Summer Solstice | Yoga Flow And Intention Setting Practice

Happy Solstice!
Welcome to this special Summer Solstice Yoga Flow and Intention Setting class to celebrate International Yoga Day.

Join me for a 30-minute yoga session designed to harness the vibrant energy of the solstice, inviting you to step into the light and shine.
This practice includes intention setting, a sun salutation-inspired yoga flow, and a calming meditation to center your mind and help you recalibrate as we enter the second half of the year.
We'll take some time to reflect on the first few months of the year, say thanks, and invite new energy into our lives.
This class is perfect for those wanting to set aside time and celebrate the change of the seasons.
Bring your journal, some blocks, and your precious self.

Transcript

Hi friend,

Happy solstice.

If like myself you are in the northern hemisphere,

Happy summer solstice.

If you are in the southern hemisphere,

Happy winter solstice.

The practice today will be mostly focused on the summer solstice,

However you can do it as well if you are in the southern hemisphere because the intention is not just to invite the energy of light and summer but also to check in because it is the middle of the year.

So what you'll need for the practice today are perhaps two blocks if you have them and maybe a notebook and a pen if you're one of those people that likes to journal and write things down and put inspiration into paper but also it's not necessary.

What I would like for you to consider as we go into this practice today is what the solstice symbolizes.

If it's the summer solstice for you it is the longest day of the year and the shortest night.

So it's a time that invites us to step into the light,

Step into our full potential.

During the spring it's a time to cultivate and nourish your gifts,

Explore the things that are working for you and as we come into the solstice right into the center of the year it's a perfect time to take a moment perhaps grab your journal.

If you are someone that sets intentions for the year you can go back to the beginning of the year and maybe take a look at what you wrote.

What of those things have come to fruition?

Some of them might have been wild dreams that you never thought could come into reality and now you are truly living them.

Other things you might have forgotten about and also some things may be well on their way.

It's a great time to be grateful for all those things and to also see where do you want to recalibrate so that you can find yourself at the end of the year feeling accomplished and good.

So bring yourself to your yoga mat and let's get started.

Bring yourself to a comfortable seated position on the ground maybe on a blanket or if you have a block you could also grab one of your blocks and sit on it to elevate your hips a little bit and find a longer spine.

Relax your shoulders,

Lengthen your neck and soften your eyes or close them if you rather.

And let's just take three breaths together to arrive inhaling through your nose noticing the expansion noticing the expansion front to back side to side and top to bottom open your mouth and release allowing yourself to soften and release into the moment into the present.

