Under the Full Moon

Meghan Henley, Blackberry’s assistant director of wellness, curates meditative and movement experiences that lean into the connection between mind, body and the natural world. In her full moon practices, she creates a space for transformative energetic release, calling on the energy of this powerful lunar phase to help us let go.

I began my wellness journey much like many I know, in that I was, at first, focused on physical fitness and healthy habits of eating nourishing foods and prioritizing mindful movement. For years, this is where all of my attention went. As my children and I grew older, and I had a bit more time to explore my own emotions, I recognized patterns and cycles. There were clear times when I felt motivated and creative each month. There were also times when my mind and body needed a different type of nourishment: rest. I began to track them in my daily journaling, and when speaking with a colleague, I was inspired to look at the moon phases. I learned so much about myself during this time and began to learn more about how affected and interconnected we are with the lunar cycles.

To me, the moon and its phases represent a mutable energy, almost personifying each individual’s soft, feminine and changeable nature. The full moon in particular is a great time to release thought patterns, behaviors and energies that no longer serve us.

Leading up to the full moon, we instinctively feel something stirring inside of us. When we take the time to tune into these feelings, the motivation and inspiration for change comes naturally, and it seems almost easier during this time to do those deep dives. It is as if the illumination of the full moon highlights our needs, our current circumstances, seasons and cycles.

So, what differentiates full moon wellness work, at Blackberry Mountain or in personal practice, is that the experience is meant to help you harness the power of the moon in a deep and intentional way. At the Mountain, our teachers and healers may use breathwork, meditation, journaling or sound healing to assist in releasing old ideas or actions that are no longer beneficial. Each full moon is unique in what it is highlighting, and practices each month can be curated to lean into and support those distinctive themes.

Each month, we explore two experiences to work with the full moon’s energy – on the day of the full moon as well as the day before, while the energy is beginning to build. Moonstone Meditation is a wonderful opportunity to work with the energy of rainbow moonstone, which is associated with intuition and, true to its name, holds a connection to lunar cycles. This beautiful stone is said to create a calm energy and promote a sense of emotional balance and acceptance. Full Moon Alchemy Soundbathing is an elevated sound experience featuring our highest-quality Crystal Tones Alchemy bowls, meant to enhance the experience of release during the powerful lunar moment.

Having the time and space to bring to mind something that needs to be let go can allow for gentle or even momentous shifts, depending on the need of that individual under that moon. Whether it’s a guided experience or a simple meditation at home, a full moon practice is a wonderful time to clear stagnant energy and an opportunity for impactful emotional expansion.

Where the full moon is a time of peak energy and completion of a cycle, ideal for introspection and release, the new moon is associated with the start of a cycle and new beginnings. It is the perfect opportunity for self-reflection and intention setting – asking what we might like to call into our lives. This can be both broad and specific, not only bringing forth the big picture items but also those small details in daily life that could use a gentle “refresh.” It is a great time to create new habits for a happier and healthier version of yourself.

These two moments seem to call us inward to explore either release and culmination – full moon – or intention setting and manifestation – new moon.

If the full moon had a voice, it would ask us to explore what we are refusing to relinquish in our lives. It would ask us to imagine our lives if we were willing to let go of what is holding us back. In what positive ways would our lives differ in just one week? One month? One year?

Try exploring this journal prompt during a full moon:

I often focus on releasing negative thoughts and old practices or projects that are simply no longer working for me. To do that, I first spend some time journaling about those things that are no longer working in my life. I refer to this journaling practice as “WHY? HOW? WHAT?”

WHY do I feel these things no longer fit into my lifestyleor work life?

HOW have these old practices or procedures been affecting me both negatively and positively? Is there a way to hold onto those things that are still working?

WHAT adjustments need to be made once I let go of these things? And WHAT steps can I take to help my future-self acclimate to this new way of doing things?