YogaLifeMore

Happy Summer Solstice to everyone! If you never practiced Yoga during the Solstice and/or you just need some tips to increase connection with the beautiful solar energy, this post is for you.

Meaning

The Summer Solstice falls on either June 20 (or June 21) and it’s a time of year when the Sun is at its highest and the days are at their longest.

At the exact moment that the Northern Hemisphere is most tilted toward the Sun, it experiences its summer solstice, contrary the Southern Hemisphere has its winter solstice.

It is a powerful day that can help us to connect with the energy of the Sun and the natural rhythms of the Earth. June 21, for that reason, has been chosen (in 2014 from UN) as the “International Yoga Day”!

Summer Solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years in many cultures around the world, from ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, to more modern-day pagans and indigenous people.

They all share a common thread, they recognize the powerful energy of the Sun and the importance of Nature and they all celebrated this Day on their own special ways, most of the time with Rituals.

Yoga practices on the Solstice

The Sun is known to be associated with our inner Fire (Agni), which is responsible for our transformation and growth. That’s why as Yogi, we can tap into the Solstice’s energy through different type of practices during this special day. Here you have a list of some that I personally recommend:

• Sun salutations. Honor the Sun with a series of Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar). The original practice includes 108 Sun salutations but if this looks too ambitious, just do few of them facing East, to connect with the solar energies (if you have the opportunity to practice them outside, it’s even better).
• Pranayama / Breathwork. It’s the right day to practice “Kapalbhati” or “Bhastrika”, that ignite our inner fire! If you are not familiar with those two breathworks or, they seem too intense for you, don’t worry, I’ll go deeper on the breathing techniques on future blog posts! Just try “Surya Bhedana”, it is very effective and perfect for the Summer solstice : -Block your left nostril and inhale through the right one, then close the right nostril and exhale through the left one, continue like this, repeating for a total duration between 1 to 3 minutes –
• Meditation. Try to seat outside when you meditate during the Solstice, you might want to chant a Mantra (there are powerful Mantras often used during the Solstice, as “Om So Hum” or “Om Shanti”).
• intentions. It’s the right time to focus on what we accomplished, to reflect on our personal growth, to set up new intentions and to embrace positive changes.

Whether you are a seasoned yogi or a beginner, the summer solstice it’s a great time to deepen your practice, to cultivate much-needed expression self-love and authenticity, set intentions for the future, to be grateful for your personal growth and also, to experience harmony between your body, mind and the natural world.

What a beautiful opportunity to roll your Mat and celebrate both Summer Solstice and the International Yoga day!

Let me know in the comments what is your favorite practice.

Namaste