Inhale fill up exhale soften one more just like that deep breath in deepest breath you've taken all day hold at the top if you'd like side out give yourself a moment to arrive into the day or into the practice or into this middle of the year I invite you to observe how you feel in your physical body what's going on in your mind and also perhaps take a pause to rewind maybe your intention for the year was clear and you can bring it forth again right now or maybe you can simply remember what is one thing that you really wanted to create or embody or release this year take a deep inhalation through your nose side out again inhale exhale one more breathe in breathe out let yourself think about this one intention or thread that perhaps you did carry through the first six months of this year maybe with ups and downs maybe with ups and downs perhaps you feel strong solid and grounded in it perhaps it was a goal or an intention that you sustained for a couple of days or a couple of weeks and then you forgot about it altogether but either way can you realize that all the things that you envisioned as well as all the things that you didn't brought you right here right now can you allow that to be enough inhale deeply exhale completely ground through your sitting bones lengthen your spine extend your arms out and up stretching all the way through the fingertips as your palms unite overhead and on your exhalation draw your hands together in front of your heart relaxing your shoulders and releasing the tension that you may find through the neck and all the way to the crown of your head inhale take your arms out to the sides extending through your fingertips perhaps your gaze lifts and on your exhalation take your right arm over your left give yourself a little hug maybe move for a moment from side to side pause at the center open your arms out inhale lift your gaze exhale this time take your left arm over your right give yourself a little hug maybe move side to side pause at the center inhale open your arms back out exhale take your hands behind you walk them as far back as you need to bring the fingertips to the ground and then press your chest up to lift and open through your heart breathe in and as you breathe out bring your spine back to neutral if you're sitting on something you can still sit on it but perhaps you move it out of the way and you find a more solid seat bring your feet in front of you for a moment and move your knees from side to side or stretch your legs or whatever works for you here to release some of the sensation from sitting in the same way for a while breathe in and breathe out find a comfortable cross-legged position once again or sit in any way that you would like and on your inhalation reach your arms up this time interlace your hands flip your palms up toward the ceiling stretch a little bit more grounding your sitting bones lengthening the side body breathe in and as you breathe out take your hands a little bit to the right and stretch through the left side body you don't have to go very far and notice if your knee your left knee is lifting up inhale back through center exhale take it to the other side breathe and notice that you can be rooted and at the same time your body can be expansive inhale back through center and on your exhalation release your hands all the way down next to you on the floor on your lap soften your gaze or close your eyes and give yourself a moment to connect to the base to the support beneath you to the earth that sustains you today and everyday deep breath in long breath out lean back a little bit bring your feet back to the floor and slowly move your knees from side to side and eventually allow both knees to surrender toward the right side and you can move your feet a little bit closer to you here so that you find a solid base on your inhalation take your arms all the way up and on your exhalation take your left hand toward the right knee and your right hand behind you find length to inhale gentle twist as you exhale now you could stay here or take your hands to frame your right knee coming to your fingertips inhale lift your chest and as you exhale let yourself fold over your right leg inhale slowly wave your spine back up exhale a win again wave it down one more breathe in and breathe out inhale press yourself up bring your torso to center lean back and switch the legs to the other side taking a moment to find a comfortable foundation here inhale to lengthen exhale take a twist this time toward the left knee find length through the spine notice the spiral of energy and you could stay or perhaps you frame your left leg with your fingertips finding more length through your spine breathe in,

Breathe out slowly melt your chest down toward the earth inhale slowly wave up exhale wave down one more inhale and exhale inhale bring yourself up bring your torso to the center lean back bring your legs to the front give yourself a hug for a moment relax your head down and I invite you to tell yourself something nice about yourself it's not always the big accomplishments the one that truly make a difference in your year it's the small habits the consistency the little kindnesses that you do for yourself day in and day out breathe in breathe out lift your head back up bring yourself toward a tabletop position hands and knees and take a moment to move your hips from side to side here noticing how it feels finding a stable foundation inhale and on the exhalation tuck your toes under and send your hips back toward your heels as little or as much as you want you could stay here or walk your hands toward your thighs for a deeper stretch especially in the soles of the feet and perhaps on the thighs as well inhale exhale one more,

Breathe in breathe out lean forward,

Move the hands to the earth shift your weight as you move the toes around or move your ankles around or maybe you tap the toes to the floor now on your next inhalation shift your weight forward bring yourself toward a knee plank drawing your belly button in and up toward the midline and on your exhalation bend your elbows straight back as you lower yourself down to your belly make sure your toes are pointing back and your legs are strong and stable hands underneath your shoulders inhale,

Peel your chest off the floor open up through your heart exhale,

Lower back down inhale again,

Lift your heart find space from collarbone to collarbone shine forward,

Exhale,

Lower one more,

Inhale to lift exhale this time bring your hips back,

Big toes connect knees wide,

Bring yourself to HL pose your forehead may find the floor or a block or maybe you make a pillow with your hands and you rest it there wiggle side to side or find stillness,

Whatever serves you best right now,

Deep breath in long,

Slow breath out one more,

Inhale exhale lengthen your arms forward once again and then slowly press yourself up,

Draw your knees toward one another and stay seated on your heels or you could lift away,

I'll do the first round seated on my heels,

You do what works for you on your inhalation,

Take your arms out and up,

Unite your palms overhead and as you exhale,

Draw your hands to the midline,

Fold them all the way down and forward,

Find a child's pose come up to your fingertips inhale,

Lift your chest pulsing up exhale,

Fold again inhale,

Engage your core draw your hands toward you,

Lift the arms out and up,

Maybe lift away from your heels palms unite overhead exhale,

Draw your hands to the midline sit down toward your heels extend your arms forward,

