A Summer Solstice Meditation to Celebrate Growth!

Written by:  Candy Price,  June 2023

“Welcome!  Happy summer solstice! I’m so delighted to invite you into my garden and greenhouse for a meditation. My name is Candy, and I am so glad you have joined me to celebrate the summer solstice. The summer solstice marks the first day of summer. In addition, it is the longest day of the year and the shortest night of the year. In participating in this summer solstice meditation, you could choose to practice out in nature in the warm sun or by a window with the sun shining in. However, try to find a quiet place without distractions.

Things to Consider:

Just a few things to remember when practicing meditation. First, meditation is a skill which will improve with practice. Second, distractions are normal and will probably occur. If your mind begins to wonder, just redirect it back to your breath. This will become easier with practice. Meditation is still beneficial. Another thing to consider, meditation is not something we “do”. We “drop-into” meditation. Try to release the mind from problem solving and details.

Settle In:

We will begin by finding a comfortable seated or lying position. Find a position that makes you feel grounded and safe. Start to settle in. Rest your hands where they feel most comfortable. Allow your hips to become heavy. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. Soften any tension in your jaw, your brow. Rest the thinking and planning mind. Maybe shut down your eyes. 

Make that first connection with your breath. Breathing in a long, smooth inhale through your nose. Breathing out a long, smooth exhale out of your nose. Inhale deeply. Exhale deeply. Continue with a nice breathing rhythm that works for you. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Self Scan:

Notice your body resting. Notice how your body is supported by the earth beneath you. Notice the rise and fall of the chest, your abdomen, with each inhale and exhale. Maybe you feel a sense of release, of resting, of calmness. Continue to nurture this space of quietness. Notice when the body becomes still, the mind becomes still too.

Visualization:

The summer solstice is a time of great abundance and harvest. The days are long, warm, and bright. The nights, however short, bring much needed rest after days of heavy activity. It is a time of gathering, celebrating, and enjoying. Days are full of warmth. Full of light. Full of hope. Full of birth. Full of new beginnings.

It is also a time for reflecting upon our own personal harvest. Think back to the winter solstice back in December. Reflect on the cold, dark, months of this past winter. What have you focused your attention on since the winter solstice? What did you nurture? What did you bring forth to your life? 

Maybe you are still nurturing your crops. We are just like nature, part of the process. Sometimes things take extra time, extra care, extra seeds, extra water, extra rest. We are right where we are supposed to be. We are arriving at the perfect time. And, above all, we have all that we need within ourselves. Our light, just as the sun shines brightly. Honor your light and the cycles of your growth. 

Give yourself much needed gratitude for what you have accomplished. Your inner strength. Your flame of inner confidence. Your fire within. Your fire within.

Transitioning Back:

Focus your attention back on your breath. Feel the warm inhale through your nose, throat, through your chest, into your belly. Feel the exhale from your belly, through your chest, throat, and out of your nose. Feel the sensations of your body rising and falling. The breath that is breathing you. Begin to rock your head from side to side, maybe up and down. Any movements that feel natural and intuitive for you. When you are ready, you can open your eyes.

Thank you so much for joining me in my greenhouse for this summer solstice meditation. If you write in a journal, I always recommend journaling after a meditation session. I wish you a summer season full of long days, warm nights, and lingering memories.”

-Namaste-

Candy