Hello and welcome.
My name is Kasia Gibbons.
I'm one of the teachers here on Insight Timer.
And today I'm very excited to share with you a solstice-themed meditation.
Today is the June solstice,
And so a really good day to connect into the solar cycle and solar energy,
The energy of the sun.
This might be slightly different for you depending on where you are in the world.
If you're in the northern hemisphere,
You might be experiencing the longer days and warmer light of summer.
Whereas if you're in the southern hemisphere,
It might be longer nights and winter cold for you right now.
But all of us,
Wherever we are,
Are experiencing the energy of the solstice,
Which is an interesting energy because it is a powerful moment of pause as the sun reaches an extreme point in its cycle.
And that pause is the herald of a change of direction and a momentum towards the opposite extreme.
So allow yourself to become comfortable,
Sitting if you can in an upright posture,
With your spine straight.
A posture which allows you to breathe easily.
And it's a good time to let go now of any sounds which are happening around you.
Any thoughts which may be drifting through your head.
Allow them to pass you by.
Today we're going to be working with an energy center which is located in your belly,
About two finger widths below your belly button and a third of the way in,
Round about where your center of gravity is.
So if you like,
You can start to sense into that energy center now.
Just noticing how you feel in that area.
And now send your attention out in the direction of the sun.
Wherever it is in the sky,
Be it above or below the horizon.
Allow your attention to extend now to that star at the center of our solar system.
And welcome into your awareness all the strong fiery energy of the sun.
So you might become aware of the quality of light it gives off.
The color of the sunlight.
You might even be able to feel its warmth.
And on your next in-breath,
Imagine that you are breathing in the energy of the sun and that it is reaching that energy center in your belly.
And you might even want to visualize the golden or orange light of the sun arriving in your belly as you breathe in.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine that you are breathing from the very center of your being,
Outwards towards the sun.
Exchanging energy with this great solar being.
And allow that flow of energy to build.
Noticing that it is a flow.
So that it might be different each time you breathe from the sun to your belly and back out again.
And just as in these few days,
The sun appears to pause on the horizon before traveling back in the direction it has come from.
Sense into your breath now.
And retaining the connection you've been building with the sun's energy.
Notice if there is a pause there between the in-breath and the out.
Between the out-breath and the in.
And if there is a pause there,
Each time you return to that moment of pause.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Notice if there is something within you which resonates with that.
It might be a pause full of joy and growth and abundance.
Or it might be something quieter and deeper that really is ready to rest.
Just notice what there is in you that is ready to pause now.
As you continue to breathe and connect with the energy of the sun.
And if you like,
You might want to inquire within yourself now as to whether within that pause there is a readiness to change direction.
And if there is,
What might you leave behind in that pause?
And what might you bring with you?
And then just return to your breathing.
To the visualization.
Taking in the warm,
Golden or orange energy of the sun as you breathe in.
And extending a piece of your energy towards the sun as you breathe out.
And when you're ready,
You can release your visualization and come back to the room.
Checking in with your posture.
Opening your ears to the sounds around you.
Opening your eyes if they've been closed.
Acknowledging yourself for taking the time to meditate on this solstice day.
Thank you for sharing this practice with me today.