Child's pose inhale,

Pulse your chest up,

Look forward exhale,

Melt into child's pose again inhale,

Draw your hands toward you,

Lift your chest maybe lift away from your heels palms unite overhead exhale,

This time take your left arm forward and your right arm back take a twist toward the right side take your gaze toward the right inhale,

Take your arms straight up again exhale,

Right arm forward left arm back,

Take a twist to the left inhale,

Back to center reach your arms,

Maybe your gaze lifts maybe your hips press a little forward taking a gentle back bend exhale,

Bring your hands to the floor find yourself in a tabletop position inhale,

Take your right leg behind you,

Flex through your foot find length from the heel all the way to the crown of your head and on your exhalation draw your right knee to your chest and curl in inhale,

Stretch your right leg back again press through your heel as if you were pressing it into the back wall and on your exhalation draw your right knee in again one more inhale,

Just stretch exhale,

Draw in release your right leg next to your left shift your weight forward inhale for a knee plank exhale,

Lower down to your abdomen hands under your shoulders inhale,

Lift your chest for cobra exhale,

Take your hips back maybe you find a child's pose maybe you find a downward facing dog for a moment take a deep breath in and a long,

Slow breath out find your tabletop once again and on your inhalations send your left leg behind you this time press back through your heel finding the stability in the pose and on your exhalation draw your left knee toward your chest and curl your head down inhale to extend again exhale to draw in last one,

Inhale exhale lower your left knee next to your right shift forward this time you could lift your knees off the floor and find a plank or you could stay in knee plank one's no better than the other inhale,

Exhale lower knees chest and chin to the earth lift your chest inhale for your back bend exhale for tabletop or for downward facing dog deep breath in through your nose and out through your nose or your mouth grounding toward the earth a bit more becoming present with what is on your next inhalation gaze forward whether you're in tabletop or downward dog and take a few steps until you find yourself at the top of the mat feet are parallel to one another now you could bring your hands to the floor to your blocks to your thighs but on your inhalation find length through your spine bring your flat back and on your exhalation soften your knees hands to your blocks or the floor relax your head inhale,

Press evenly through both feet rise up,

Extend your arms out to the sides and all the way up,

Palms unite overhead and on your exhalation draw your hands together in front of your heart soften your gaze or close your eyes and as you find a moment here in stillness breathe in through your nose out through your nose or your mouth on your inhalation imagine energy rising and expanding and on the exhalation imagine the energy softening and grounding back down just like the ebb and flow of life just like the seasons from light to darkness and from darkness back to light breathe in breathe out release your arms open your eyes if they're closed inhale,

Reach your arms out and up,

Palms unite overhead exhale,

Soften your knees fold forward,

Hands to your blocks your shins,

The floor,

Let your head hang heavy for a moment inhale,

Lengthen your spine halfway extend from the hips all the way to the crown of your head exhale,

Fold again inhale,

Rise,

Stretch up,

Lengthen feel the extension feel the space your aliveness exhale,

Fold again,

Take it all the way down hands to the support,

Head hangs heavy now inhale,

Lengthen through your spine frame your right foot with both hands or with your blocks step your left foot all the way back and lower your left knee down to the earth on your inhalation take your arms out and up palms unite overhead exhale,

Draw your hands in front of your heart feel your stability or your wobbliness they're both okay on your inhale,

Take your arms out to the side lift your chest a little exhale,

Right arm over,

Left give yourself a little hug inhale,

Open your arms again lift your chest,

Lift your gaze exhale this time,

Left arm over,

Right give yourself a little hug release your hands down to your blocks or the floor,

Lift your left knee off the ground breathe in,

Breathe out step forward to the top of the mat flat back to inhale fold and relax your head as you exhale inhale,

Come up,

Stretch exhale,

Bring it all the way back down,

Fold forward hands to the support,

Inhale,

Flat back frame your left foot this time exhale,

Step your right foot all the way back,

Lower your right knee down to the ground notice your stability consider keeping your hands on your blocks or on your neck,

