Summer Solstice: Seizing The Moment

Boy, time is moving! Here
we are, already facing the
mid-point of the year.
Each season gives us
touch-points and signposts to
prepare us for what’s in store
for us in the months ahead.

Winter and the Winter Solstice gave us an excellent time to
cocoon, rest, slow down
and most importantly, dream and
vision. Spring and the Spring Equinox gave us the gift of
clearing, planting, and seeding every aspect of our lives.

Now, as the earth continues its annual journey around the sun, the Summer Solstice (Monday, June 20) marks the longest day of the year and the turning point after which the sun starts rising later and setting earlier. The paradox of this solar turning point is that there is ample daylight, yet there’s the reality that it’s fleeting.

So, how can we take advantage of this time when the sun’s batteries are fully charged? We can take our cues from nature by  using the life-giving sun and long days to get moving and take action.

What an amazing gift! The earth is gearing up for nature’s tremendous talent showcase as we witness it bringing forth its very best. Mother Nature rolls out a green carpet for us to lay, sit and play on. Plants and the earth are bearing succulent fruits and vegetables, the water is warm and inviting, and the blue sky is full of birds and butterflies. Music is in the air.  It’s a time of fertility in nature — making it a time that is pregnant with endless possibilities.  So, how can we take advantage of this wonderful boost of solar energy? 

Here are five ways you can embrace the fullness of the season and get in alignment with this wonderful surge of energy when the Sun’s power reaches its zenith:
      1. Honor body, spirit and the sun. 
If you have always wanted to practice yoga, and didn’t know quite where to begin, there is a set of postures known as the Sun Salutation that you can perform. These postures are intended to shift both your body and your soul, balancing both in harmony through meditation and physical movement in one. Begin this exercise on the morning of the Summer Solstice and aim to make it a daily ritual from this time on.
Here are some basic instructions to get you started:
http://www.yogabasics.com/yoga-posture-sequences/classic-sun-salutation/
   
      2. Get outside. 
After many days of rain and gray or overcast skies, it is easy to forget that our bodies are like individual solar panels that can be activated by the sun itself. Being out in the sun, particularly on the Summer Solstice, it can remind us of the importance of self-maturation. Ask yourself: “Am I still in alignment with the goals I set at the beginning of the year?” If not, this is a good time to add some energy to them; get outside and get moving.

      3. Be bold. 
This is the season for bright, bold colors, bold thoughts and bold actions. Don’t hide your light.  This is a time when you want to put your best foot forward. Ask yourself: “What areas of my life are not in full bloom?” “What parts of me are hidden from the light?” Take action and be fearless.

      4. Create your own purifying ritual. 
Use the powerful cleansing energy of fire or the heat of the sun to cleanse, purify, and activate. For instance, you can build a Summer Solstice bonfire and invite friends to write a wish on a piece of paper for something they either want to release or attract to their lives, and then burn it in the fire. This is also a good time to burn away negative thinking and habits too.

If you can’t build a bonfire, light a candle outside and then burn the paper over its flame. Also, take your vision board, dream journal, or just a piece of paper with your wishes on it, and put them out in the sun at high noon on the Solstice. Pray that the energetic rays of the sun will activate the power in your wishes.

The power of the ritual (regardless of which you choose or if you create your own) is not diminished by the size or use of fire, or if you use the energy of the sun directly. It’s all about your intention.
      
      5. Take a spiritual bath. 
Draw a bath and then take a full body plunge, symbolically diving into emotional depths and emerging renewed. The Solstice is also the first day of the water sign Cancer, a good day to welcome and cleanse our physical and emotional bodies.

Don’t miss the gifts that can be afforded by aligning with the energy of the Summer Solstice and the life-giving sun. Again, this is the peak of sunlight and the sun is generously distributing its radiant manna on all that grows. This is the time to step out and step up, be bold, and aim high. Seize the day and its light.

Written by: Niambi Jaha-Echols

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