“Solstice” means sun and standing still, as derived from the Latin words Sol+systere. At this moment where the sun is at its highest for the longest day of the year, practicing yoga is just one way to honour this time and to embrace the energy of this shift from longer days to longer nights.
The summer solstice signifies new beginnings, prosperity, good spirits, and personal awakening. All of these things are amazing, transformational, and offer us opportunities to connect more with ourselves. Practicing summer solstice yoga can help us tap into our energy at this time (and the sun’s), energize ourselves for what’s to come, and ground us as things begin to shift.
Day of the Summer Solstice
- 2021: Sunday, June 20
- 2022: Tuesday, June 21
- 2023: Wednesday, June 21
Summer Solstice Yoga Flow
Grab your mat and join me in a 30-minute summer solstice yoga practice. Just yourself and your mat are needed for this yoga flow!
Rituals for the Summer Solstice for Yogis
Aside from yoga, these are some simple rituals for the summer solstice that you can do to honour this time of high energy and change.
Ignite Your Inner Fire
Summer is quite literally a time when things heat up. You can practice this in your yoga practice by using breathing techniques (like breath of fire), energizing mudras, and focusing on yoga poses that build heat in your body by engaging your Manipura chakra (think your core).
Salute the Sun
If you practice yoga regularly then you’re most likely already saluting the sun through your sun salutations as most yoga classes incorporate some variation of a sun salutation. Now would be a great time to come back to the basics though and build off of a traditional sun salutation. The summer solstice yoga class above will guide you through some more basic variations that certainly build fire.
Get Outside & Bathe in the Sun
Celebrate the summer solstice (and summer in general!) by getting outside more. Not only will this do wonders for your mind, body, and soul, it’s a great way to feel better in general. Try bringing your mat outside for a practice (or make it a part of your new routine), or just sitting outside to meditate or journal.
Change Up Your Routine
As the summer solstice represents new beginnings, why not change up your routine? Whether this is a morning or bedtime routine, changing up what you usually do can bring new insight, new fire, passion, and understanding into your life. With some of the longest days of the year still ahead of us, it’s a great time to take advantage of the light in the morning or evening through a new routine.
Reflect & Journal
Whenever things shift, either in life or energetically, reflection is always a good idea. Personally, I love to journal through my reflections as things typically come out differently on paper and make it easier to understand what’s going on in my head. Some journal prompts to guide you through reflection are:
- What habits, thoughts, and/or limiting beliefs am I ready to let go of/leave behind?
- What makes me feel heavy or exhausted? How can I move away from these patterns, people, or habits?
- What was good about the first half of the year? What do I want to bring along with me for the second half of the year?
- What am I proud of myself for doing this year?
- What’s something amazing/exciting that happened?
- What am I most looking forward to in this new season?
Happy summer solstice! May this new season be full of happiness, growth, abundance, and joy.