Summer Solstice: Why Celebrate?

Today marks summer solstice in the southern hemisphere – although it’s grey, wet, and doesn’t feel like summer in Sydney!

As a yogi, I find a connection to nature is crucial to my wellbeing, and summer solstice is the perfect chance to recognise and strengthen that connection. At The Yoga Well we’re practicing 108 sun salutations in order to honour the sun, the change in seasons, and how they affect our own inner rhythms and our vitality.

The sun is a potent source of energy. It’s a powerhouse, providing plants with the energy they need to grow, and animals (including humans) with heat and light. We take it for granted, but without this great big ball of fire, there would be no life as we know it.

The sun also governs our human biological systems – our circadian rhythms are guided by the rising and setting of the sun.

And while I'm not sure there's scientific evidence to back this up, I think the sun is a wonderful mood-enhancer. I know that a few consecutive grey days give me a serious case of the mehs… but as soon as the sun appears, I brighten with the weather. The sun invites our inner light to shine.

On summer solstice, the sun is at its most powerful. It reaches its highest point as it arcs across the sky, giving us the most hours of daylight of any day of the year.

In some parts of the world, summer solstice is recognised as the first day of summer. To me this makes a lot of sense: to acknowledge seasons based on planetary alignment rather than an arbitrary date.

The start of a new season and the potency of sun make this the perfect time to stoke our own inner fires – to raise our consciousness.

When there are more hours of sunlight, we have more energy, physically, mentally and emotionally.

We can utilise this energy to further develop our own personal integrity – the synergy between our values and our actions. This could mean developing a new habit, or kicking an old one that doesn’t align with your beliefs. It could mean speaking out against in injustice, or standing your ground for what you believe in – taking action in some way for what’s important to you.

So celebrating summer solstice is not only about acknowledging the sun, but also our own inner radiance. It’s not just recognising cycles of nature, but also our inner rhythms. It’s a celebration of the bond between us as individuals, and the world around us.

Do you have other reasons for celebrating solstice, or season change? How do you acknowledge them?