December shows up like a surprise guest who somehow let themselves in. One minute you’re sipping iced coffee and trying to remember where you left your sunglasses, and the next you’re Googling cookie recipes and digging through drawers looking for mittens. The year slips by so fast that December almost feels unreal, and with that final stretch comes a mix of nostalgia, overwhelm, relief, and that familiar craving to hit some kind of inner reset button.
This is why the December full moon feels so perfect. It shows up exactly when most of us need a moment to pause and breathe. You look up at that bright, glowing circle and suddenly the pace of the year slows for a second. A full moon always carries a kind of built in symbolism, but the last one of the year hits differently. It feels like nature’s little punctuation mark.
At Big Raven Yoga, we love using the December full moon as a simple release ritual for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. Nothing intense. Nothing requiring a dictionary of mystical terms. Just a grounded, heartfelt practice that anyone can do. And while the ritual itself is gentle, there are also some really fun moon facts that make the whole thing even richer and more meaningful, which I’ll blend in as we go.
Why the December Full Moon Feels Extra Powerful
December already carries emotional heft. It’s the month where you look back at all the stuff you carried, all the things you meant to do, all the things you did do, and the things you never got around to. The December full moon shines down right in the middle of all that introspection, almost like a cosmic spotlight nudging you toward closure.
And here’s a cool bit that makes it extra poetic. The moon doesn’t glow on its own. That bright December full moon is sunlight bouncing off a big dusty reflector in the sky. It’s a mirror. Literally a giant celestial mirror shining sunlight back at us. So when people say the full moon brings clarity, there’s something kind of perfect about the fact that it’s giving you reflected light at the darkest point of the year.
In many cultures, the December moon has been called the Cold Moon. Some traditions saw it as a time to take stock of the harvest year, emotionally and physically. Others treated it as a closing ceremony for the old cycle, preparing for a deeper winter.
Whichever history you lean into, it all circles back to one thing. This full moon is an invitation to let go.
The Energy of the Full Moon in Yoga
A full moon is often described as peak energy. Some people feel restless. Some feel wired. Some feel emotional. Some feel deeply tired. There’s a scientific layer here too. Studies have shown that many folks sleep differently during a full moon. Even when they don’t know a full moon is happening, researchers found people take longer to fall asleep and sleep less soundly. It’s subtle, but it’s there.
So if you feel a little off around full moons, you’re not imagining it. And instead of fighting that shift, a full moon ritual turns it into something useful.
Something gentle. Something grounding.
What You’ll Need for This Ritual
Nothing fancy.
• A yoga mat
• A blanket or cushion
• A journal
• A candle if that feels soothing
• A calming playlist
If you want crystals or special objects, bring them. If you don’t, skip them. This is a practice about intention, not props.
Creating the Right Space
Make your space cozy in a way that feels easy. This is not a Pinterest project. You can dim the lights, clear a corner, and call it good. If a candle helps you focus, light one. If soft music helps your breathing slow down, press play. December can feel loud. This is your chance to make a pocket of quiet.
A little fun scientific aside to set the mood. If the moon didn’t exist, Earth would wobble around unpredictably. Seasons would swing wildly, climates would lurch back and forth, and life as we know it would be a chaotic mess. The moon literally stabilizes life on Earth. Tell me that isn’t the perfect metaphor for grounding work.
Step One: Grounding Into the Moment
Sit comfortably on your mat. Cross legged, kneeling, leaning against the couch. Zero points for perfect posture here. Let your body soften.
Close your eyes and breathe slowly. Inhale through the nose. Exhale like you’re blowing dust off an old book you haven’t opened in years. Feel your shoulders drop. Feel your ribcage expand and settle.
Let your breath pull you into the present. December is full of nostalgia and pressure and memories and to-do lists. Grounding gives you a moment to say, okay, I am right here for a bit.
Step Two: Warm Up with Gentle Movement
December tension often settles into the neck, shoulders, and low back. That’s why this warm up is simple and slow.
Try these:
• Cat Cow
• Child’s Pose
• Seated side bends
• Neck circles
• A soft twist
Move like you’re greasing the hinges of your own spine. No urgency. No expectations. Just noticing what feels stuck and letting movement be the key that loosens everything.
