Today, people all around the world celebrate the summer solstice – the longest and lightest day of the year. Lola Tillyaeva, the author of ‘Be Your Own Harmonist’, a self-care guide to holistic wellness, brings a unique understanding of the meaning of the summer solstice for humanity and provides useful advice on how to celebrate and harness the positive effects of the solstice for our health and wellbeing. 

Across the northern hemisphere, celebrations will echo the rituals of our distant ancestors as they marked the day on which the sun floods the earth with light for the longest time. 

In Europe, the Celtic, Viking, Germanic and Slavic traditions will see the solstice celebrated with festive bonfires, feasting and flower garlands. And from Stonehenge to the Great Pyramids of Egypt, people will gather this week at ancient structures designed thousands of years ago to align with the rays of the solstice sunrise.

This is a liminal time in two senses: the threshold between the lengthening and the shortening of the days and also the moment when the veil between the material world and the greater energy of the universe becomes most transparent.

The magic of this liminal moment is a common theme in summer solstice folklore across the world. As Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at the University of Bristol, has said, solstice was seen as ‘a time when the normal laws of nature or divinity could be suspended, when spirits and fairies could contact humans, when humans could exceed the usual limitations of their world.’

Lola Till’s Be Your Own Harmonist: Deep Dive into Holistic Wellness

Lola advocates passionately that understanding that we are each a part of the energy of the universe, beyond the confines of the material world, is the path to a more peaceful, joyful self. And for humanity, embracing this connectedness and the merging of science and spirituality that it represents, is, she believes, the secret of empowered evolution. 

Her self-care guide ‘Be Your Own Harmonist’ draws on the ancient concept of the three main energy centres in ourselves – mind, body and spirit. In an accessible deep dive into holistic wellness, Lola answers the core question of what is wellbeing and explores how we can attune and balance our energy centres to maintain mental, physical and emotional wellness and develop a centred awareness of our connection to the universal energy. 

‘There is nothing mystical or esoteric about this energy at the core of everything in the Universe, and at the core of our bodies.  It governs everything from our physical health to our thoughts, emotions and spiritual experiences.’ – Lola Till

But as humanity has moved away from a harmonious relationship with Nature, we have lost our sense of this universal energy. Now, for most of us, it takes work to tune into and balance our three energy centers, so that we can achieve a continual sense of connection to the universal energy and receive the health and wellbeing benefits this brings. ‘Be Your Own Harmonist’ is an accessible wellbeing guide to the practical methods that have worked for Lola Till, ranging from diet and spending time in Nature to practicing meditation, yoga and self-compassion – all reinforced by a compelling blend of scientific research and spirituality.

Lola has always been fascinated, too, by the role of fragrance in enhancing our energy and wellbeing. Her bespoke perfume line ‘The Harmonist’ is a range of fragrances designed to reflect the ancient principles of ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ and the five elements, cultivating a sense of peace, harmony and wellbeing in the wearer. The ‘Sun Force’ fragrance combines ingredients redolent of the Yang energy of the sun, celebrating the power and life-giving vitality of this celestial body.

Living wellness during the summer solstice according to Lola Tillyaeva 

For Lola, the summer solstice is an ideal moment to pause and reflect on our wellbeing and how we might enhance these practices in the year ahead. ‘The Summer Solstice is an energetically charged day and an important one to set intentions, representing the transition from action to nourishment’, she says. ‘These days, take a step back and spend some time in nature – showing gratitude and love for what we have done, for what earth has provided to us, in the pure enjoyment and fun. Take the opportunity to connect to the energy of the Sun and the Earth and allow yourself to receive nourishment and growth.’  

Above all, says Lola, the summer solstice is the time to get out and celebrate the bounty of Nature, just as our ancestors through the ages have done: ‘The trees and flowers are in full bloom – the sky is bright and high. All that is left to do is to enjoy it!’

Lola Tillyaeva is a wellbeing activist and has distilled the knowledge garnered of her life-long quest for self-knowledge in her book ‘Be Your Own Harmonist’. She is also the creator of award-winning fragrance line ‘The Harmonist’, which is inspired by the philosophy of Feng Shui; co-founder of ‘You Are Not Alone’, a charity providing medical care and educational opportunities to underprivileged children in Uzbekistan, and founder of the Maison de l’Ouzbékistan gallery in Paris.

You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.