Warm Welcome To Summer
This time of year brings up childhood memories of endless hot school days looking longingly through windows wide open, the smell of freshly mown lawn, the sound of grasshoppers, and feeling like June would never end. Then finally the excitement of report cards and the last day of school. Many years I made a pact to never wear shoes between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Freedom comes in many flavors.
Our lives are arranged in patterns and observances, some of them hourly or daily, some quarterly and some annual or in much longer cycles.
We work on our “schedule” and some feel unsettled when it’s “off”. Some people find unpredictability exciting and energizing. Others are more “set in their ways”. Consistency is out of reach for many who have busy lives and many obligations.
What are your rituals around the four turning points in our year?
Three months ago was the spring equinox, where hours of daylight started to become longer than nighttime hours. What was going on in your life three months ago? What are your memories of that time? Do you keep a journal? What comes to mind as you look back at your calendar from mid March through mid June?
We enjoy some things about spring every year - lengthening days, warmer weather, planning and planting a garden, the ease of walking outdoors with sandals instead of snow boots. Maybe you or people you love have their birthdays in spring. Income taxes are due in April. The first summer long weekend happens in May.
What do you savor about spring this year? What are you sad to leave behind? What are you thankful to let go of?
Many cultures have ancient rituals of dance and song on the solstice and welcome the transition from planting season to growing season. Our nervous system relaxes, knowing food is more plentiful in summer and cold not as threatening. We experience the transition in this current period of our life and we have experienced this shift through endless generations.
What seeds are you planting this spring and how might they come to fruition this summer, into the autumn or longer?
In our Stillpoint community daily online practice, many people have committed to this ongoing strengthening and resilience for our nervous system. We appreciate a less compulsive and worried mind, our bodies benefit from less tension and more oxygen, and we enjoy a better quality of life. The fruits of practice are especially evident when we are in a challenging period in life.
Are you in the spring and summer season of your life? What might seem like an endless stream of summers when we are younger, becomes more precious and poignant as we are older. When we are younger, we might also think in longer terms, where the benefits of several years of additional schooling or training have time to yield their benefits.
For those of us in fall and winter season of life, we have fewer summer seasons left to experience. We may have matured into a more measured pace and prioritize enjoying our summer days. Being mindful and appreciating the present moment doesn’t happen spontaneously with age. This too is something we continue to work with.
Join us Friday as we explore opening into summer from the foundation of winter and spring. What do you appreciate about spring? What are you looking forward to in your life this summer?
Fridays we have a half hour Dance Party on Insight Timer Live (6PM Eastern) followed by an hour of stillness meditation. This week, we are devoting our meditation to a mindful farewell to spring and a warm welcome to summer 2025.