Inhalation,

Lift your arms all the way up exhale,

Bring your hands together at heart center take your arms out to the side,

Breathe in breathe out,

Right arm over left,

Give yourself a hug inhale,

Open up exhale,

Left over right hands to your blocks or the floor lift your right knee,

Breathe in breathe out,

Step forward start to notice the heat rising the body warming inhale,

Flat back exhale,

Fold stretch up,

Breathe in gaze up if you'd like exhale,

Hands in front of your heart or release them next to your body soften your gaze or close your eyes and as you connect to your breath I invite you to consider something that you've done in the last few months since the beginning of the year that you are incredibly proud of and again,

It doesn't have to be something major maybe you started meditating one minute every morning or every Sunday maybe you started speaking kinder to yourself maybe you let go of a small bad habit that no longer served you breathe in breathe out open your eyes inhale,

Reach both arms overhead exhale,

Fold forward this time take your hands toward the earth as you bend your knees as little or as much as you want inhale,

Flat back exhale,

Step both feet back find your plank or your knee plank it's absolutely your choice,

Inhale exhale,

Lower knees,

Chest and chin or slow,

Controlled chaturanga floating before you find the floor inhale,

Lift your chest for your back bend cobra or upward facing dog exhale,

Table top or downward facing dog breathe in through your nose breathe out through your nose or your mouth one more,

Inhale exhale gaze to the top of your mat bend your knees if you're in down dog and on your exhalation take as long as you'd like to get to the top of the mat hands to your blocks the floor,

Your shins breathe in,

Flat back breathe out,

Fold rise up as you inhale stretch,

Lengthen exhale,

Hands in front of your heart soften your gaze or close your eyes breathe in breathe out now I invite you to consider something in your year that you would like to let go of or that you would like to create yet you have found resistance you want to do the thing you have the skill,

You have the tools and yet you don't do the thing or you don't let it go,

Whatever it may be inhale exhale one more,

Inhale exhale release your arms by your hips gaze forward,

Bring your feet parallel to one another making sure that the toes are facing fully forward and on your inhalation send your arms forward,

Shoulders level and on your exhalation,

Bend your knees sending your hips back,

Finding a chair pose as deep or as shallow as you want take a deep breath in and on your exhalation,

Sweep your hands by your hips lifting your chest a bit more inhale,

Take your arms to shoulders level or maybe by your ears exhale,

Sweep your arms by your hips stay with me inhale,

Sweep your arms forward or up exhale this time bend your knees even more,

Take your hands toward your blocks or the floor,

Relax your head inhale,

Flat back exhale,

Bring your hands to the floor step both feet back for plank breathe in breathe out,

Knees,

Chest and chin or take your chaturanga with control inhale,

Lift your chest off the ground exhale,

Bring your hips back for table top or downward facing dog breathe in breathe out breathe in breathe out inhale,

Gaze forward now take your right foot between your hands but it doesn't have to go all the way to the top you could bring it three quarters of the way and then pivot your left heel 45 degrees notice if your right hip pops a lot to the right draw it back toward the left heel and then you could stay here,

Bring your hands to your right thigh and lift yourself up or even take both arms straight up keeping your shoulders square over your hips breathe in breathe out one more inhale exhale,

Bring your right foot bring your right foot back next to your left and bring your hips up and back for downward dog deep breath in long breath out inhale,

Gaze toward your hands this time take your left foot three quarters of the way,

Pivot your right heel to the left and draw your left hip back toward the right,

Stay here or eventually giving yourself a little help by taking your hands to your left thigh rise up or extend your arms straight up,

Warrior one breathe in breathe out one more inhale exhale,

Frame your left foot square your hips to the front step your right foot to the top of your mat inhale,

Flat back exhale,

Fold bend your knees gaze forward,

Inhale take your arms straight in front of you shoulders level or maybe by your ears for a chair pose and on your exhalation extend your legs bring your hands together in front of your heart soften your gaze or close your eyes breathe in breathe out notice how you feel right here right now with all your shadows,

With all your light right in the middle of it all one more breath,

Inhale and exhale inhale,

Extend your arms up,

Come up to your tippy toes and on your exhalation start to bend your knees,

If there's a wall in front of you and you want to use your wall to come down you could do that,

Otherwise maybe you can float down,

Sitting toward your heels your hands could rest on your lap or maybe you bring them to your blocks,

