MIND-BODY-SPIRIT
Turning Point: When the Sun Stands Still
the seeds for a health- ier fall and winter, when we move inward with the resources we’ve gathered in the growing season. Growing season begins with a long day where the sun seems to stand still above us. Time is suspended, and anything is pos- sible. This is the per- fect moment to listen to your body, always awake to the turning point of the earth. What do you need, physically, to build your storehouse of strength, stamina, and resilience? The summer sol- stice is a much better time for those chal- lenging resolutions we claim in January. The
BY CAROL BURBANK Yesterday, I filled my porch with flats of annuals and perennials, welcoming the spring into my yard. With luck and some water, in a few months these narrow plants will sprawl and bloom in the hot sum- mer days. A few months more, and they’ll seed themselves, fading for a time before they spark next spring. It’s always a surprise to me, a hopeful rediscovery. When my roses raise red-tipped buds, or the pas- sion flowers in my window garden unfold their complicated, indulgent purple heads, I’m reminded it’s time for me to blossom, too. It’s always worth acknowledging the seasons that remind us where we stand in the passing year. These turning points are more gentle than the human-centered rites of passage (graduations, weddings, and funerals, to name a few). The equinoxes and solstices of the year are just as important, though, because they are nature’s reminders of the constancy and promise of change. On June 21, the earth tilts fully towards the sun, and the noon light appears to stand still for a few days. It is the longest day of the year, a breath before the days shorten towards fall. The summer solstice is a day where we celebrate the height of the sun, the fire that fuels all of the creatures on earth. However you celebrate, this sacred pause, brief but palpable, can bring you into a new phase of your life. You might take the moment for a physical tune-up, an energetic reboot, a moment of personal assess- ment, or a commitment to creative revival. It is a space to ask yourself, “What fuels me as I rise and fall in the rhythms of the seasons?” Is it Time for a Physical Tune-Up? Your Body Moves Natu- rally Through the Seasons Indigenous people celebrate the summer solstice with attention to the cycles of planting and regeneration, preparing for the fall harvest. Our bodies move through that subtle shift as well, so it’s time to plant
world invites us to eat fresh, local food, to step into the bright, warm day and move/dance/run/explore. And the sun itself, a healing force, continued on page 46
A Message of Hope The Emergence of Maitreya , the World Teacher. As the one awaited under various names by all major religious traditions, and as a Teacher for all humanity, Maitreya is here now—with his group of wise and incorruptible Teachers, the Masters of Wisdom— to guide us safely into the future. At this time of political, economic, social, and environmental crises, Maitreya and the Masters of Wisdom will inspire humanity to see itself as one family and create a civilization based on sharing, economic and social justice, peace, and global cooperation. The introduction to the World Teacher provides a brief background on his emergence and message of hope for the future.
The GardenDC podcast is all about gardening in the greater Washington, DC, and Mid- Atlantic area. The program is hosted by Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, and fea- tures guest experts in local and national horticulture. The latest episodes include interviews with experts on boxwood, bay-wise landscapes, persimmon trees, and viburnum. You can listen online at https://washingtongardener. blogspot.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts — Spotify, Apple, etc.
The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City By Kathy Jentz and Teresa Speight Published by Cool Springs Press/Quarto Homes Available Now Order it today at: https://amzn.to/3yiLPKU
To learn more, please visit the website: www.share-international.us
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/
PATHWAYS—Summer 23—45
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