A Blissful Life 7/22/25: Midway Through Summer: A Soulful Check-In

Here we are, already nearing the halfway point of summer. In Rockaway, summer is our heartbeat. We wait for it, we live for it. From the first warm breeze to the final firework in the August sky, this season brings our beach town to life. There’s music drifting from porches and parks, laughter echoing down the boardwalk, food vendors serving up local flavor, and people everywhere– biking, jogging, swimming, stretching in the sand. It’s magic. But amid all the aliveness and movement, I invite you to pause with me for a moment. Let’s check in with ourselves.

Think back to you, pre-summer. Who were you back in the chilly months of March or April? What intentions did you hold for yourself when you imagined this season? Maybe you longed to rest, or to say yes to more fun. Maybe you made goals for your body, your relationships, or your creativity. Whatever they were, take a deep breath and ask yourself: Am I living in alignment with what I truly wanted this summer to feel like?

Summer carries a unique energy– one that’s lighter, more expansive, and deeply yang in nature. Traditional Chinese Medicine sees summer as the season of fire and the heart. It’s associated with joy, passion, movement, and outward expression. In Ayurveda, summer is ruled by the pitta dosha, governed by heat, intensity, and transformation. Emotionally, we may feel more open, more social, and more inspired. But if we’re not tending to that energy with mindfulness, it can also burn us out.

If you’ve been pushing hard all year, summer might be whispering to you to slow down. To play. To nap under the sun and laugh without needing a reason. If you’ve felt stuck in your body, summer is the perfect time to sweat and move and feel yourself come alive. That “aliveness” doesn’t have to look like training for a triathlon– it can be dancing in your kitchen, swimming in the ocean, flowing in a yoga class, or walking barefoot in the grass. Movement in this season is a celebration, not a punishment.

In the mind, this season can bring clarity. Sunlight has been shown to increase serotonin levels, lifting mood and enhancing focus. There’s a reason we feel happier in the summer– our brain chemistry is literally working in our favor. So use this moment of mid-season reflection to notice: Where is my mind? Am I present for the beauty around me? Or am I already racing ahead to September?

Spiritually, summer reminds us that we are meant to shine. The long days and golden light invite us to show up more fully as ourselves. But that doesn’t mean we have to be constantly “on.” Sometimes showing up means saying no, resting deeply, or tending quietly to your inner world. Summer is about fullness, but that includes full joy, full rest, full embodiment, and full truth.

If your intentions have drifted, that’s okay. Now is a beautiful moment to begin again. Take a few minutes today to journal or sit in stillness and ask yourself: What do I really want the rest of this summer to feel like? What would it look like to live that way, starting now?

You are not behind. You are always right on time. And there is still so much summer left to savor.

Let’s choose to be present for it. Let’s say yes to the sun, the music, the laughter, and the softness. Let’s live this season with intention, rooted in joy, and guided by light.

See you at yoga, or on the beach! To sign up for classes at Ocean Bliss, go to oceanblissyoga.net. If you haven’t been to our studio yet, it’s about time you come check it out! For questions, call me at 917-318-1168.