The Energy of June is light and bright and full of promise. Daylight hours reach completion, personal energy and enthusiasm run high, and a celebratory sense is almost palpable. To those of us who never quite abandon the academic calendar, we intuitively respond to the notion that graduations/end of school year and summer vacations greet us fresh every morning. And, speaking of mornings, we might be fortunate enough to wake up to birdsong, catch the morning dew on the grass, and note little shoots and buds appearing in our gardens, and wonder at those that have come to rich, full bloom!
Mind you, I am writing from Vermont where we are a bit slower to arrive at the threshold of summer, but perhaps our delicate spring season makes the wait more worthwhile. Though many here flourish in snow, others relish the gorgeous days at the other side of the year’s life cycle.
Professionally I may be a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor, but I truly live my work. Concepts of strength, endurance, stability, mobility and balance infuse my daily hours and make my life one of abundance. I enjoy robust health and, as I was recently told, Qi! Perhaps it is a gift of experience, but I am also learning to trust my judgment a little more and to honor quieter moments integrating life’s action. Meditation, generously defined, seeps into many minutes as a reminder to focus on breath managing previously stressful pinches. Above all, my personal hunger to learn and experience life’s richness, enables me to share and even teach. In fact, I am mandated to do so.
That being said, I circle back to the academic concept of a year and to the many meanings of teacher/student. I encourage each of us to pause to consider that we, in our own individual ways, are always students. As research demonstrates, the best way to learn is to turn around and teach what we are learning to another. Therefore I suggest that we are all teachers and that teachers are always students. (talk about circling!)
June is a gorgeous month in which to ponder this. So much happens, so much promises, so much celebrates and all with such clarity. Borrowing from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and the Five Element theory, June is that perfect juxtaposition of Wood and Fire. Transitioning from the Wood Element’s spring season – one in which birth, growth and creativity thrive – into the Fire Element’s summer season – one in which the flames of Yang energy roar – this hiatus is one of clarity before the possible mugginess of summer’s heat settles.
June. With pearls as birthstones and roses as the June flower, what’s not to love? Long ago someone somewhere (probably ancient Italy?) suggested that June signify Juno, an important and powerful deity (counterpart to Greek Hera), and queen of a bunch of gods, goddess, etc. Not surprisingly, Latin could be the root with lunius associated with this month. And as so often happens with etymology, lunius segues to Juno.
June is considered gender neutral and borrows youth and playfulness from the French ‘jeune.’ Though I have only known females named June, I learned that there are men named June as well. (I wonder if the guys are as sunny as the gals I know.) If you are looking for a name for your pet, June is highly recommended! All joking aside, some of the characteristics of the recommendation for doing so point to the energy and quality of this month. For example, one site suggests: “June is a name that exudes warmth and energy. It brings to mind the summer months, which are often associated with fun and adventure.” Playfulness, a strong sense of loyalty, a mysterious side – all pieces of the puzzle that make up June.
Venturing into the animal kingdom, (are bugs animals?), there’s the junebug. You’ve probably heard this: “all over it like a duck on a junebug,” which refers to doing something with great eagerness. In my area, babies are showing up everywhere. So far we’ve only encountered six adult bears, but one was a mamma with triplets. Uncomfortable but exciting. And, after a brief territorial dispute of five geese, two won out the rights to the pond I see from my large windows and ultimately five little ones joined the community. June is a month of proliferation.
May you celebrate June 21, 2024, the day of the Summer Solstice. Though we may not gather at Stonehenge the evening before to watch the sunrise on the longest day of the year, we might at least pause to acknowledge this gift and open it with anticipation. Indeed, June is a time to live life, not just check the boxes and get the jobs done. I leave you with this:
“Help me to be less fearful of the measure of time, and more fully alive in the time that simply is. Help me to live time, not just to simply use it; to breathe it in, and return it in acts of love and presence.” (Avis Crowe)