5 ways to create rituals and connection around the Summer Solstice
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is June 21
The Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the day of the year when there is the most amount of daylight. It’s a time of growth and expansion. There’s a particular type of energy around this time of year that invites us to be more creative and expand our vision. We tend to be more playful. Typically, kids are out of school, and the weather is warm. We create plans for exploration, travel, being outside and gathering with our community of family and friends. There’s more freedom to explore and discover. The Summer Solstice is a celebration of light and dark. Honoring the Sun while also acknowledging the changing seasons and the flow of time. It’s a time of noticing how the Earth continues on with its cycles of rebirth, growth, abundance and hibernation.
This day, June 21, is the perfect time to reflect on the first half of the year while also asking yourself the question of, “How do I want to grow through this season?” How can you create joy, abundance and creativity during this time of year?
Meditation is a wonderful ritual and practice to cultivate. Finding a comfortable position, place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. Feel the belly rise and fall. Sit with the breath and notice the breath entering the nostrils and exiting through the mouth. Receive the breath. Feel the coolness of the air as it enters your body. Feel the warmth generated when you exhale. Stay with this for several minutes.
Develop a gratitude practice. This has been shown to improve your overall happiness, improve your health by reducing aches and pains, improve sleep and improve empathy. I invite you to start a daily practice either at the beginning or at the end of your day where you reflect on 3 things you are grateful for.
Get outside and ground to the Earth. Get your bare skin in touch with the Earth and connect. Spend some time putting your feet in the sand, walking in the grass, or sitting outside. Be in Nature. Feel the Earth beneath you and spend time envisioning growing your roots down to the Earth’s core and drawing that energy back up into your body.
Play! Remember how exciting it was when your were younger and you would get out of school for the Summer? Learn something new and explore. Visit somewhere you have never been, even in your own home town. Play games. Get outside and play games like hopscotch, croquet or horseshoes. Get back on your bike and feel the wind in your hair. Create your own version of Summer Camp. Get outside on a cool night, start a (safe) fire and make s’mores! Move your body in new ways. Dance without a worry that you are doing it “right.”
Charge up some crystals by the moonlight and set your intention for this time of year and season of your life. First, soak them in salt for a cleansing and then set them outside under the moon to charge. Set your intentions with them so that they are reminders for you whenever you see them or touch them. The vibration of the intention will help remind you of what’s important. Crystals to work with during this time of year are citrine for joy, carnelian to harness the energy of the Sun, and smoky quartz for grounding.
This day marks the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere with the longest amount of daylight for the whole year. If you can, try and get outside today and soak up some of that Sun to help your body make Vitamin D and keep your bones strong! I hope you enjoy some of these ideas.
I’d love to hear-what are some ways you find ease and joy during this season?
Take good care,
Sharon