☀️Rituals to Welcome Summer Solstice

An Invitation to Tend the Flame of Joy, Presence, & Bliss

The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year — a radiant celebration of the sun’s power, warmth, and the peak of outwardly expanding energy. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s the zenith of the Fire Element, representing joy, connection, vitality, and the expansive nature of the heart. In Yogic tradition, it resonates with Anandamaya Kosha—the sheath of bliss—our innermost layer of being, where joy is innate and our connection to the divine is most intimate.

This year's summer solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs on Friday June 20th. Humans have celebrated celestial phenomenon like solstice for millennia. Carrying on the tradition connects us to those who came before us through our chakra's Seven Dimensions of Consciousness, a concept we explore in Prana Pathways Fire Season.

With all of this in mind, I created a week of simple, yet powerful, daily rituals to perform in the lead up to summer solstice to help you embody the summer's energy. Celebrate all week with these simple daily rituals, or choose one or two that resonate the most with you. These are not meant to be heavy or burdensome. Let them welcome in moments of ease, flow, beauty, self-love, and warmth.

📸 I also invite you to connection and share — important qualities of the Fire Element and Summers Solstice and I love to hear from you! If you like, take a photo of your ritual and share it with us on IG @westwindyoga.

Pro Training Tip for my Prana Pathways Yogis: Be sure to journal about them in your Prana Pathways notebooks. When you look back on this experience after you've completed the training, reconnecting with these practices will carry a different meaning and offer you further insights and inspiration.

🔥 Monday Summer Solstice Ritual – Tend the Flame Within

You’ll Need:

• A candle or small flame (tea light, fireplace, lantern, etc.)

• A piece of jewelry or token you can wear all week — something that feels symbolic of fire, joy, or heart energy (e.g., a gold ring, red bracelet, crystal necklace, etc.)

How-To Ritual:

1. Light your candle and take a few moments to sit quietly with it.

2. As the flame glows steadily, reflect on this:

   The flame represents Anandamaya Kosha—the quiet, enduring bliss at your core.

   The light it casts symbolizes your truest Self—radiant and enduring, existing beyond all 5 koshas.

3. Next, choose a wearable token—jewelry or something meaningful you’ll wear each day this week as a symbol of your inner fire.

   • Let it remind you of joy, connection, heart warmth, and the quiet strength building toward Solstice.

   • Place it on with intention.

4. Journal prompt:

   • What object did you choose and why?

   • How does it connect to the fire within you?

   • What does it mean to carry light with you throughout your day?

🌸 Tuesday Summer Solstice Ritual – Blossom into Joy

You’ll Need:

• A flower in bloom 🌼 (fresh, dried, or even a photo of one that delights you)

• A quiet space to reflect

• Your journal + pen

• (Optional) A camera to take a photo and share

How-To Ritual:

1. Choose a flower that catches your eye and makes you smile. It can be something wild and unexpected or a longtime favorite.

2. Sit with your flower. Simply observe:

   • What color is it?

   • What shape do the petals make?

   • How does its presence change the room you're in?

   • What emotions or thoughts arise when you look at it?

3. 📝 Journaling Prompts:

   • What kind of energy do I bring into a space when I’m fully myself?

   • Where am I being called to bloom more fully in life right now?

   • How can I share joy effortlessly, just by being myself?🌷

🔊 Wednesday Summer Solstice Ritual – Healing Sound & Vibrations

You’ll Need:

• Your voice 🎤

• A private space where you feel free to express yourself

• A favorite uplifting song (optional)

• A journal + pen

• A glass of water or warm herbal tea ☕

How-To Ritual:

1. Begin by gently warming up your voice with a few sighs, hums, or silly sounds. Don’t worry about being “good” or “on pitch”—this is all about joy and freedom.

2. Try the Fire Element’s healing sound: Take a deep breath and exhale. "Haaa" Let it be long, open-hearted, and unforced. Do this 3–5 times.

3. Now, slightly cup your hands to activate Pericardium Point 8 —the Heart Protector—and gently place your hands over your heart. Repeat the heart healing sound "Haaa." Feel the vibration travel into your heart organ, purging stress and overstimulation.

