are using? (Maybe my main turnoff with at-home yoga is the fact that it’s “extreme” yoga care of P90X. Something slower and more gentle might do my body good.) Thanks!
Thanks, Dana. 🙂
I use an assortment of yoga DVDs. The one I started with is Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss with Suzanne Deason. I usually recommend that as a good one to start with even if you don’t need to lose weight because it’s slow (but not too slow) and there are different women at different levels doing the poses so you can see how to modify if you need to modify. My husband likes Rodney Yee’s AM Yoga for Your Week. There are five 20-minute workouts (Standing Poses, Twists, Backbends, Forward Bends, and Hip Openers). That’s the one I usually go back to when I haven’t been practicing yoga for a while or if I need/want a quick practice. I especially like the hip opener sequence because that’s where I tend to be tight and need the most work.
Yoga Journal (yogajournal.com) has some videos online that might be worth looking into. They sequences as short as five minutes and as long as 35 minutes that are free. They also have videos in their store. I have some of their Home Practice series and really like those as well. My favorite is Yoga For Stress by Dr. Baxter Bell. Love it. It’s so relaxing.
You make it sound absolutely scrumptious. If only I could drag my old bones out of bed at such an hour. . .And then I’d have to learn Yoga on top of it all. Maybe soon.
It’s not so bad, Christine, but I have to admit it has taken me years to get here. 🙂
Robin, these are so beautiful. The moon on the water, the moon in the sky, all bewitching and lovely. And to do yoga to that light? Mmmmmmm. . . . The full moon was still in the sky at dawn this morning when I walked the dog, always a remarkable sight.
Thank you, Lynn. 🙂
The ice still lingering on the pond makes for a lovely moon reflection.
Great pictures. 🙂
Thank you, Hallysann. 🙂
Love the purple tones in that shot of the moon. What a beautiful moon!
Thank you, Belen. 🙂
Breathtaking, magical, wolf moon! The blue version is my favorite! Amazing!
Thank you, Barbara. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
The first and third pictures are fantastic!! Really great! Love the deep blues… so nice.
Thanks, Derrick. That shade of deep blue is one of my favorite colors. 🙂
Oh! That luscious, delicious blue! I am in LOVE!
Isn’t it wonderful, CFBookChick? I painted my kitchen almost that color. It doesn’t quite match the shine of the moonlight on ice, but it’s close. 🙂
The shades of blue are stunning! 😉
Thank you, Elizabeth. 🙂