Honouring the Light Within: A Yogic Reflection on the Summer Solstice
As the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, the Summer Solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year-a turning point where outward energy peaks before beginning to soften. In many ancient cultures, this day has long been celebrated as a sacred moment: a time to honour light, growth, and the abundance of life. In the yogic tradition, the sun (Surya) is deeply symbolic. It represents the physical source of warmth and vitality but also the inner light - our consciousness, insight, and potential. Practicing yoga is, in many ways, turning toward this inner light. We move, breathe, and meditate to embody that light more fully in how we live.
Turning Inward at the Peak of Light
Though the solstice is a celebration of brightness and expansion, it also contains a paradox. At the very height of light, the days begin to shorten once again. This moment of abundance carries within it the first quiet whisper of turning inward. Nature reminds us: all things move in cycles. Energy rises, peaks, and then recedes, just like the breath, the moon cycles, the seasons, and the various cycles of our own lives. The Summer Solstice invites us into this pause; a conscious stillness, a chance to reflect before the next turning begins. What has reached fullness in your life? What are you cultivating with care? And what, perhaps, is now ready to be released?
Light as a Mirror
This is also a beautiful time to acknowledge your own light. What within you feels bright, clear, or aligned right now? What qualities or practices help you feel more connected to that inner radiance? The teachings of yoga remind us that this light is not something we must earn, it is already present. Beneath the fluctuations of the mind, the disappointments, the striving, and the roles we play, there is an inner light. Sometimes, it shines through in moments of joy or clarity; other times, it is quiet and hidden. But it is always there. When we turn toward the light, both literal and symbolic, we are not denying darkness or difficulty. We are simply choosing to remember the wholeness that lives at the heart of our being.
A Simple Solstice Practice
This solstice, consider creating a small ritual of reflection. You might rise early and practise Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) at dawn, journal with the prompt “What am I ready to celebrate?” or "What has reached fullness in my life?" or sit in stillness, visualising light filling the body with each breath. You could also repeat a simple mantra such as: "Tat savitur varenyam" – from the Gayatri mantra, honouring the radiant source of light and wisdom. Let the ritual be small but sincere. It is not the complexity of the practice that matters but the intention behind it.
The Summer Solstice reminds us to pause, honour the fullness of life, and remember the light we carry within. Just as the sun rises and sets each day without effort, our own growth moves in cycles, sometimes visible, sometimes subtle, always sacred. Wherever you are on your path, take a moment to turn inward, breathe, and acknowledge the quiet brilliance at the centre of your being.
You are the light. Keep turning toward it.