When things get wacky, people often blame it on a full moon, but what if the moon was actually a reset of sorts? Women around the world are now connecting in new ways through something called moon cycle bonding.
“The women who come to moon circles or fire circles are seeking connection. Connection to the self. Connection to spirit. Connection between and among each other and they’re also looking for support,” explains Melody Clark, a yoga instructor and moon circle organizer.
Events are popping up in cities coast to coast and some gatherings happen online. They are scheduled around new or full moon cycles as well as, in some cases, the Jewish calendar, which is also based on lunar cycles.
“A full moon is a time when things are brought to light,” according to Clark.
Circle events vary, but most combine yoga, journaling, and sharing of intentions. It may sound a bit new age, but moon circles are going mainstream, with women attending from all walks of life, all ages, all races.
“It’s a new way to connect”, says Gretchen Vassar, one moon circle attendee. “It’s the one time for me to be calm and stop my mind from racing and thinking of all the things on my to-do list.”
Women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, MD, says there’s real science that shows bonding like this can provide physical benefits. “Studies show that getting together, bonding, tending and befriending can absolutely lower your risk of stress, anxiety or depression and all sorts of physical ailments.”
She says research also shows people with strong support networks get sick less often and do better if they get chronic diseases. Plus, she says, “It’s good spiritually, and at a time when people feel so disconnected to each other and to their own spirituality, this has an enormous benefit.”
Participants say they get an enormous boost every time they attend. Just ask Karen Segall. “I always feel, when I leave, supported, happier and a little more myself.”
