The longest day of the year is here. Are you ready?
On June 21, Summer officially arrives and with it, we’ll get more than four extra hours of sun! Summer solstice boasts the most daylight of any day in the year. It’s the perfect time to connect with nature, reconnect with yourself and renew your energy. Let’s talk about the power of solstice in harmonizing your body, mind and spirit with the force of nature in all her glory.
What is summer solstice?
Occurring twice each year, solstice marks the maximum (summer) and minimum (winter) number of daylight hours in a calendar year. The summer solstice has celebratory roots that date back well past Shakespeare (though he memorialized it as well in Midsummer Night’s Dream) and span the entire globe. Across the world, people celebrate solstice in a variety of ways. In some countries, it’s a holiday and in many, it’s a party. The celebrations root right back to connecting with nature and honoring the incredible power of our planet and the four elements: fire, water, earth and air.
Why you should reconnect with yourself during this time
Summer solstice is the perfect time to cultivate a practice of care that will carry you through the rest of this year and beyond. It’s a beautiful benchmark that’s noted not by a date on the calendar but the position of the sun. Every day, you can watch the rise and set of the sun and remind yourself of the constant ebb and flow of growth and rest. These things are both present in the sun’s daily rhythm, and they’re present in you as well. Like the sun, you are constant and ever changing. Your best is possible only when you honor both of those truths. You can find comfort in the knowledge that you are honoring yourself with the rest that the day takes with the sinking sun.
The start of something new is the perfect time to refocus on your goals and ground yourself into the here and now. If you’ve been feeling stressed out or out of sorts, Summer’s new leaf is the perfect time to reconnect with your inner goddess and solstice helps you maximize your potential by giving you extra hours of wakeful energy in the day.
It’s an astrological strength boost
If you’re into astrology, you’ll know that solstice marks the start of Cancer season every year. 2022’s summer solstice also falls one week after the strawberry supermoon and just 6 days ahead of Neptune retrograde. If you’re not into astrology, all of those things culminate to foster a sense of connection between yourself and the world around you. This solstice may offer you a sense of heightened awareness of your own intuition. You should trust that connection to your inner self. Lean into the solstice’s powermove of taking up space, and let your strength and knowing shine like the sun.
Tips to soak up those solstice vibes
Ready to make this summer solstice the source of strength and shine in your life? We are too! We’ve cultivated these tips just for you, to help you connect with yourself, your sun and the ground beneath your feet this summer.
Get outside
Whether you prefer to sink your toes into the warm golden sand or you want to take a hike up the hillside and into the forest, spend some time in nature for solstice. Honor the sun by connecting with the earth and welcoming these extra hours of daylight in a way that feels good to your body, mind and soul. The holistic appreciation of connectedness is best harnessed when you’re spending time outside.
Have a mini-festival
Call it anything you like: a party, a barbecue or a gathering! Bring together your loved ones to help you welcome summer with the excitement you’ve been building as you awaited the arrival of the season of warmth. Create a playlist and make your favorite snacks, then share them with the people who mean the most to you.
Connect with the elements
Do you feel particularly empowered by an element of nature? Maybe you enjoy the deep mossy scent of the forest, a gentle breeze, or the feel of water on your skin. No matter what part of the natural world connects most with your soul, try to spend some quality time rooting into that for solstice. Plan a trip to your favorite embodiment of the element that empowers you and share this summer start with yourself in harmony with nature.
Solstice is celebrated across the world because there is no geographical or conceptual limit to the ways the world and the power of the sun on your skin can impact your life. For many people, solstice is the start of something new- it’s like a refresh in the middle of the year. You can spend the day catching your breath, soaking up nature or finding other ways to reconnect with yourself. There is no wrong way to honor the day where the daylight hours are turned up to maximum capacity every year.
If you or a loved one is looking for a safe space to reconnect with yourself and root into recovery from substance abuse, Villa Kali Ma is here to welcome you this solstice and beyond.
