We are gearing up for our favorite summer event at SHY: the Summer Solstice Rooftop Sunset Meditation on Wednesday June 21, at 7 pm. What is Solstice and why do we celebrate it?

The word "solstice" derived from the Latin word sol, meaning “sun”, and sistere, meaning “stand still” or “come to a stop”. The Summer Solstice is a day the sun appears to stand still! This moment occurs when the Sun reaches its zenith at the Tropic of Cancer and the timing of this event is the official Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. We enjoy the longest hours of sunlight at this time. Even the arctic circle sees 24 hours of sun at Summer Solstice.

Summer Solstice also ushers in the season of manifestation and joy. We all feel it. Summer is a time of doing and a time of gathering with friends. A summer filled with experiences shared with others like family picnics, weddings, reunions and vacations just feels complete. Even ancient cultures celebrated the Solstice, or Midsummer, with fertility and harvest events and rituals.

We are celebrating at the studio with a rooftop meditation. We start at 7pm so we can enjoy the glory of a sunset on this longest day from on top of the Mulberry building in the heart of downtown. Join us for qigong to loosen the body and get our internal energy flowing, along with meditation and music.

We have specially composed music for the summer season: music that taps into the vibrations of the heart and tunes us into joy and connection. We’ve all experienced how different music triggers different emotions and can even bring forth a particular emotional state. Using specially composed music for the summer season, we will experience the vibrations of the heart including love, joy and connection.

See you there!

Namaste,

Lara Alexiou

PS Find more details on the Summer Solstice Rooftop Sunset Meditation HERE.