As I Age: Tuning Inward Through the Shadows of Eclipse Season

I am a student of the subtle.

The more time I spend in my practice and my work, the more I attune to the quiet shifts and signals within my body. These inner movements guide me—through relationships, through work, through life. Listening inward has become a profoundly life-affirming practice.

But it wasn’t always this way.

Decades ago, I was walking with a group of women, listening as they shared an incredible conversation. These women knew their bodies deeply. Their insights were so embodied, so nuanced, that I found myself thinking, “Oh my gosh... I don’t know this. Not even close.”

Despite years of yoga practice, that kind of inner awareness had not yet opened in me.

At the time, my life was saturated with everything family. I could tell you what my kids had eaten three weeks ago and recall every detail since. But I couldn’t yet articulate the kinds of embodied truths these women were sharing.

So I began to listen more closely. I turned my attention toward the quiet, more subtle aspects of my practice. As my children grew and space opened up, my inner world expanded too.

Learning to listen to my internal body has become a radical and ongoing act of self-care and self-worth. And as I age, and my daily responsibilities shift, my inner field continues to deepen.

One thing I’ve found especially fascinating over the years is how I respond to planetary cycles. The full moon, for example, rises inside me like a luminous, electric orb. She stirs me with her own wild language, whispering: “Oh dear one… tonight, you will lay awake with me, spellbound.”

This sensitivity to the cosmos has opened pathways of awareness. Over time, I’ve come to recognize that certain inner sensations—like subtle dissonance or wiry, vibrating energy—often coincide with planetary movements, especially those related to shadow. I've come to understand these sensations as my body's way of expressing anxiety.

I’m not an astrologer, but I do pay close attention—to the sky, to the collective, and to my inner world. In the Vedic tradition, such attentiveness is considered not only wise, but vital to well-being.

Eclipse seasons, in particular, tend to bring a sense of dis-ease or agitation (we are coming into Eclipse season September 7-22) for many. In Vedic tradition, the moon is deeply related to the mind. So when this great luminary moves into shadow, we may feel disturbances in the mind more acutely. I've learned that during these times, the most helpful and healing thing I can do is go inward, slow down and lighten my responsibilities. To intentionally make space for the eclipse to move through me, rather than letting its energy get stuck inside.

This isn't easy in our fast-paced world. The modern reflex is often the opposite—we go outward. Toward social media, noise, distraction. But when we do that, the unsettled energy tends to double down, creating even more internal and external chaos and even distortion.

I’m not suggesting we abandon our worldly life. But I do believe that during these potent cosmic cycles, it’s wise to pause. The shadow planets and celestial shifts are messengers, inviting us into the dark. And if we’re willing to stay there for a while, something extraordinary happens: we begin to develop Sight. Inner sight. Insight.

From that place, clarity emerges—guidance that often remains hidden in the blur of daily life.

My teachers often speak of deepening one's Sadhana during these times. Sadhana, in Sanskrit, refers to a spiritual discipline—a sacred commitment to purification, focus, and inner unfolding. These practices are the cornerstone of my life. While I remain a lifelong student, my sadhana is the compass I return to, again and again. The ground beneath me. The steady hand and heart that holds me.

With time, I’ve come to trust that during moments of great shift, stillness becomes essential. It’s as if the cosmos is saying:
“Here is a portal into your depths. Step through. We’ll show you the way—just show up.”

And when I do, something shifts. The anxiety softens. The static clears. And I begin to hear the heart-centered guidance that reconnects me to something greater. I feel grounded. Empowered. Grateful.

These practices continue to hold me—again and again.

As we move through this eclipse season, perhaps consider creating a little extra space for quiet. It doesn’t need to be formal. Light a candle and gaze into its flame. Draw, color, craft., tarot. Breathe with awareness. Journal. Or simply sit. Consider them lifelines and not luxuries.

There are so many ways to reach in and listen.

You are wise.
You are wonderful.

With heart and health,
Danielle