Last updated October 2026
New Moon: October 10, 2026 | Full Moon: October 26, 2026
A Year with Astrology and Parts of Our Bodies
The sign of Libra governs the lower back through the first three weeks of October, the same lumbar and kidney focus we discussed in September. Astrologically, it then shifts to Scorpio on the 23rd and moves the attention down and in, to the reproductive organs and the pelvis, parts of the body that often are less explored in a typical yoga class. Both Libra and Scorpio are about working with the body directly, much like Nectar At Home's class library and the two-night Nectar Experience here on Bowen Island, with plant-based breakfasts, daily movement, and unscheduled time on the forest trails, by a lake, ocean, or at a thermal sauna.
October: The Element of Air into the Element of Water
Libra is a cardinal air sign. Its instinct is to initiate through relationship, weighing one perspective against another until something resolves into balance or other form of resolution. It's the sign most associated with analysis, though the analysis is rarely detached, it's usually in service of a relationship or a decision that involves someone else.
Scorpio is a fixed water sign, and the fixed quality is how it contrast with other water signs, such as Cancer's water. Scorpio's water channels and embodies. This likely is the reason why folks with strong Scorpio placements often are seen as ‘intense’, because a fixed water sign often absorbs what other people haven't fully metabolized themselves. Often, water signs holds things in the hips. We’ve included effective hip openers for this reason.
October's Zodiac Focus and Body Placement
Libra (Air): Lower back, kidneys, lumbar spine, adrenal glands (through Oct 22)
Scorpio (Water): Reproductive organs, pelvis, bladder, elimination systems (from Oct 23)
Practices for October: Libra into Scorpio
Savasana: Deep Rest Pose for Nervous System Recovery
Purpose: A fully supported reclined pose that lets the body release from muscular effort so the nervous system can shift out of activation. This kind of unguarded stillness during Scorpio season is especially meaningful since this season often spends so much functioning as a container. Savasana simply works. Begin here, and let it set the pace for the rest of the practice.
How-to:
Lie flat on your back, arms slightly away from the body, palms facing up.
Let the legs fall open and the feet drop out to the sides.
Close the eyes and let the jaw, tongue, and eyebrows soften first, the rest of the body tends to follow.
Stay for 8 to 10 minutes. Set a timer so you're not tracking the clock.
To come out, wiggle the fingers and toes, roll to one side, and pause there before sitting up.
Focus: Nothing here needs to be held. Let the floor (or earth) do the work of holding you.
Soundbowls in Savasana: Sound Therapy for Deep Relaxation
Purpose: Layering sound into savasana gives the nervous system something to track while still staying in the body and out of the busy mind. The vibrations of sound work on the body directly, bypassing our usual need for analysis or interpretation. A 2023 randomized trial on Tibetan singing bowls found the sound produced a stronger relaxation response, including higher heart rate variability, than a standard progressive relaxation (PMR) session. Nectar At Home's library includes a few sound-based sessions built for exactly this pairing. Nectar also hosts in-person gatherings where the sound bowls are played live.
How-to:
Set up savasana as above, with a sound bowl recording ready to play, or a bowl within reach if you're practising with one in person.
Begin the sound once you're settled, not before. Let the first tone mark the start of the stillness.
Stay with the sound through its full cycle, usually 10 to 15 minutes depending on the recording.
Let the sound end before you move. The silence after is part of the practice.
Focus: Follow the sound instead of the thought.
Supported Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana): Hip Opening Pose for Pelvic Release
Purpose: A reclined hip opener that releases through the inner thighs and pelvic floor while the chest stays open and unguarded. This is the pose on this list that works most directly on the region Scorpio governs, the pelvis and reproductive organs. Give yourself sufficient time for this practice.
How-to:
Lie on your back and bring the soles of the feet together, letting the knees fall open toward the floor.
Place a block or firm cushion under each thigh if the hips are tight, so the pose stays a release rather than a pull.
Rest the arms out to the sides or on the belly, whichever lets the shoulders drop.
Stay for 5 minutes, breathing into the low belly rather than the chest.
To come out, bring the knees together first, then roll to one side before sitting up.
Focus: The hips open at their own pace. Let the blocks support you through.
