Practice These Powerful Yoga Sequences for the Summer Solstice

Practicing yoga for summer solstice is an excellent way to honor this pivotal time of year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. The summer solstice is often viewed as an energetic portal in which we celebrate the beginning of summer and the illumination of the world with greater warmth and light.

The solstice offers us a unique opportunity to deepen our connection with nature and align our inner selves with the energy all around us. Yoga practice is an excellent way to navigate the spiritual shifts of this time period and harness this transformative energy. In this article, we will explore the benefits of practicing yoga for the summer solstice, along with specific practices and yoga sequences for the summer solstice.

The Benefits of Practicing Yoga for the Summer Solstice

Yoga for summer solstice is the simple practice of aligning with nature through body, mind, and spirit. It is also important to note that the summer solstice is the date for International Yoga Day, when the entire world honors the depth and wisdom that yoga has to offer! On the longest day of the year, we are reminded of the power of the light of the sun, which also reconnects us to the inner light of consciousness within each living being.

Practicing yoga for the summer solstice is an excellent way to align with the energies of the universe, navigate this celestial shift, and harness the power of the sun for inner transformation. The summer solstice also marks the change into summer when the days are hotter, and we engage in more fun activities outdoors! Summer yoga classes are similar to yoga classes in other parts of the year, but they are also an invitation for us to balance these heating pitta-inducing energies with cooling practices to maintain inner balance no matter what changes are occurring externally.

5 Potent Yoga Practices for Summer Solstice

1.     Harness the Power of the Sun with Sun Salutations

The summer solstice is centered around this pivotal celestial event in which the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, resulting in the longest day of the year. During this time, the earth is bathed in more sunlight than at any other point, leading to higher energy all around us. In traditional yoga practice, the sun is viewed as a cosmic deity that plays an essential role in sustaining life. By honoring the power of the sun on the summer solstice with sun salutations, we can express our profound appreciation for all the sun has to offer us.

Without sunlight, we could not grow any plants or sustain ourselves with food from the earth. And the best way to honor the sun is with the practice of sun salutations. Whether you choose to do a mala of sun salutations or 108 rounds or just one round to start the day, make sure to give some time to honor the sun on this summer solstice.

2.     Find Inner and Outer Balance with Balancing Poses

The summer solstice is a balancing point in the year in which we begin to transition into the peak of summer and then slowly back toward winter. During these times of shift and transformation in the seasons, it is essential to maintain inner balance. As the world is changing all around us, yoga gives us the tools to stay centered within ourselves and find equilibrium no matter what is happening externally.

The best way to find inner balance during the summer solstice is by practicing balancing yoga poses. Balancing yoga postures challenge you to use your concentration, mental strength, and physical ability to find stillness in both the body and the mind. Gradually, yoga brings your consciousness to a single point, resulting in the deep unification of body, mind, spirit, and nature.

3.     Open Your Inner Wisdom with Heart Opening Postures

Since the summer solstice is a shifting point in the year, it is important to use these moments to reflect on the previous six months and set any intentions for the coming months ahead. Using these moments in nature as a path for reflection can deepen your experience and provide you with an opportunity to make and shifts that you desire.

The best way to tap into your inner wisdom is by going through your heart. Your heart center is the seat of your soul, and the deeper you go into your heart space, the more in touch you will be with your true inner self. Heart-opening postures can unleash this energy from within and help you unveil your inner wisdom to set an intention for the summer ahead.

4.     Meditate on Your Inner Light

Meditation is a significant component of yoga practice and is a wonderful way to connect to the energetics of the summer solstice. One of the primary tenets of yoga philosophy is the concept that each individual contains an ember of the divine consciousness within us. When we begin to fan the flame of this ember, we can generate internal heat, which burns away our past karmas and releases us from the cycle of rebirth.

These profoundly cleansing and purifying practices help to reignite your inner light and connect you with the greater divine consciousness all around us. Through introspection and meditation, you can gradually move your awareness inward and unify with the inner light that resides in your heart space, and that emanates throughout your entire inner being.

5.     Balance the Fiery Energies Within with Cooling Breathwork

Yoga for summer wouldn’t be complete without cooling breathwork or pranayama to finish it off! Since the summer solstice is the day with the most amount of sun, it is also vital that we balance these energies in a summer yoga class with cooling breathwork, such as sheetali pranayama.

Sheetali pranayama can help balance the buildup of the pitta dosha or the fiery energy in our bodies. These simple practices can bring you closer to a state of equilibrium and reduce the intense energy that tends to build up during the summertime. So, make sure you incorporate cooling breathwork throughout your summer yoga classes and not only on the summer solstice!

Try This Transformative Yoga Sequence for Summer Solstice!

There are many different ways to practice yoga for summer solstice, but by keeping the energies of balance, transformation, and compassion in mind, you will undoubtedly create a transformative yoga class for all. In this yoga sequence for the summer solstice, we center on harnessing the power of the sun’s energy while cultivating a deep inner reflection to set an intention for the summer ahead.

30-Minute Summer Solstice Yoga Sequence:

·      Seated Grounding Meditation and Intention Setting (Sukhasana)

·      Cat and Cow Pose (Bitilasana and Marjariasana)

·      Thread the Needle Pose (Supta Kapotasana)

·      Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

·      Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)

·      Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskar B)

·      Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

·      Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

·      Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

·      Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana)

·      Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

·      Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

·      Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

·      Standing Forward Bend Hands Under Feet Pose (Padahastasana)

·      Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

·      Dancer’s Pose (Natrajasana)

·      Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

·      Garland Pose (Malasana)

·      Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

·      Hero Pose (Virasana)

·      Cat and Cow Pose (Bitilasana and Marjariasana)

·      Low Lunge Pose (Anjaneyasana)

·      Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)

·      Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana)

·      Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

·      Puppy Pose (Utthana Shishosana)

·      Child’s Pose (Balasana)

·      Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

·      Reclined Spinal Twist Pose (Supta Matsyendrasana)

·      Wind Releasing Pose (Apanasana)

·      Corpse Post (Savasana)

While practicing yoga for summer, it is essential to remember that summer yoga classes are best kept at a slower pace to avoid overheating or exhaustion. There is already a lot of external energy in the summer, and yoga for summer is an opportunity to deepen inwards, cool and calm down, and balance the external output that summer often requires. So, use this yoga sequence for the summer solstice as a guide to navigating this pivotal time of year!

Learn How to Teach Yoga for the Summer Solstice in Our Online Yoga Teacher Training

Practicing yoga on the summer solstice is a wonderful way to align with the energy of the sun and deepen your connection with nature. But an even better way to connect with these celestial events is to become a yoga teacher and guide others through this experience. Becoming a yoga teacher is a gift to be a part of the journey of others and witness the profound power of these practices.

Our online yoga teacher training courses are a high-quality and in-depth way to learn yoga and step onto the exciting path of becoming a yoga teacher. Every moment of this course, we are guiding you deeper into the power of yoga so that you can safely share this wisdom with others as well. So, if you are ready to take the next step and become a yoga teacher, then reach out to us for more information on how you can start today!

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