Balm: A Summer Solstice Photovoice Practice

21 days of practice invitations by text, 3 live practice sessions, & 1 live Breathwork session.

June 7 - 28, 2026

A three-week practice to meet and move through the threshold of the Summer Solstice. The Solstice can be a time of peak intensity and photovoice invites us to notice, to feel, to reflect. Somatic centering offers us the opportunity to meet that intensity with compassion and choice. A mix of asynchronous and online connection, this practice is open to a small group of people who want to move into a new season with intention.

Register
Register

One way that we can unlearn the harmful patterns of capitalism is to align ourselves with the cycles we see in nature. There are cycles everywhere that we can follow to guide our work, guide our lives. For example, the rising and setting sun (daily), the phases of the moon (monthly), the turning of the seasons (quarterly). There are guideposts everywhere if we are willing to look for them.

The summer solstice is a moment of intensity. The longest day, the most light. How can we soothe ourselves under the hot summer sun? We support our own vitality when we look to the energy and abundance we find all around us, when we slow down long enough to look.

Intentional practices offer support in the midst of the complex crisis we’re experiencing in the world around us. Politicized somatics teaches us that we are always practicing something and without intention that can often end up being things that aren’t aligned with our values. 

This is not a workshop for setting big audacious goals, this is a call for daily practice, for staying true to yourself and aligned with what you care about most (whatever that is, you get to decide). It’s a practice of care-forward relationship: to yourself, others, and nature. 

Core Practices

Photovoice is a practice of giving our thoughts and feelings a voice through a visual medium. Photovoice invites us into noticing the world around us. Photovoice allows us to go a layer deeper, an embodied noticing of our inner world. Photovoice reconnects us to our environment and the natural cycles of our days. 

Technically, photovoice is a qualitative research method used in community-based participatory research. I was fortunate to be able to employ this creative, inclusive methodology during my career as an evaluator. I loved how it engaged people and allowed us to find layers of knowing that language didn’t always uncover. So I've reimagined photovoice for self-reflection, a methodology for reflecting on our own lives.

Photovoice

Centering is a practice from politicized somatics. We center to get open, present, and connected to ourselves, to each other, to what we care about. Centering helps us to notice what’s happening inside of us and outside of us. We center to remember who we are and what we want for our lives. We center for more choice, so under all the pressures of the world you have a place to come back to. We center so we can take action from an aligned, principled place.

Centering

Join Us
Join Us

What qualities/principles do you want to embody in the season ahead?

How can we soothe ourselves under the intensity of the summer sun?

What makes you feel alive - where is your connection to your vitality?

    • A camera, I use my phone, you don’t have to, but it’s the easiest way to interact with this practice. 

    • Access to text messaging. We will keep it simple, daily prompts will arrive via text and it will be our primary way to stay connected between our circles. 

    • Willingness to explore outdoors, notice changes in nature. This can be in your own yard or neighborhood, or through a window.

    • Willingness to slow down and pay attention to subtle shifts in yourself & nature.

    • 21 days of guided practice - a daily prompt to inspire your (self) exploration

    • A PDF guide to ground & deepen your practice

    • Connection with a small, intimate group of fellow seekers

    • A weekly live practice session and recordings to support your daily practice

    • A live breathwork practice to meet and work with the intensity of summer

    • A co-created Zine to remember our time together

    • Added bonus: Photography tips! It’s a passion and hobby of mine, I’ve studied and worked professionally as a photographer. I’ll only offer when asked

    • Your participation can be entirely text-based if you choose or can’t make the live sessions.

    • Text thread opens Sunday, June 7th (daily prompts)

    • Live Practice, 30 mins on Zoom, Wednesdays at 9:00am CT (recording provided)

    • Tuesday, June 16, 7:30pm CT, Breathwork for Being (recording provided)

    • Text thread closes on Sunday, June 28th

    • Pay what you can: $150 (Sustaining Rate) / $75 (Supported Rate) / $225 (Supporting Rate)

    • Payment Plans available

    • If you would like to be a part of this group but funds are a barrier, please reach out and we will figure it out!

Zines from the Summer 2025 Photovoice Sessions*

* shared with consent