Summer Solstice
Yearly, the sun travels overhead to its northernmost point and southernmost point on our planet, due to the tilt of earth’s axis. In the northern hemisphere we experience this northernmost point as the summer solstice (June 20) and the southernmost point as the winter solstice (December 21). In the southern hemisphere, it is just the opposite; while we are enjoying the longest day of the year on June 20 and the official beginning of summer, residents in Australia are entering the official beginning of winter.
The passing of the seasons definitely has an effect on not just the plants and animals, but on all of nature on Earth. You and I are vey subject to the influences:
Spring is a time of planting, new growth, coming forth
Summer is a time of ripening and abundance
Fall is a time of harvest and letting go
Winter is a time of withdrawing, conserving and going within
It is easy to look upon nature as something that affects the animals’ time of year when they hibernate, mate, fly south, etc., as apart from you and I. Similarly, we can think the same of plant life, especially in climates where the four seasons are more definitely pronounced.
As this is an educational article from my point of view, you and I are not only NOT separate from nature, but we ARE also as much a part of nature as any animal, plant, etc. And as such are similarly subject to the “energies” that are prominent in the season. This is the true integral (mind-body-spirit) view of how interconnected we are to all of that which is created (physical dimension) and that which is beyond creation (non-physical dimension, or non-locality).
Think about how every atom/molecule that make up the cells in your body at some point came from Mother Earth and that Earth has her own vibration in concert with the movement of the seasons. Ancient cultures who were very advanced in consciousness knew that Mother Earth has a heartbeat and in their ceremonies and meditations would create rituals that would attune to the Earth and her seasons to live in natural harmonic resonance.
I cannot find the exact quote, but Masaru Emoto, in his book The Hidden Messages in Water said something like: “We are in perfect health when we are in harmonic resonance with Mother Earth.” As we seed to attune ourselves daily to these individual frequencies, we are nesting ourselves in the natural harmonic rhythms (heartbeat) of our universe. Being in the flow, so to speak.
There are electromagnetic recordings of Mother Earth’s heartbeat that sound like this, a natural frequency of 7.83Hz called the Schumann Resonance constant of Earth.
Another recording called Grandmother’s Drum, is of the electromagnetic frequency of Mother Earth. It is said that indigenous cultures would intuitively tune in to this frequency when drumming in ceremony and ritual for the same reason of attunement to Earth’s natural harmonics.
Ancient cultures everywhere honored each season and sought to align themselves to the frequencies inherent in these cycles of life. The Integral Health we seek must include an alignment of not just our physical health, but mental, emotional and spiritual health as well.
As you may gather, there are many ways to attune yourself through sound, ceremony, meditation, movement and more.
Here is a simple exercise called “The Mayan Breathing Technique” to help you attune to Mother Earth and the seasons:
This is a wonderful exercise for uniting “Heaven and Earth”. That is, the point of the exercise is to MERGE the spiritual nature to the material, and the material to the spiritual, where you are the ‘soul’ in the middle, holding both realities.
Imagine you are a tree: the trunk is your soul, the branches are the Heart of the Sky (spirit), and the roots are the Heart of the Earth (material).
The breath, body movement, and focus of intent are all used in this exercise.
Here is a VIDEO to show you how.
Stand and begin by reaching your arms up and out towards the sky.
Breathe in and say: “Receive from the Heart of the Sky,” and while breathing in bring in your outstretched arms down and in and bring the energy down, through you, like the trunk of the tree, moving to a bent over position.
The bent over position is breathing out and “Give to the Heart of the Earth” as you are bending down your arms spread out as to give the energy of the Sky to the Earth.
The key here is that this is happening THROUGH YOU.
From the bent over position with arms spread out and down, now breathe in and “Receive from the Heart of the Earth”. As you are breathing in and straightening up, your arms and hands are receiving, pulling in and up through you as the trunk of the tree (like the illustration above).
Reaching up with hands beginning to extend up and out, you are now exhaling saying “Give to the Heart of the Sky”
This is one cycle of the breath. I recommend at least 7 cycles of this breathing technique.
The Mayan breathing technique centers and balances you, merging the cosmic energies of spirit, blending them through you and the Energies of Mother Earth. You are the SOUL, who holds both the spirit and the material, Heaven and Earth, within your being at all times.
Blessings,
Dr. Richard Jelusich, Ph.D.
