The longest day of the year always seems to arrive like a whispered invitation: Come back to the light.
It’s June 20th, just a breath before the Summer Solstice. Here in West Michigan, the trees have fully leafed out, the water shimmers with possibility, and the lilacs—my first love—have given way to wildflowers and tall grasses swaying like prayer flags. There's a particular kind of magic in the air, one that invites us to pause. To feel. To remember.
The Solstice is a moment where the sun stands still, suspended high in the sky before turning slowly toward the darkness once again. And maybe that’s what this season calls from us—not more doing, not more striving, but simply being still in the light we’ve come through to stand in.
But what if it’s hard to feel the light right now?
When the Body Forgets How to Breathe
A number of people have walked through my doors recently and quietly confessed a truth that lives in their chest: “I can’t catch my breath.”
They’re not always talking about asthma. Often, they’re describing anxiety. Not just mental worry—but a full-body unease. Tension in the shoulders. Tightness in the belly. A sense that something is off, even when the labs say “normal.”
And yet, we know—the body tells the story, even when the words don't come easily.
This is where we turn to the vagus nerve. The great wanderer. A tender filament connecting brain, gut, heart, and lungs. When it hums, we feel safe, steady, grounded. When it falters, we tip into fight, flight, or freeze. Our digestion slows, our sleep shatters, our chest tightens.
But here’s the good news: the body can remember. It wants to remember. We just have to give it the right kind of light.
Nature Bathing and Nervous System Repair
One of the most elegant ways to support vagal tone is the simplest: go outside.
Not to hike, track steps, or check a box. But to be in nature like it’s a sacred appointment.
There’s science here, sure—nature bathing (what the Japanese call Shinrin-yoku) has been shown to lower cortisol, decrease blood pressure, and calm the amygdala. But deeper than that, there’s soul knowing. A felt sense that when our bare feet touch the earth, something inside us exhales.
During the solstice week, I encourage patients to spend at least 20 minutes in green space each day. No phone. No agenda. Just them, the trees, and a slow breath.
Often, this is where their healing begins—not in the clinic, but in the wild.
Ceremony as Medicine
In my own healing journey—and in the stories of so many patients I’m privileged to walk with—I’ve seen how ceremony can transform what feels chaotic into something meaningful.
Ceremony doesn’t have to be ornate or otherworldly. It can be as simple as lighting a candle with intention. Journaling at sunrise. Drinking tea on your porch while whispering gratitude for the day.
For the Summer Solstice, I invite my community into a few gentle rituals:
- A Fire Ceremony – Write down one belief, pattern, or fear you’re ready to release. Safely burn it and offer the ash to the earth.
- A Gratitude Mandala – Collect items from nature—stones, petals, feathers—and create a mandala in your yard or favorite park. Let it be a reflection of what you want to grow.
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A Breath Ritual at Dusk – As the sun sets, place a hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Inhale for 4. Hold for 4. Exhale for 6. Do this three times. Let the breath carry you home to yourself.
This isn’t performance. It’s presence. It’s what I call body-prayer. An embodied invitation for your nervous system to downshift into rest, repair, and rootedness.
MycoVim and the Solstice in a Bottle
There’s a reason our functional mushroom blend, MycoVim, feels so aligned with the Solstice. It too is about resilience, radiance, and restoration.
These aren’t just trendy powders. Each capsule contains a constellation of fungi that have long been revered as Earth’s healers—Reishi for calm, Lion’s Mane for clarity, Cordyceps for energy that doesn’t burn you out.
It’s plant medicine for the 21st-century soul.
When I formulated MycoVim, I didn’t just think about symptom relief. I thought about vitality. About how the body can hold more light when it’s nourished from the inside out.
So if you’ve been feeling anxious, foggy, or just off-rhythm—consider this an invitation. Start your mornings this Solstice season with MycoVim, water, and stillness. See what shifts.
(You can shop the blend here or stop by the office if you're local.)
In the Practice: Hybrid Healing, Personal Touch
If you’re near Holland, Michigan—you’re always welcome to join me in person. Our downtown office is a cozy, light-filled space where modern science meets soul medicine.
And if you’re farther out? I meet patients virtually across the state.
Whether in person or online, my care isn’t rushed. It’s not protocol-driven. It’s a relationship.
I listen to the story behind the symptoms.
I honor the wisdom of your body.
I co-create plans that are as individual as your fingerprint.
This is medicine that sees you.
What the Solstice Is Really About
The Solstice isn’t just about light. It’s about what you do with that light.
Maybe this year, it’s not about becoming someone new. Maybe it’s about remembering who you already are.
A soul with stories. A body with wisdom. A nervous system that wants to settle. A heart that longs to be heard.
That’s what this practice is here for. Whether you’re ready to join as a member, try a new supplement, or just begin with one slow walk in the woods—we’re here.
So here’s to the light.
To breath.
To coming home to yourself, again and again.
With care and reverence,
Mary Louder, DO