The universe along with a spectrum of various bright energies namely the Sun and the Moon enable us to cruise smoothly on the path of life. The Sun represents our body, the Moon our soul. We look to the Sun to provide light and clarity, and to the Moon to see us through the darkest hours. As humans, we go through phases, just as the moon does every month. 

Full Moon/Pournami occurs when the moon is directly opposite the Sun in its orbit around Earth. Pournami the full moon day, is serene and blissful. The day was created for spiritual enrichment. The Spiritual significance of Sadhana on Pournami is an old tradition The appearance of a full moon/Pournami symbolises many things. In addition to representing the divine feminine, in spirituality, the Moon is also associated with enlightenment. After all, the Moon does shine down on us and illuminates the dark.

Around 2500 years ago Gautama Buddha got enlightenment on a full moon day. Gautama Siddartha Buddha sat down in meditation under the now famous Bodhi tree with the determination that, ‘Unless the ultimate happens to me, I will not move. Either I will get up as an Enlightened Being or I will die in this posture.’ Gautama left an lasting impression on the world through his meditation. He brought about a change in the world on the spiritual path, he brought about a different quality in the whole aspect of man’s aspiration to seek something higher. 

Effects of Pournami/ Full Moon on humans

Pournami has a powerful effect on the earth and on every living species. It regulates the tidal energy, and similarly all the fluids in human body are affected on Pournami, as Moon attracts body fluids and our body consists of 75% water, which further influences the emotions and behaviours of humans and animals. It controls the intuition and subconscious mind. 

Ancient Indian scriptures such as Vishnu Purana talks about the origin of the moon. According to this Purana, the moon has emerged from the Milky ocean with soft and snowy beams.

Food that we consume is converted into two parts – mind energy and prana. The mind energy is centered in the pineal gland area from which vital hormones get secreted. Moon enters this gland to take control of all our activities from night till the time we wake up. The prana, or vital energy, flows in a different way, because of the vibrations and there is an upsurge of energy within us which is a powerful time to surrender and meditate. The rays of the moon affect human beings, animals, plants, water and every species.  The full moon meditation helps the spiritual seekers to go inward, transcend the mind, and feel the divinity within. Pournami is said to heighten the activity of the mind, amplifying conscious thoughts as well as pulling sub-conscious ones to the conscious mind. Meditating during Pournami provides an opportunity to connect deeper with our inner wisdom and with nature. This heightened sense of energy in our system comes naturally on Pournami day. As this day we get a free ride of energy and awareness.

The stronger our connection to full Moon, the more our heart chakra will be aligned. Our heart chakra is home to love, compassion, empathy and forgiveness. This means that Pournami is actually the perfect time to let go of negativity. In this way we prepare ourselves for a new chapter, just as a full moon gives way to a new moon. 

How can humans avail the benefits of Pournami?

Our Parama Gurus and Sri Aathmanandamayi Ammagaru remind us that we are much more than the body, that our true self is the soul. Soul is the power that enlivens the body. They shared the knowledge of Sushumna Kriya Yoga meditation to experience our true self. It is not an intellectual pursuit, but through meditation that we can experience our true self. 

Ammagaru urges every person, especially Sushumna kriya yogis to meditate in Brahma Muhurtha and Sayam Sandhya on Pournami to make use of this natural phenomenon. It is the perfect time to sit under the light of the moon and meditate. Introspect and reflect on the day, week, the past month. Take this time to set intentions for the future, as it is a powerful time to manifest the goals. When we sit in silence, we experience our soul. As we identify with our soul, we begin to perceive through our spiritual awareness. We begin to understand that we are more than the body and mind, we are soul filled with spiritual gifts. We experience love, compassion, peace and happiness. A whole new world opens up for us, so go deep in meditation and find inner light/ the Moon. We harvest the spiritual energy of the full moon to help us lead a more spiritual and soulful life.  

Pournami In March

Pournami/Full Moon in the month of March is Phalguna Pournami/ Falgun Pournami as it falls in the Hindu Lunar calendar month of Phalguna/Falgun. Phalgun Pournami also marks the end of Holashtak and the start of two-day Holi festival. Gaura Pournami (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Jayanti) is also celebrated on this day. The eve of Holi or Holika Dahan is observed on this day.  On the day of Falgun/Phalguna Pournami, Lord Vishnu protected his devotee Prahlad and burnt the demon Holika to ashes, which symbolises victory over evil.  The next day of Holika burning is celebrated as the colour festival Holi which indicates all the emotions of life and spreads a message of positivity, by sprinkling colours on each other. It is also known as Hutasani Fagun Sud Poonam.

Significance of Phalgun Pournami

On this particular day, at various places, people also observe Lakshmi Jayanti, which is the birth anniversary of Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of abundance and wealth. As per the beliefs, people who worship Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu and meditate upon Moon God on this day are bestowed with divine blessings and fortune.

Rituals of Phalguna Pournami

On the day of Phalguna Pournami, people wake up early in the morning and take a holy bath in the sacred rivers or at their homes and meditate, to invoke the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu, as it is highly auspicious. 

Next time you look up to the sky at night, pay attention to what phase the moon is in and remember how its energy can enrich your daily life through meditation.