Summer has officially arrived here in the Northern Hemisphere! Marked by the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year has arrived bringing us to our peak of sunlight that we will experience before the days slowly begin to shorten once more.

The Summer Solstice

Throughout history, people have marked the Summer Solstice as a sacred day, taking time to celebrate the arrival of summer. From farmers who celebrated the solstice as the midpoint of the growing season, leading to prayer for continued growth and abundant crops, to people celebrating the warmth, energy, and vibrancy of the sun at peak, representing a triumph of light over darkness, the summer solstice has plenty of roots across history and location of being an occasion worthy of marking.

For us at Wild Sanctuary Retreat, we were able to host our very first Summer Solstice Mini Retreat just a couple days before the summer solstice and it was a beautiful time of bright energy, perfect weather, joyful conversation, and meaningful moments.

Mini Retreat

As women were greeted, as always, by Hildemary, they made their way down the path to the stunning pool deck where an infinity pool guided your gaze out to the open lake. With the sun tucked behind the home, and a gentle breeze drifting across the space, the weather was nothing short of perfect for a summer evening together.

The summer solstice invites a playful energy into our lives— with sunlight on full blast, we feel the energy it creates and we intentionally leaned into it for this retreat. Plenty of laughter, easy conversation, and laidback attitudes filled the air. As we settled in and learned about the Prayer of Examen, we split into two groups to take turns making our own Ignatian Prayer Bead Bracelet. While one group checked out the ‘charm bar’, picked their 5 beads and special charm, then assembled their bracelets, the other group enjoyed snacks, relaxing on the pool deck, sticking their feet in the water, and even walking right down to the lake.

While making bracelets, each woman was encouraged to pick beads in colors that represented the 5 movements of the Prayer of Examen: Gratitude, Review, Sorrow, Forgiveness, and Grace. The charm? A visual cue to remind them of the Loving Presence of God with them as they pray. As each bracelet took form, faces lit up at seeing something come to life that had such intention and purpose behind it— each bracelet worn on their wrist would be both a visual cue, and a tangible companion, to their time of prayer. Seeing the colours, the charms, and how each woman made her bracelet unique was so delightful.

From bracelet making, snacking, and exploring, we made our way to our mats where it was time to engage in the traditional practice of 108 sun/Son salutations.

In Sanskrit, a Sun Salutation is called Surya Namaskar—which translates as "salutations to the sun." Traditionally, it is a flowing sequence of postures linked with breath, designed to awaken the body, focus the mind, and cultivate energy. Each movement is synchronized with an inhale or exhale, creating a rhythm that feels almost like a dance or a prayer. While the physical sun gives warmth, light, and life to our world, yogic tradition also teaches that the sun symbolizes the inner light within each of us—the spark of divine wisdom, vitality, and consciousness that guides us through life.

For followers of Jesus, this symbolism can resonate deeply. Throughout Scripture, light is often used as a metaphor for God's presence and Christ’s guidance. Jesus says: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

In that spirit, for us Sun Salutations are not an act of worship directed toward the physical sun. Rather, they can become a gesture of gratitude for the gift of life, breath, and the sustaining presence of Christ’s Light with us. Each round becomes an opportunity to bow in humility, rise in faith, and move in partnership with the breath God has given us.

The sequence itself mirrors many of life's spiritual lessons:

We reach upward in openness and receptivity.
We fold forward in surrender and humility.
We step back into challenge and courage.
We lower ourselves in trust.
We rise with renewed strength.
We return again and again to center.

Over the course of 108 repetitions, these movements become more than physical shapes. They become a moving meditation for the spiritual journey itself—a continual cycle of surrender, transformation, renewal, and grace.

As Kimee led us through this ancient practice in varied forms, from seated variations all the way up to the classic full Sun Salutation, each woman honored how she was arriving to the evening— lingering breaths standing in awe, soft moments of rest in child pose, bravery-building moments of trying something new, and rhythmic moments of flowing with the breath were all unfolding. As the sun set, the moon began to shine, the fires framing the pool spread their light as they danced, and we settled in for our final restful moments on our mats.

As the final song played, each woman noticed a movement of the examen they felt drawn towards. While some tears were shed as sorrow and forgiveness were reflected on, other faces donned wild smiles as they rested in gratitude. Kind faces of contemplation were woven throughout the evening, like a tapestry of sunlight that kisses everything around us during the peak of summer.

As goodbyes were shared and the women left in the darkness of night, our own gratitude was radiating. We felt the final line of our welcome prayer was answered:

May we find a sense of belonging as we lean into the practices of our worldwide ancestors, and as we remember our human identity as children of Yours. May we feel connected to each other and the wider faith tradition, may we feel connected to the beauty of the seasons and stars that you created that shift our experience on this planet, and may we lean into always finding You in all things.

Welcome, Summer

The Summer Solstice

Mini Retreat

Honor the Light