The summer solstice falls on June 21 this year, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the point at which the sun reaches its longest presence in the sky before beginning its cyclical return southward. The word solstice comes from the Latin sol sistere, meaning the sun stands still.

This day also marks the entry of the sun into Cancer, making it a seasonal peak and simultaneously an astrological turning point, the moment when summer's outward expansion begins its pivot toward the more inward, receptive, and home-like quality of Cancer season. At Nectar Retreat on Bowen, by late June, the forest is fully canopied, the sunlight filtering through the trees rather than shining directly.

This post offers a short yoga practice and a few ways to mark the summer solstice, whether you are on Bowen or anywhere else. Details on the ever-popular, in-person evening Summer Solstice Yin Sound Bath at Nectar are at the end.