Brett Richardson vividly recalls the last partial solar eclipse visible from North America on August 21, 2017. The registered yoga teacher with 4,500 hours of experience as both a private instructor and at various studios including Vault, TRU Yoga and Midtown Athletic Club, was staying in Black River Bay on the eastern edge of Lake Ontario.
“We were swimming, and just experiencing it in the water and by the water was such a cool experience,” he said. “I mean, you can literally feel the energy of the universe being different in those moments.”
Now, as Rochester prepares for what experts say will be an even more magnificent eclipse due to its wider path, longer duration, and greater solar activity, Richardson and fellow yoga and meditation teacher Melissa Kleehammer see a unique opportunity to connect not only with the universe but also with the inner self and the divine.
“We’re coming together to witness something and understand that we’re a tiny piece of the whole,” said Kleehammer, who teaches at Fairport Public Library and online via YouTube and Insight Timer. “As beings who are in general separate from nature, my hope is to feel a connection to it.”
Most, if not all, yoga traditions are closely tied to the rhythms of nature with the widely practiced hatha yoga even deriving its name from the sun (“ha”) and moon (“tha”). Just as the sun represents light and fire and the moon darkness and water, it’s believed we hold these opposing forces within us and can use yoga as a means to find a balance between the two. A total solar eclipse is therefore a perfect time to reflect on what may be holding us back or interfering with our equilibrium.
“This event holds great astrological significance, as it’s a time of profound transformation and renewal,” said Richardson. “Just as the moon blocks out the sun’s light, we too can use this time to release anything that no longer serves us and make space for new growth and opportunity.”
For those who want to practice yoga during the eclipse, Kleehammer recommends thinking about the gradual shift toward darkness and then back into light.
“You want to start gently as the moon is covering the energy of the sun, so you start small or slow and gentle,” she said. “And then totality — granted, I think you’d want to see some of it — would be a great time for rest and something very comforting and soothing. As the moon starts to move away from the sun and the light is coming back, that’s when you’d want to start with something more energizing and heat-building."
This could be gentle spinal waves moves like cat-cow, downward dog to table, or thread the needle leading to legs up the wall with a blanket, sandbag over the hips and scarf over the eyes during totality followed by some low lunges, warrior II, and triangle to build fire, and then ending the practice with a soothing savasana.
“It’s ebbing and flowing, and matching what’s happening with the eclipse,” said Kleehammer. “You could even do some of these things outside. It doesn’t have to be an end-to-end practice. It could just be, all right, let’s do a lunge right now.”
Richardson, likewise, suggests engaging in a more grounding, slow-flow practice during or around the time of the eclipse.
“It’s more connected to yourself and the experience you’re having in the moment, as far as closing down and opening back up,” he said. “The solar eclipse type of flow that I do is more Yin-based, which is holding postures anywhere from two to 10 minutes. Also, twists and transitions, creating ball or cocoon shapes with your body. I relate it to wringing out a wet towel — the twists will really help you get rid of or shed any of that tension and stress you’re holding on to.”
At the same time, Richardson considers the eclipse an ideal occasion to explore one’s inner universe — to think of the new moon as ‘day zero,’ a dark phase in the lunar cycle where yoga practices help turn inward and plant seeds of intention.
“This might involve asking ourselves challenging questions like: What do I need more of? What do I need less of? What is the best use of my energy? What do I want to create in my life?” he said. “As the sun and earth are on opposite sides of the moon, it’s a great time to quiet down and really listen to your own inner voice and inner wisdom, and set your intentions with mindfulness and integrity.”
Melissa Kleehammer (melissakleehammer.com) will teach a Lunar Yoga class for adults on March 20 at 7 p.m. and a Sun & Moon Yoga class for teens and tweens on April 3 at 2 p.m. at the Fairport Public Library.
Brett Richardson (yogawithbrett.org) will teach a New Moon/Solar Eclipse Yoga class on April 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Frequency Wellness Studio.
Tama Miyake Lung is freelance contributor to CITY.