Hi there, Summer is officially here — and with it comes that beautiful feeling of freedom, endless possibilities, excitement, and energy. Life is happening outside again and everything feels more spontaneous and open. Summer, that's the warmth of sunshine kissing the skin, jumping into the water to cool down, the smell of the ocean, of flowers, Linden trees, and freshly mowed lawns in the air, the taste of spaghetti ice cream (maybe this is a German thing), and fresh strawberries, salty beach hair, star gazing... And does it get much better than a seemingly endless warm summer night spent with friends, laughing, talking, and dancing? What are your favourite summer memories?
With the June edition, let's dive into the joy and abundance of summer. Let's take time to reflect, ground ourselves, dance, and have fun.
Last Tuesday (21st June) we celebrated the summer solstice — the longest day of the year, astronomically marking the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It's an honouring of light, life, and abundance. Next Friday (1st July) we officially arrive at the 2022 ‘half-time’, and while summer is much about getting out and about, mid-year is also the perfect time to take a little break for reflection. So why not pause with a cold drink, let the sun shine on your face, and check in with yourself:
How was the first half of your year? What were the beautiful moments? What were your challenges? Just remember and observe whatever comes up without judgement.
What lights you up?
What nurtures you and gives you energy?
When do you feel most alive, vibrant, and full of joy?
Moving forward into the second half of the year, what do you want less of, what do you want more of, and what is good exactly as it is?
What are you grateful for today?
What would your perfect summer day look like? Imagine it with all detail and all your senses. And what of that can you invite into your day right now?
The energy of summer is high. Life is buzzing and happening right now, waiting to be soaked up. And while that's beautiful, let's not forget that life is about balance and that we need to ground ourselves every now and then.
As kids, we probably all did it often, but when was the last time you took off your shoes and walked barefoot? Grounding is really that simple and joyful: just start by taking a moment to touch the ground and feel the grass underneath your feet. Tune into your body, tune into your connection to the earth, and feel how held you are.
Luckily Berlin is much greener than one might expect, and there are plenty of lawns I pass every day on my way to work. So I have made it a part of my routine to take my shoes off daily during summer. This earth connection does not only ground me, but the five minutes in the morning help me to start my day centred and the five minutes on my way home are a perfect way to let go of the day and recharge my batteries.
So for this month's mindfulness on the go challenge, I invite you to take off your shoes and really feel the ground beneath your feet as often as you can. Take in the texture – are you connecting to grass, moss, or sand? Tune into the stability this ground offers you, and nourish yourself with fresh earth energy.
And let's not take this for granted. We all need to do our part to protect this earth – that gives us so much, that gives us everything. What can we each change in our life to take a step towards more sustainability? I know changes need to happen on a larger scale — but that shouldn't stop us from contributing in any way we can. If you are interested in donating to environmental charities, I'm sure you already have causes and organisations close to your heart, but just in case you're looking for inspiration here is a round-up with some ideas.
Running barefoot or getting our hands into mud and sand is not the only thing we naturally did as a child. Whatever happened to skipping along the street, cartwheels, rolling in the grass, turning until we're dizzy, climbing trees to reach those cherries, horse riding, dancing, singing out loud, exploring the woods as if they were some magical fairyland, jumping into the water with a grand splash, making up games with friends?
Summer reminds me of childhood, when the excitement was tangible in the air, and everything felt a little more carefree. What were the things you loved as a child in summer? Let's all invite more of that into our daily lives again. Let's play more, let's laugh more, and let's rediscover our sense of wonder. Connect to your childlike energy, have fun and radiate joy.
An ode to the rose… I feel like every month should be the month of the rose – but June is it! Did you know that roses have been around for over 30 million years and that there are thousands of varieties? Roses appear in so many different shapes and colours – each stunning in their own way. And their beauty usually comes alongside thorns, pointing us toward duality. Aren't there some lessons in this, that we can also take for life?
The rose has become a symbol of love, its name is an anagram of Eros, the Greek god of love, after all, and there's more than one story in Greek mythology dedicated to this iconic flower. For some, it might be a bit of a cliché. For me, the rose embodies pure beauty and abundance. I can never not stop to smell a rose and be enchanted by nature's natural perfume. This is not a cliché to me, it's magic…
Throughout centuries roses have not only been known for their beauty but also for their healing and heart-opening qualities. Rose tea was first introduced in China during the Han tradition (141-87 BC), and is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it is used to regulate qi (life energy). Rose tea is high in antioxidants, helps soothe period pain, and it's said to open the heart chakra, as well as cultivate compassion, to name just some benefits.
One of my absolute favourite summer drinks is cold sparkling water with a dash of rose water – it's just so divinely delicious and refreshing. You should give it a try.
Local Berlin tip:
Theatre and music have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and working at the opera (behind the scenes – trust me, no one wants to hear me sing) I feel lucky to be surrounded by this almost every day. I also feel grateful to live in a city that has so much going on culturally and this summer Berlin has a special treat with the Kultursommerfestival (Summer Culture Festival), running until September and bridging the time when most of the theatres, opera houses, and concert halls are closed for the summer break. 90 days, 90 locations, 90 events: Berlin’s Kultursommerfestival offers a diverse programme of cultural events at unusual sites – outdoors, free of charge, and all over the city.
One of the many free events is the Staatskapelle Berlin's summer concert on July 7 with music by Stravinsky, Debussy, and Ravel outdoors in the garden ofSchönhausen Palace. Pack up a picnic, join us, and enjoy the beauty of music on a (hopefully) magical summer night.
If you're not in Berlin maybe your city or village also offers a summer outdoor concert series or open-air theatre performances. It's definitely worth checking it out.
The June playlist is here. Let's imagine we're the main character in a vintage movie set on the French or Italian Riviera. Let's time travel to the summer of ‘69 in Woodstock (no worries the Brian Adams song is not on the playlist). Let's feel like we’re walking beneath the pines of Villa Borghese, sipping a cold drink by the pool, or dancing under the starry sky… I hope you have fun with this summer soundtrack.
This is it for now. Thank you so much for taking the time to read the June edition, I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to welcoming you back for the next inspiration letter on July 31st and I'd love to hear back from you in the meantime if there is anything you'd like to share. Until then stay inspired, enjoy the sun, eat ice cream and most importantly have fun,
yours Victoria xxx
P.S.: I'm grateful if you feel like spreading the word and sharing the inspiration letter with people you think might enjoy it too – thank you so much!
If you don't know me and wonder who I am, you can find a little more about me here or let's connect on instagram, and if you missed the first editions you can of course always re-read them.
