Why The Summer Solstice May Be More Important Than You Think
Hello my friend, welcome back to my blog.
If you’ve connected with my website, I hope you’ve found it useful, if you’re reading the blog (my fourth) please do take a look around the website while you’re here.
My Week
Back to work these last 7 days following two weeks off work. This bring me to that word ‘balance’ again. Going back into work after some time off should not be about dealing with hundreds of emails and demands of others. It should be a time to ease back into work at your own pace and in a way that keeps stress levels low and energy levels high.
Anyway something to explore over time I think but for now I keep doing my best and staying well in the process.
Let’s get to theme of this blog which is: Why is the summer solstice more important than you think?
I’m one of those people who dread summer solstice, purely because I love the longer summer days and just the thought of the days getting shorter from this point forward usually make me quite sad. I thought this year I would delve a little more into it and it’s spiritual connotations, in order to change my perspective.
And yes, even though it marks the longest day of the year, because the sun reaches its highest point to the relative to the celestial equator. This means the arrival of the warmest months in the northern hemisphere and it’s nature at its finest. As human beings on this planet of ours, we rarely spend time really connecting with nature, (I mean really connecting where we take off our shoes and socks and feel the earth beneath our feet - grounding I believe it is called) whilst we are busy going about our days and yet, we cannot stand apart from nature, our existence depends on it. So this summer solstice, I embraced all that it brings; a feeling of humility at the beauty of earth, nature and its abundance. Our planet is an amazing celebration of life to be protected and respected.
I think Russell Brand talks about this in his unique way here: Summer Solstice - YouTube
Favourite Things
YouTube – I’ve not watched much content from this latest link but I did like this 5 minute watch this week. It’s called How to Get Started With Personal Development by Modern Health Monk. Alex Heyne shares three basic personal development principles that made the biggest difference in his life and also has a link to a downloadable worksheet you might like.
Photo of the Week
Sourced with thanks from Wikimedia.org.
Quote of the Week
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion”
Question of the Week
I’ll always leave you with this question, as I think it’s a nice way for us to connect. Please do leave your answers in the comments section and I will read and reply to them. Keeping on the theme of nature, here goes – dig into those memories:
“What nature related or seasonal traditions did you grow up with, either in your own home or in your community and how could you bring an element of those traditions into your life now?” – Taken from Wabi Sabi – Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life.
For me this is a love it or hate it thing, a bit like marmite. I love coriander and my Mum grew coriander in the garden during the summer months when I was a child. I recall when she was cooking up her delicious curries, she would often send me off into the garden to pick the coriander as a garnish. I still to this day adore coriander and eat lots of it in my own curries and my salads – perhaps it deserves a pot in the garden too instead of a purchase from the supermarket.
Thank you for reading. Bye for now.
Jackie