Step Three: Hip Openers for Emotional Release
Here’s another interesting thing. The moon affects Earth’s tides, pulling the ocean in noticeable ways during a full moon. The tidal range is bigger, creating what’s called a spring tide. Higher highs and lower lows.
Your emotions can feel a bit like that too. Things rise, things fall, things shift around.
Hip openers are incredible for matching that release.
Try:
• Reclined Figure Four
• Low Lunge
• Butterfly Pose
• Pigeon Pose if it feels accessible
As you hold these poses, breathe into the tightness. Let the hips soften a little at a time. You may feel emotional here. That’s okay. You’re practicing letting go.
Step Four: Heart Opening to Melt the Year
We tend to round forward when stressed. Shoulders up. Chest tight. Heart guarded. Heart opening poses help reverse that posture gently.
Try:
• Sphinx Pose
• Cobra Pose
• Supported Bridge
• Seated Heart Lift
Inhale and feel the front of your body brighten. Exhale and imagine the weight of the year sliding off your ribs.
Step Five: A Simple Moon Flow
A moon flow is like tracing soft circles with the body. It’s fluid, slow, and calming.
A simple flow:
• Low Lunge
• Half Split
• Forward Fold
• Standing Side Stretch
• Wide Legged Forward Fold
• Return to Low Lunge on the other side
Let yourself move intuitively. Forget the rules for a moment. Full moons aren’t about rigidity. They’re about softness and awareness.
Step Six: Journal Your Release
Grab your journal and take a breath.
Write down what you’re ready to release from the year. Be honest. Be unfiltered. No one else will read this.
Consider:
• What exhausted me
• What habits kept me stuck
• What I carried longer than I needed to
• What surprised me
• What disappointed me
• What I am done dragging into next year
When you’re finished, close the journal and rest your hand on it. Let the December full moon symbolically take some of that weight.
Here’s a fun poetic detail you can keep in the back of your mind. The full moon only lasts one precise instant. That moment where the sun, Earth, and moon line up perfectly is fleeting. Yet we see the moon as full for about three days because of how human eyes interpret the light. There’s something beautiful about that. The peak of letting go is a moment. But the feeling of release can stretch over days.
Step Seven: Rest in Stillness
Featured mat: The Needles by Hannah Wilson
Lie down in Savasana. Let your arms fall open. Cover yourself with a blanket. Sink into stillness.
This is where everything integrates. Stay here for at least five minutes or longer if it feels right.
When you’re ready to rise, whisper an intention for the coming year.
I choose calm.
I choose clarity.
I choose joy in small things.
I choose to trust myself.
Anything that feels honest.
Why This Ritual Works
This practice blends science, symbolism, movement, breath, reflection, and rest. It connects mind and body in a way that feels deeply intuitive.
Warm movement loosens tension. Full moon timing adds emotional clarity. Journaling creates closure. Stillness seals the work.
And here is a final moon fact that I love for this ritual. The moon is slowly drifting away from Earth a tiny bit every year. About an inch and a half. Not enough to change anything in your lifetime, but enough to remind you that even celestial bodies release gradually.
Letting go can be steady. Gentle. Incremental. You don’t have to purge your whole emotional history in one night. Small releases count.
Beginners love this ritual because it’s simple. People who have practiced yoga for years return to it because it meets you exactly where you are every time.
Extra Tips
• Turn off your phone instead of silencing it
• Drink warm tea after the ritual
• Step outside and look at the full moon for a few seconds
• Let emotions arrive without apology
• Keep your intentions simple
Stepping Into the New Year with a Softer Heart
By the time you finish this practice, you may feel lighter. Not empty. Just more spacious inside yourself. A December full moon paired with gentle yoga creates a natural moment of closure that feels very human and very needed at the end of a long year.
Whenever you want support, inspiration, grounding, or a beautiful new mat for your next ritual, the team at Big Raven Yoga is right here cheering you on.
Here’s to releasing the year with grace and stepping into the next with a clearer heart.