But see if you can keep your spine long maybe your hands come together in front of your heart perhaps you extend them up but whatever you choose,

Consider that if you want to add a little bit more challenge you can practice closing one eye or both because as we go into the unknown it is important to know that the universe has got you and that you have got you and that yes you can envision and write down goals and all the things but most of the time,

Life will conjure things that are much more incredible than you could have ever imagined inhale and on your exhalation let yourself plop down draw the soles of your feet toward one another,

Allow your knees to widen,

Lift your chest as you inhale and on your exhalation let yourself melt down relaxing your head it doesn't have to go all the way down,

You could also use one of your blocks to rest your forehead there or even both,

Piling them up one more breath,

Inhale and exhale on your next inhalation lift your chest up now you could choose here to extend only your right leg and keep your left foot in and then in a while you'll switch sides and I will tell you when or you could also choose to extend both heels out now either way,

Your knees could be bent and your spine long you could even place your blocks underneath your knees and this may give you a pretty good sensation or you could use your blocks in front of you or not use blocks at all as well allow your knees to lift your chest and as you breathe out,

Perhaps you let your chest go down just a little bit,

But you don't have to go very far allow your toes to stay facing up and gently press your chest forward and just breathe here one more inhale and exhale bring yourself back up if you went forward at all and you could use your block on the inside of your left leg if you want to depends on how high you want to go or you could also not use the blocks at all and keep your arm on top of the leg or on the inside of the leg now on your inhalation,

Extend your right arm up and on the exhalation lean toward the left now draw your left ribcage forward and your right ribcage back as little or as much as you want and you could even bring your left arm in front of you toward your right hip to create a little bit more rotation and leverage one more breath and then slowly rise up you're using your block switch it to the other side inhale,

Extend your left arm and on the exhale lean toward the right stay here or find any variation that works for you best one more breath and then slowly come up draw your knees toward one another give yourself a little hug sway side to side and start to bring yourself to lie down on your back draw your knees toward your chest and give yourself a little hug as you sway side to side if that serves you or consider anything else that you would rather do here perhaps bring your feet onto the ground and let your legs gently sway from side to side you could also take an inversion here to invite a new and different perspective one that you could do is extend your legs straight up you could also do that to a wall so if there's a wall near you you could bring your legs to the wall and do Viparita Karani or you could also take shoulder stand now if you choose to take shoulder stand I won't be guiding it today so make sure that you know how to go into it make sure that you stay gazing up toward the ceiling to keep your neck safe on your inhalation start to lift your hips bring your hands to your low back and start to walk your elbows toward one another as the legs extend up toward the ceiling see if you can stack your heels your knees,

Your hips and your shoulders and whatever inversion you chose notice what you notice let yourself be upside down for a moment with awareness one more breath,

Inhale and on your exhalation if you're in shoulder stand perhaps your toes come behind you for a moment taking plow pose keep your hands on your low back especially if your feet are not on the earth or against a wall draw your elbows still draw your elbows still toward one another inhale and on your exhalation no matter where you are,

Very slowly one vertebra at a time roll yourself down,

Hug your knees into your chest maybe move side to side and you could bring yourself to shavasana stretching your entire body onto the floor or if you prefer you can bring yourself back up to a seat especially if you want to do some journaling this would be the space to do so so either bring yourself to lie down or sit rest your arms next to you or perhaps on your body and give yourself a few moments to acknowledge the effects of this practice of being present of moving your body of paying attention and acknowledging and I want you to envision yourself now at the end of this year how do you see yourself?

What are you doing or not doing?

Where are you and who are you with?

And I invite you to consider one small shift that if you start today will get you 1% closer to that picture to that vision to that life take a deep breath in and exhale take a deep breath in and let go once you're ready open your eyes bring yourself up to a seat if you're not there stretch yourself thank yourself and I hope that you have enjoyed this solstice practice of course you can come back to it anytime you want to recalibrate and check in with yourself so maybe this week you come back to this practice a couple more times just to really dig and draw out a little bit more of the things that you want going forward into the second half of the year so I hope that you do choose to step into your light and that you start to shine as we enter summer happy solstice my friend!