Feel your feet gently pressing into the earth,
The connection between you and the earth at the feet.
Allow your body to soften and your heart to open.
Just welcome yourself fully into this moment,
Welcoming the warmth of the air,
Noticing the sounds around you,
The life of nature all around.
The summer solstice,
The longest day of the year,
A day of celebration and sacred pause.
It's a day where the sun reaches its peak,
Yet within all the light is the very beginning of the return to darkness.
The solstice is not just about brightness and light,
But a moment of balance.
Before we even begin walking,
Just take a moment to honor both the light and shadow,
The growth and stillness,
The energy and rest,
The true balance of the solstice.
And now begin your walk.
Slow,
Mindful,
Every step intentional.
Every step connecting you with the earth and the ground.
Feeling your feet connecting with the earth,
Noticing how your foot as you step maybe begins with the heel and slowly rolls forward towards the ball of the foot.
Just slowly,
Mindfully walking.
Letting your senses be bathed in the natural world around you.
With every breath,
Inhale the energy of summer,
The warmth,
The energy,
The vitality,
The playfulness.
With every exhale,
Releasing anything that no longer serves you,
Expectations,
Negative self-talk,
The urge to always do whatever it is.
Inhale,
Bring in that light,
Playful,
Abundant summer energy.
And exhale,
Releasing anything that no longer serves you.
And as you walk,
Let your senses awaken.
Notice the colors around you,
Looking at the trees,
The grass,
The flowers,
Any wildlife around you.
Feeling the temperature of the air,
Maybe the sun kissing your skin,
Listening for birdsong,
Rustling leaves,
The sound of my voice or the sound of your own breath.
And allow this walk to be a celebration of abundance.
Summer invites us to really receive,
To gather the fruits of our labor.
Maybe quietly contemplating,
What in my life is coming into full bloom right now?
Or asking yourself,
What am I ready to receive with open arms?
Just continuing to walk,
Pausing if you feel called,
Noticing anything that calls to you,
A certain plant,
Or something you'd like to look at or touch or experience.
Maybe lifting your face towards the sun,
Or resting your hand on your heart.
Just letting yourself receive this moment fully,
Being present,
Being here.
Now breathing in the playfulness of summer.
Summer reminds us how good joy feels,
How good it feels to be in the presence of someone the laughter,
The sun,
The spontaneity.
Maybe asking yourself,
Where can I be a little more playful in life?
Or where can I let life be a little bit lighter,
A little bit more joyful?
Just walking,
Being with nature,
Be quietly contemplating these things.
Letting your walk be this dance of balance,
Between movement and stillness,
Between experiencing and being.
A celebration of what the solstice is,
A changing of the seasons,
But a balance of sun and light,
And moon and dark.
And now,
Ending our walk with a few moments of gratitude.
Gratitude for the light that's coming in.
Gratitude for the nature all around.
For the spark of life that's in nature and within you.
And then taking a big deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Ending and telling yourself three times,
I receive the abundance of this season with joy.
If you'd like to continue walking,
You absolutely can.
But this is where I will leave you with my guidance.
Thank you for being here and have a happy solstice.
