Although the summer solstice has now passed, the questions it left me with have stayed. Sometimes the most important moments aren't the day itself, but the thoughts we carry away afterwards.
For me, the summer solstice has always been quite simple. It marked the longest day of the year. From that point on, almost without noticing, the evenings slowly begin to draw in again.
That was about as much thought as I had ever given it.
Then, last night, I attended a beautiful Kundalini yoga session and sound bath held in a peaceful barn surrounded by nature. During the evening, Ali, our wonderful yoga practitioner, spoke about what the summer solstice means to her, and I found myself listening with genuine curiosity.
She described the summer solstice as a pivotal moment in the calendar. A pause in time. Almost as though the pendulum of the year stands perfectly still for a single moment before beginning its gentle swing in the opposite direction.
I loved that image.
She explained that the summer solstice offers us an opportunity to reflect on the intentions we set for ourselves around the winter solstice on 21st December. Have we stayed true to them? Have we drifted away? Are we living in alignment with the life we hoped to create?
Rather than seeing it simply as the longest day, she invited us to see it as a moment of reflection before setting fresh intentions for the six months ahead.
As I sat quietly listening, I realised how fascinating I found this way of looking at the changing seasons. It made me think about the generations before us who marked these moments long before modern life became so busy. Stone circles across Britain were carefully positioned to honour the sun's journey, and here at Coed Hills, standing stones continue that tradition today.
After the sound bath, we were encouraged to walk slowly through winding paths cut into thigh-high grasses towards the stones and watch the sun disappear below the horizon.
It was one of those rare moments when everything seemed to slow down.
Standing there, I closed my eyes and simply felt grateful. Not only for the beauty of the evening, but for discovering a deeper appreciation of something I had never really understood before.
As I drove home, I found myself asking the question Ali had asked.
What if?
What if I remained curious about the things I don't yet understand?
What if I visited places that challenged my perspective?
What if I spoke to someone whose experiences were different from my own?
What if I continued learning with an open mind?
Perhaps that's what this halfway point in the year means to me now. Not making grand resolutions, but giving myself permission to pause, reflect, and remain open to wherever life may lead next.
One Small Step
Before the week is over, find ten quiet minutes just for yourself.
Perhaps sit in your garden, take a slow walk, or simply enjoy a cup of tea without distraction. Reflect on the first half of your year and ask yourself one simple question:
What if...?
What if you tried something new?
What if you revisited an old dream?
What if you gave yourself permission to slow down, learn, grow or simply begin again?
Write down just one intention for the months ahead. Remember, lasting change rarely comes from giant leaps. It grows from the small, consistent steps we choose to take each day.
Thank you for taking a few moments to read this week's Tenacious blog. If you would like to learn more about Ali and maybe join her for a beautiful yoga session, you can find her here.
At Tenacious, I believe well-being is about more than simply feeling better. It's about rediscovering who we are through life's changing seasons—through mindfulness, nourishing food, gentle movement, restorative sleep, creativity, self-discovery and moments of quiet reflection, just like this one.
If today's blog has inspired you to pause and reflect, I'd love to welcome you to our growing community.
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One small step at a time. Stay Tenacious.
Paula