In New Mexico, where Summer Solstice is held in June, I became enamored with it all. The rituals of sadhana, seva and Gurdwara united me in the flow of fellowship and love of prayer.  I had found my family.

The 2023 Solstice Festival on June 15 – 21 will include two days of deep meditation with Journey 1 of the 21 Stages of Meditation. Journey 1, “The Crystallized Self,” involves feeling our way through the meditative journey and what “stops” us from meditation: frustration, being upset, boredom, etc.

The Radiant Body is our source of divine beauty, which goes well beyond physical appearance. It can be sensed as a strong, bright, powerfully confident presence. Our Radiant Body is our protection; but it is also our projection of royal courage, grace, and a willingness to be of service to others.

The Subtle Body is your greatest friend and ally, as it can immediately decipher the surroundings and let you know the most protected path of action. A strong Subtle Body gives you the ability to walk into a room and intuitively know what’s going on around you.

The Pranic Body is what controls the breath and takes in Prana, the vital force that energizes the mind, body, and consciousness. When you breathe, you are feeding your Pranic Body.

The Seventh Body is the Aura, the electromagnetic field that surrounds us up to nine feet in every direction. When your Aura is weak, you seem vulnerable to everything that passes by or through you. When your Aura is strong, negative influences are automatically filtered out.

The sixth body, the Arcline, extends across the hairline and brow from ear to ear. It’s known as your halo. A strong Arcline gives you a good ability to focus, concentrate, and meditate. You are protected by your intuition and have an appreciation of family, beauty, a keen sense of justice and fair play,

The Physical Body could be said to be the sacred, living, human form that houses the soul, through which enlightenment and service to humanity are manifested. The key to perfecting this body is balance—balance in body and mind, balance in diet and exercise, balance in play, work, and rest.

The Neutral Mind is the 4th of the ten bodies. Also known as the Meditative Mind or the Intuitive Mind, the Neutral Mind evaluates the input of your Negative and Positive Minds. The Neutral Mind opens the gate to that deep remembrance of the self and soul.

The third body is the Positive Mind, also known as the expansive and projective mind. It is hopeful, optimistic, creative, and playful. It seeks the bright side of things and is open to new opportunities.