Celebrating the Solstice

Photo: Kristen Perala, Creative

“May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you,

and the pure light within you guide your way on”

This week, we have a lot to celebrate! Saturday, June 20th marks the longest day of the year - the Summer Solstice. In Minnesota, the sun will rise at 5:30am and will not set until 9:30pm - providing us a total of 16 hours of daylight! The word solstice actually means “sun standing still” - which it definitely seems to do!

The Summer Solstice marks a great time to energize with the power of the sun and create new intentions for the months ahead. In Ancient Greece, the Solstice actually represented the start of the new year! Use this light to burn away what is not serving you, and set goals toward your highest intentions to create your most wild and beautiful life. 

Vikings traditionally used the Solstice as a time for mediation, to come together to settle disputes and set new rules - which is powerful and extremely applicable considering the state of the world this month. How can you use the sun’s energy around you to create more light in the world we all share? What conversations can you have? How can you make a change?

At Stonehenge in England, the Solstice sunrise aligns with the monument, an event that typically draws around 30,000 people. This year, since the event was cancelled, Stonehenge will be live-streaming the Solstice sunrise for free! This has never been done before and presents a unique opportunity to see an extremely unique event! If you are interested in watching, you can find all of the details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/581183132524229/.

In the yoga world, International Yoga Day is also celebrated this week, on Sunday, June 21st. The yogic tradition of celebrating the Solstice is to move through Sun Salutations to honor the sun! If you’re feeling energized, 108 salutations is the preferred number, but do one or do 100, and make your movements ideal for you! 

While the sun’s energy can be an excellent time to move forward, it is also important to create balance in our body and mind. In Ayurveda, summer represents Pitta season - encompassing the fire and water elements. This extra fire, energy, and heat can leave us feeling exhausted, irritable, and burnt out (or just burnt - remember your sunscreen!). Allow the sun’s energy to fuel you, but remember to find time to cool off and relax as well. Take a deep breath, ground your feet into the earth, and perhaps take a refreshing dip in the nearest body of water! 

Solstice traditions vary widely across the globe, but it is recognized everywhere as an important day. It is also the day that we celebrate as the birthday of Roots + Wings Wellness! Our studio doors opened in mid-June of 2018 - and we are incredibly grateful for the yogis we have met and the experiences we have had along our journey so far. Our journey will continue as we continue both virtual and outdoor classes, and slowly and thoughtfully re-open our studio space with select classes being offered back in the studio beginning in July! 

We invite you to celebrate the Summer Solstice with us by joining us for: 

Summer Solstice Flow with Leona - lakeside at Paul Miller Park

Saturday, June 20th at 9am >>>

https://www.momoyoga.com/rwyoga/lesson/6413304/summer-solstice-flow

GLOW Night Hike with Leona as the sun goes down - Glendalough State Park

Saturday, June 20th at 8:45pm >>>

This event is in partnership with She Ascends, a women’s hiking group throughout MN!

https://www.facebook.com/events/3020994481302751/

>>> full class schedule + registration at rwyoga.com/schedule <<<