Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings.
Not all things are blest, but the seeds of all things are blest.
The blessing is in the seed.
—Elegy in Joy (excerpt) by Muriel Rukeyser
The Greeks honoured the Summer Solstice as the marker of a New Year as light brings clarity and awareness to processes.
The two solstices, winter and summer, are potent periods of manifestation through self-reflection. Celebrations of the sun offer an opportunity to recognize the cycles within and how action informs lifestyle.
Summer solstice rituals may assist you in this transition of seasons. Keep reading to see how you can align with the energy of the solstice with the yoga classes and philosophical prompts.
Table of Contents:
- Yoga Classes as Your Summer Solstice Rituals.
- Yoga classes to activate Manipura, the third chakra at the solar plexus.
- Yoga classes to soothe the nervous system and slow down.
- Yoga classes to connect to earth and water elements to bring balance.
- The Nourish Notebook as Your Guide to Create Summer Solstice Rituals.
- History and Symbolism of Summer Solstice Rituals.
- Ayurvedic Practices as Your Summer Solstice Rituals.
Yoga Classes for Your Summer Solstice Rituals
Sign up for the Summer Solstice Yoga Playlist on Practice with Clara to take a yoga or meditation class in honour of the solstice.
New Members can join this event for $10/month with the coupon code SOLSTICE2022 at checkout!
Choose from three unique collections to celebrate the solstice based on what you need.
Yoga classes for Summer Solstice to activate Manipura, the third chakra at the solar plexus.
Take a class to honour your resilience and inner alchemy; these classes are for those who want to connect to their power source.
Yoga classes for Summer Solstice to soothe the nervous system and slow down.
Take a class to soothe the nervous system and ground; these classes are for those who want to balance the excitement and activity during summer.
Yoga classes for Summer Solstice to connect to earth and water elements to bring balance.
Take a yoga class to connect to the water element; these classes are for those who want to embrace water and fluidity to counter the heat.
Join the Summer Solstice Yoga Retreat
If you are a Practice with Clara member—you’re all set!
- The Summer Solstice Yoga Playlist will be live on Saturday, June 18th!
- The Nourish Notebook will be posted on the Community Board in the Practice with Clara Mobile Apps!
If you’re not a member, sign up here to receive the 7-day free trial.
++ New Members can join this event for $10/month with the coupon code SOLSTICE2022 at checkout.
Nourish Notebook for Your Summer Solstice Rituals
The Nourish Notebook is a 40-page progressive journey with four weeks of yoga classes, prompts, and philosophy to move through the seasonal shift as we transition from summer to autumn.
Nourish is a collection of prose, philosophy, photos, reflections, and prompts to underpin your discovery of all the ways to nurture your spirit during the solstice.
Sneak preview of the Nourish Notebook:
Move through the questions, mindfulness practices, and writing prompts at your leisure. The approach is not linear. Skip pages. Flip ahead. Answer one question and leave the rest. Allow your process to unfold.
Get Your Nourish Notebook—the yoga classes for Summer Solstice and Nourish Notebook are FREE for all Practice with Clara members.
History and Symbolism of the Summer Solstice
The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year before slowly coming back to the darkness. It may be a time for deep meditation and inner quieting to counter the external buoyancy experienced during the warmer months.
Summer Solstice shines its light on the conscious mind—the things you are aware of—while Winter Solstice leans on the shadow of the subconscious mind—which stores beliefs, memories, and acts without your control.
During Summer Solstice, you may reflect on your actions, relationships, projects, career, all the events and items that give your life meaning in a physical context.
The energy associated with summer is yang; passionate, intense, enthusiastic, and fast. For this reason, you may be called to slow things down to temper the fire and settle the nervous system before the fireworks fizzle out!
As the Earth revolves around the sun, the phases of light and dark suggest the tempo to guide sacred activity. Summer Solstice is imbued with the intent laid in spring.
Summer is not a period to activate new goals or launch new plans. It is a period for sweetness, nourishment, and reflection.
Where the Equinoxes in Autumn and Spring are periods for intention and action, the Solstices are periods for reflecting on what has occurred.
Ayurvedic Practices as Your Summer Solstice Rituals
Ayurveda is an ancient Vedic practice and one of India’s oldest medicines, originating more than 5,000 years ago. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means ‘The Science of Life’ and is the sister science of yoga.
Also called the Mother of Healing, Ayurveda’s practice is rooted in preventing illness through balance and reflection on each individual’s diet, thoughts, relationships, environment, and activities.
The ultimate aim of Ayurveda is to seek, create, and maintain balance; when we’re in a state of equilibrium, inner harmony is achieved. Observing and attuning our sleep patterns, diet, exercise, relationships— all the ways we consume and come into contact with the world—in such a way that strives for balance maximizes our potential to feel good and take care of ourselves.
According to Ayurveda, the summering months belong to Pitta dosha.
This playlist is comprised of yoga classes and meditations that help to balance the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, & Kapha).
Pitta people are feisty, productive, purposeful, and competitive; this dosha revels in precision and pragmatism, but don’t let their aggressive attitude fool you.
Pitta personalities are dedicated and devoted; relationships tend to be intense and long-standing, especially if founded upon relatable work, hobbies, or shared goals.
Fire is the ultimate symbol for Pitta. The Pitta personality runs hot literally and figuratively; Pitta angers easily forgives quickly and is highly impatient.
When Pitta doesn’t get their way, they keep pushing until they do—or avoid and deny the unsettling outcome.
Time in nature, bright and spacious environments, exercise, and play with pets or children serve Pitta people in taking a break from their single-pointed focus. Pitta luxuriates in making plans, following a system, and building on past processes.
To balance the intensity of Pitta during the summer months, classes that are themed for earth or water elements will help ground and soothe Pitta’s heat.
You may need a little bit of spice to keep things moving or tend toward yoga classes and meditations that are less stimulating.
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