Reclined Twist: Lower Back Stretch and Spinal Release Exercise
Purpose: A gentle spinal twist that continues the lower back focus Libra carried through the first three weeks of October, and eases the transition into Scorpio's deeper work. Twisting wrings through the lumbar spine and the muscles along either side of it, the region this whole month has centred on.
How-to:
Lie on your back and draw both knees into the chest.
Let the knees fall to one side while both shoulders stay grounded on the mat.
Extend the arms out in a T shape, and turn the head opposite the knees if that feels good on the neck.
Hold for 3 to 5 minutes, then switch sides.
Focus: You can’t ‘effort’ this pose. Let gravity do the twisting.
Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana): YOGA FOR TIGHT HIPS
Purpose: The seated companion to the supported bound angle above, with more active engagement and a bit more heat. Sitting upright and folding forward do different work, folding forward deepens the release, sitting tall builds a bit of strength through the hips and low back.
How-to:
Sit with the soles of the feet together, knees falling open to the sides.
Hold the feet or ankles, and sit as tall as the hips allow.
Fold forward from the hips if that's available today, or stay upright, both are complete versions of the pose.
Hold for 6 to 8 breaths, then release slowly.
Focus: Meet yourself today in your body in this very moment; resist the need to compare your body from last month. The energy is different this month.
Slow Diaphragmatic Breath: Breathing Exercise for Nervous System Regulation
Purpose: A breath practice that lengthens the exhale past the inhale, which shifts the body out of ordinary breathing and into a parasympathetic cue. A 2021 study in Scientific Reports found that five minutes of this pattern raised heart rate variability, a marker of parasympathetic activity, and lowered self-reported anxiety in both younger and older adults. The longer exhale gives the nervous system a direct, physical route into the deep rest the rest of this practice is built around.
How-to:
Sit or lie down comfortably. Place one hand on the chest, one hand below the navel.
Breathe so the lower hand moves and the upper hand stays still.
Inhale for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 6.
Continue for 5 minutes, keeping the exhale consistently longer than the inhale.
Focus: Let your exhales run long.
New Moon, FUll Moon & ReflectionS
Astrological Tarot Correspondences
October's cards are Justice for Libra and Death for Scorpio. The Death archetype unsettles people who don't work with Tarot, though the card has nothing to do with literal death. It's the card of an ending that makes room for what comes next. Read together, Justice asks you to see a situation exactly as it is, and Death asks what you're willing to let go of once you've seen it clearly.
Justice: What needs to be thoughtfully and honestly assessed before Scorpio feel deeply into it?
Death: What have you already outgrown, but haven't actually let it go of yet?
Journalling for October
Five minutes of the diaphragmatic breath outlined above, then pick up the pen. Three prompts for the month:
New Moon, October 10: What do I want to plant before the season turns?
Scorpio Season Begins, October 23: What's ready to be released and composted?
Full Moon, October 26: What became visible this month that I couldn't see three weeks ago?
Integrating the Energy of Libra and Scorpio on Bowen Island
The long weekend falls right on top of the New Moon this year, October 10 to 12, an ideal window for a two-night stay if gratitude and rest are both on the list. Scorpio's pull toward depth and transformation also makes October a natural month to think ahead.
If there's someone in your life moving through a real big emotions this year, a Mist Thermal gift card is a premium, yet practical gift for the yoga lover or wellness enthusiast. Mist Thermal Sanctuary, our sister company here on Bowen Island, with its private wood-fire saunas, cold plunges and transition tubs, and outdoor fire lounges in the forest welcomes you during any astrological season.
Or consider a Nectar At Home membership, our online exercise subscription, offering practices including yoga for burnout, yoga for longevity, nervous system regulation, deep breathing for anxiety, calming guided meditation, and so much more.
About Nectar Yoga Retreat Centre
Nectar Yoga Retreat Centre sits in the forest on Bowen Island, a twenty-minute ferry from Vancouver. Two-night stays include vegetarian breakfasts, daily yoga and meditation instruction, and access to the trails. Mist Thermal Sanctuary, Nectar's sister brand, offers private sauna and cold plunge experiences a short walk away.
References:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98736-9
https://doaj.org/article/aa5a4058281f48bbb7ac75702fdbea58
https://bonniegillespie.com/astrology-body-parts-ruled-by-signs
Disclaimer: The practices in this post are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a healthcare provider before beginning, particularly if you are pregnant or have existing health considerations.
