What is The Summer Solstice?

On June 21, 2012, the daytime hours are at a maximum in the Northern hemisphere, and night time is at a minimum. It is officially the first day of summer. People around the world have observed spiritual and religious seasonal days of celebration during the month of June. Most have been religious holy days which are linked in some way to the summer solstice.

“Solstice” is derived from two Latin words: “sol” meaning sun, and “sistere,” to cause to stand still. This is because, as the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky on each successive day. On the day of the solstice, it rises an imperceptible amount, compared to the day before. In this sense, it “stands still.”

Significance of the summer solstice:

In pre-historic times, summer was a joyous time of the year for those Aboriginal people who lived in the northern latitudes. The snow had disappeared; the ground had thawed out; warm temperatures had returned; flowers were blooming; leaves had returned to the deciduous trees. Some herbs could be harvested, for medicinal and other uses. Food was easier to find. The crops had already been planted and would be harvested in the months to come. Although many months of warm/hot weather remained before the fall, they noticed that the days were beginning to shorten, so that the return of the cold season was inevitable. 

The first (or only) full moon in June is called the Honey Moon. Tradition holds that this is the best time to harvest honey from the bee hives.  

This time of year, between the planting and harvesting of the crops, was the traditional month for weddings. This is because many ancient peoples believed that the “grand [sexual] union” of the Goddess and God occurred in early May at Beltaine. Since it was unlucky to compete with the deities, many couples delayed their weddings until June. June remains a favorite month for marriage today. In some traditions, “newly wed couples were fed dishes and beverages that featured honey for the first month of their married life to encourage love and fertility. The surviving vestige of this tradition lives on in the name given to the holiday immediately after the ceremony: The Honeymoon.”  (Wikipedia)

Summer Solstice marks the time of stillness between the season of growth and harvest. It is a time to celebrate our expansion, acknowledge our weakness, an opportunity to pause, stop for a moment, to look back at what we have achieved, to redress our imbalances and to plan for our future and for the people in our circle of friends and family.

On this Friday, June 29^th 2012 from 630 pm to 830 pm we will be doing a special workshop to bring in this new season. The workshop will celebrate the Summer Solstice and focus our collective energy of the longest days of the year into our lives in collective harmony. It will involve Kundalini Yoga kriyas, pranayama, mantra and meditation.We will also enjoy fresh juices representing the summer season and have some delicious snacks following the class.Please feel free to bring a dish.It is pot luck.

It will be an evening of enjoyable practice and learning and is  suitable for everyone.No experience is needed.. So if you want to break through personal barriers, have deep and meaningful experiences or simply explore and enjoy 2 full hours of Kundalini yoga then you will be sure to have a great summer!

Sat Nam,

Sarah Stavis