Summer Solstice Yoga
Summer is perhaps the most welcomed of seasonal shifts; it brings warm weather, travel, time off from work/school, fresh fruit, swimming, gathering with friends/family and so much more. The sound associated with summer is laughter while the emotions are LOVE and HATE; two very strong emotions that come out of the heart. Summer brings hot temperatures and with that can come increased circulation and growth but if left unchecked, can lead to irritability and frustration.
The summer solstice is a great time to appreciate how far you have come and set goals for where you want to go. Energy is high around the solstice so it is a great time for reflection, celebration, and goal setting. When moving into summer, exercise caution to find the balance between action and being. If we are too active and burn the candle at both ends, we risk overheating and becoming irritable. On the flip side, we should be trying to embrace the longer days, enjoy the nature around us, work up a slight sweat to keep pores open and circulation strong because with each passing day we move closer to the sedentary and cold winter season.
Keeping digestion strong in the summer can be challenging because often this season brings indulgence and irregular schedules. Drinking plenty of water to keep the body cool and nourished is a must with warmer temperatures. Try adding lemon or cucumber to your water to spice things up! Avoid eating too many spicy foods in the summer because inside the body like increases like. Instead, opt for bitter foods like fresh greens from a local farmers market.
The class plan below can be for a 90–120-minute practice and the oils paired with the poses are intended to cool, ground, and focus the body/mind. While I am not a licensed acupuncturist, I included some acupressure points to ease the heart and lungs for this practice. Use caution with acupressure points if you have any heart or blood related ailments.
Sources used to create this class:
Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers
Holistic Aromatherapy by Marc Gian
Acupressure’s Potent Points by Michael Reed Gach
Spotify Playlist for class:
Sequence: