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Perfect Moment Monday: Solstice*

Solstices and equinoxes make me mindful of the cycles of nature, the rhythms of the earth and the heavens. It is all so outrageously big, so brilliantly designed, so cosmically perfect, and *I* am a part of it!

summer solstice

From Latin: sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

The sun stands still. Today there is a brief period of suspension, like the planetary version of the top of the breath after a 6-month long inhale. And tomorrow the sun reverses into a 6-month long exhale.

Each summer and winter solstice, I think back to a class I took while I lived in Japan. I filled my weekends that year dabbling in shiatsu, cooking, Japanese language and macrobiotics.

I’ve remembered the most about the macrobiotics class. As the sensei introduced us to the way of life, he explained a few fundamentals. The one that goes with solstice, in my mind, was this:

When something reaches its zenith, it begins to become its opposite.

This, to me, is profound. We reach the peak of summer, and we then head toward winter. Once the darkest part of the night passes, day advances.

There is a constant ebb and flow. Happiness and sadness. Abundance and scarcity. Even life and death.

When something reaches its zenith, it begins to become its opposite.

Summer Solstice Mandala via Bart Everson on Flickr, copyright Creative Commons 2.0

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Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between.

We gather here once a week to engage in mindfulness about something that is right with our world. Everyone is welcome to join. Details on how to participate are at the bottom of this post, complete with bloggy bling.

Please visit the links of the participants at the bottom.

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13 Responses

  1. My dad even brought up that “today is the longest day of the year” which made my husband groan “You had to go there didn’t you?”. My dad, oblivious figured it out when I said “Now, what sentiment follows?”. Days now get *sniffle* shorter. Sigh.

  2. I love this. I love the idea of the earth breathing in and out throughout the year. Beautiful.

  3. I remember this thought blew my mind the first time I read it here. It’s such a great way to think about the ebb and flow of everything. To not get too comfortable in any one place.

  4. I loved your mini-lesson on the Solstice.

    It reminded me of my yoga instructor who talks about the cycle of the breath. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…and how it is so connected that there is no beginning and no end…just a continuous cycle…so it is with Mother Earth.

  5. Wow, that is quite profound!

    I am reaching my zenith of laziness right now, chowing M&Ms and watching HGTV… hopefully that means I’m moving towards cleaning the house. 🙂

  6. I have never heard that “when something reaches it’s zenith it becomes it’s opposite”. I will be pondering that one today. Thanks Lori, I always enjoy reading about your past experiences like living in Japan. You’ve led such an interesting life!

  7. I have been thinking about that line for the last couple of days. Today it occurred to me that I was a Winter Solstice baby (December 19 . . .3 days before the actual solstice that year) and LB is Summer. I hope we won’t be opposites!

  8. And you can vote for Perfect Moment Project in the Most Inspiring category.
    If we inspire you…. =)

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