4. Add a song! 🎵 Play a favorite upbeat tune and sing along, dance, or just let it wash over you. If you're feeling it—laugh, smile, sway. Let the joy move.

5. Sit in stillness for a moment. Feel the quiet after the sound. Recognize the subtle buzz of energy—the current of prana and qi—still moving through you, even in stillness. 

6. 📝 Journaling Prompts:

   • When was the last time I really laughed?

   • What emotion do I want to release today—and what sound expresses it?

   • What joy is bubbling beneath the surface that I’m ready to let out?

   • What made you smile today? 😄

🔥 Thursday Summer Solstice Ritual – Movement & Mantra for Manifestation

Join In-Person:✨ I'm teaching at Steamtown Hot Yoga, Thursday at 7 PM. Join me to stoke your inner flame in preparation for the Summer Solstice.

Or Practice Anywhere: 🏡 This ritual can also be done in your home practice or any yoga class you attend this week. You’ll infuse your movement with meaning by setting a personal mantra to carry with you throughout class. For this ritual, a mantra is a short phrase that you repeat (mentally or aloud) to embody your intention and uplift your energy.

✨ How to Create Your Fire Mantra:

1. Connect to Your Fire Think of the Fire Element qualities: warmth, joy, connection, radiance, purpose, and celebration. Think of the Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Body) as your deepest joy and truest expression.

   • 🔎 Ask yourself:

     • What do I want to feel more of in my life right now?

     • Where do I want to direct my energy with love and clarity?

2. Turn Intention into a Mantra Use your intention to create a short, repeatable phrase. This is your energetic thread throughout class or practice. 🔤 Mantra Examples:

   • “I am joy in motion.”

   • “My heart leads the way.”

   • “I radiate light and love.”

   • “Every breath stokes my inner fire.”

   • “I move with passion and purpose.”

   • “I am open to love and connection."

3. Repeat and Embody As you move through your yoga class or personal flow, silently or softly repeat your mantra. Let it ride your breath. Feel it awaken and radiate through your body. Let movement become your message.

4. 📓 Reflection Prompts for Final Savasana

   • How did my mantra shape my experience on the mat today?

   • What did I notice in my body, energy, or emotions as I moved

   • How can I carry this mantra into my solstice celebration tomorrow?

🔥 Friday Summer Summer Solstice Ritual: Express Your Fire

What You’ll Need:

• Something joyful to wear — bright, flowing, fun, or sacred

• A flower, herb, stone, or note as a small offering

• Optional: music, bell, drum, or speaker

• Optional: phone or camera (for photos or connecting with others)

🌞 How to Celebrate

1. Dress with Joy Wear something that makes you feel radiant and alive — let your outfit reflect your inner flame.

2. Step into Nature Take a few moments to stand in the sun or feel the breeze. Breathe it in. Use stillness to connect with the warmth and the light. Let your heart open to the energy of summer season.

3. Offer Gratitude Place your flower, herb, or symbolic item outside as a simple offering of thanks for all that is growing in your life.

4. Use your Voice Say your personal mantra aloud — the one you crafted Thursday — and then sound the “Haaaa” to open your Heart Chakra. Let yourself be heard. (You can also laugh or sing — anything that vibrates joy.)

5. Connect & Celebrate

   • ✨ Call or text a friend and share one joyful thing you're celebrating

   • ✨ Send a photo of your flower or outfit to the group or tag us on social

   • ✨ Share a meal with someone you love or raise a glass in celebration

In Closing 💖 Summer Solstice Rituals to Carry the Light Forward

A major love I have for a yoga practice is the grounding stability it creates within my day and my life. The practice is a daily ritual of union for the body, mind, and soul. When you choose to deliberately infuse your yoga ritual with seasonal energy, the practice becomes more meaningful and stronger. So as the rest of summer shines on, integrate the feelings and insights these Summer Solstice rituals revealed.

Shine on.❤️🔥🌞 See you soon!

Namaste,

Lara