Honor the Light
There is something special about noticing the turning of the seasons. It’s a reminder of the turning of the seasons in our own lives.
So often, we move from one season to the next without pausing long enough to acknowledge the shift…rushing from spring into summer, from fullness into the next thing waiting for our attention. That is why one of our values at Wild Sanctuary Retreats is Ceremony: We believe in the sacred power of marking time— of pausing to bless beginnings and endings, honor thresholds, and name what is holy.
Our retreats often include simple, meaningful ceremonies that help us embody truth, and step into new seasons with intention and grace. That is why we are looking towards the Summer Solstice to invite us to do something different….to notice…to honor the light. To remember the true Light, that gives light to everyone, is Christ. And so we seek to mark the threshold in an embodied and intentional way.
Summer Solstice…
For centuries, people across cultures and traditions have recognized the solstice as a sacred turning point, the longest day of the year, when the sun reaches its peak expression and creation feels alive with warmth, beauty, and abundance. As people of faith, we can receive this not as something to worship, but as something that points us toward the Creator Himself — The God who crafted rhythms and seasons, light and dark, rest and growth.
Our Summer Solstice Mini Retreat was created as a way to enter that sacred noticing together. Rather than simply thinking about the season changing, we’ll experience it through the body, through prayer, through movement, through creativity, and through community — all on a beautiful lakefront pool deck that will be the perfect summer space holder!
108 Sun Salutations…
The yoga offering at this retreat is an accessible 108 Sun Salutations practice. (Don’t let this scare you, IYKYK It truly will be accessible to all levels!) It will begin gently and give the practitioner the option to remain with grace or move into challenge. While the number 108 has ancient roots and symbolic significance in yoga traditions, many practitioners today experience the practice simply as a moving meditation. A rhythmic invitation into prayerful presence. Repetition has a way of softening us. Somewhere along the way, the practice stops being about achievement and becomes about surrender and listening to the body, listening to God, listening to what is being stirred within as we cross this seasonal threshold.
Ignation Examen Prayer Bead Bracelets…
After moving together, we’ll slow down and enter into a creative prayer practice by crafting Ignatian Examen Prayer Bead Bracelets.
The Ignatian Examen is a centuries-old contemplative prayer practice developed by Ignatius of Loyola that helps us notice God’s presence in the ordinary moments of our lives. Rather than striving or fixing, the Examen gently teaches us to pay attention, to reflect on where we experienced gratitude, where we struggled, where we sensed God near, and where we are being invited toward renewal.
Each bracelet will include five beads representing the movements of the Examen:
Gratitude.
Petition.
Review.
Forgiveness.
Renewal.
Alongside these beads, participants will choose a meaningful charm symbolizing God’s presence. A small tangible reminder that Jesus’ Love & Light accompanies us through every season, even the darker ones to come.
