Solistices

Author: Krishna Darshan - Alan Wiuker
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Upcoming Solstice on June 20-21, 2024

This June 20th, at 20:50 universal time (Greenwich) (changes according to your location) the solstice will happen, which marks the longest day/shortest night in the northern hemisphere and opposite to that in the southern Hemisphere.

This is also the beginning of the Dakshina-Ayana, the 6 months when the sun is moving towards the south. Then on December 21^st, the sun reaches its maximum southern position and the northern movement begins (Uttara-ayana)

 Everything in this universe breaths in and out, from the microscopic level to the galaxies and beyond, everything goes through ascending and descending cycles, upwards-downwards, right-left, in and out, etcetera, and there are also moments of a pause.

In the movement of the earth around the sun, there is also a period of 6 months when there is an ascension of the Sun’s light, followed by its descension for other 6 months. This is like breathing in and out. After we have inhaled completely, there is naturally a brief pause before the exalation begins, and the same after we have completed the exhalation, there is a moment of pause before we inhale again. Extending those moments is the key practice in hatha yoga (kumbaka)

In the solar cycle, those pauses are the solstices. There is an exact moment or peak of it, but actually, even from the day before to the day after the pause can be felt.

All ancient spiritual cultures have given an importance to those solstices. Many ancient temples are perfectly aligned to the position of the Sun on the day of the exact solstice.

This is because whatever happens in the external universe or “macro-cosmos” , is affecting our internal universe or “micro-cosmos” . The flow of our breath ans Prana and its influence on the mind, which are controlled by the internal sun and moon (Ha-Tha) is affected and becomes easier to bring back to balance during those days. Pranayama or union of sun and moon, which is called “hatha yoga” becomes easier and more natural, because the universe is pushing those internal energies accordingly.

Therefore, those days around the solstices are excellent times to go into a retreat or a more introspective time and deepen in your sadhana, not only of hatha yoga but of any other type of yogic sadhana, like Japa, Puja, homa, mantra chanting, and others.

On the other hand, it is not a good moment to begin or to focus on worldly matters, because the energy is naturally more internalized and the external creativity is more blocked, making the worldly ventures started on that time quite unsuccessful or barren.

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