The Sum mer Solstice\, arriving this year on June 20\, mar ks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hem isphere. For thousands of years\, people around th e world have celebrated this turning point in the annual cycle of light and darkness. Whether throug h festivals\, bonfires\, gatherings\, or quiet ref lection\, the solstice has long invited us to paus e and appreciate the abundance of summer\, the bea uty of the natural world\, and our place within it .
\n \nYet the solstice also carries a gent le reminder: even as we celebrate the year's great est light\, the days that follow will gradually gr ow shorter. Nature teaches us that change is const ant and that every season contains the seeds of th e next. The Summer Solstice invites us to hold bot h gratitude and awareness—to savor the warmth\, jo y\, and possibility of the present moment while re cognizing the ever-turning cycles of life. In that spirit\, may we take time this season to reconnec t with nature\, deepen our relationships\, and app reciate the light we bring to one another's lives.
\n \nZoom access at https://tinyurl.com/NA UAService.
\n \nOur Minister: Ken M arino serves as a chaplain for UC Davis H ome Health. He is a certified Reiki master\, yoga teacher\, author\, and musician. His work integrat es contemplative practice\, interfaith engagement\ , and trauma-informed mindfulness. He studied phil osophy at Stony Brook University\, focusing on her meneutics\, Indian thought under Antonio De Nicola s\, and modern continental philosophy with Jacques Derrida and Edward Casey. Ken’s spiritual journey began in the yoga and meditation communities of t he Northeast including the Sri Chinmoy Center\, Kr ipalu Ashram\, Zen Mountain Monastery\, and Yoga A nand Ashram. Ken volunteered at Omega Institute fo r Holistic Studies where he was introduced to mind fulness and yoga teachers Joan Halifax\, Ram Dass\ , Swami Satchitananda\, Stephen Levine\, Joseph Go ldstein\, Deepak Chopra\, and Jack Kornfield. He l ater pursued yoga therapy at the Kripalu Center\, and deepened his yoga studies at the New York Jiva mukti Center\, and at Yoga Shanti with Rodney Yee. Deeply interested in the application of yoga and mindfulness to trauma as well as inter-religious d ialogue and religion as a lived spiritual practice \, Ken has taught at CSU Hayward and the City Univ ersity of New York\, and has led yoga programs thr ough AARP and throughout the New York area. Ken at tended seminary at Drew University and is completi ng the Tara Brach/Jack Kornfield mindfulness certi fication\, integrating his academic studies with a holistic\, embodied approach to mindfulness.
< /body> DESCRIPTION:The Summer Solstice\, arriving this year on June 2 0\, marks the longest day of the year in the North ern Hemisphere. For thousands of years\, people ar ound the world have celebrated this turning point in the annual cycle of light and darkness. Whether through festivals\, bonfires\, gatherings\, or qu iet reflection\, the solstice has long invited us to pause and appreciate the abundance of summer\, the beauty of the natural world\, and our place wi thin it.\n \n \n \n Yet the solstice also carries a gentle reminder: even as we celebrate the year's greatest light\, the days that follow will gradua lly grow shorter. Nature teaches us that change is constant and that every season contains the seeds of the next. The Summer Solstice invites us to ho ld both gratitude and awareness—to savor the warmt h\, joy\, and possibility of the present moment wh ile recognizing the ever-turning cycles of life. I n that spirit\, may we take time this season to re connect with nature\, deepen our relationships\, a nd appreciate the light we bring to one another's lives.\n \n \n \n Zoom access at https://tinyurl.c om/NAUAService.\n \n \n \n Our Minister: Ken Marin o serves as a chaplain for UC Davis Home Health. H e is a certified Reiki master\, yoga teacher\, aut hor\, and musician. His work integrates contemplat ive practice\, interfaith engagement\, and trauma- informed mindfulness. He studied philosophy at Sto ny Brook University\, focusing on hermeneutics\, I ndian thought under Antonio De Nicolas\, and moder n continental philosophy with Jacques Derrida and Edward Casey. Ken’s spiritual journey began in the yoga and meditation communities of the Northeast including the Sri Chinmoy Center\, Kripalu Ashram\ , Zen Mountain Monastery\, and Yoga Anand Ashram. Ken volunteered at Omega Institute for Holistic St udies where he was introduced to mindfulness and y oga teachers Joan Halifax\, Ram Dass\, Swami Satch itananda\, Stephen Levine\, Joseph Goldstein\, Dee pak Chopra\, and Jack Kornfield. He later pursued yoga therapy at the Kripalu Center\, and deepened his yoga studies at the New York Jivamukti Center\ , and at Yoga Shanti with Rodney Yee. Deeply inter ested in the application of yoga and mindfulness t o trauma as well as inter-religious dialogue and r eligion as a lived spiritual practice\, Ken has ta ught at CSU Hayward and the City University of New York\, and has led yoga programs through AARP and throughout the New York area. Ken attended semina ry at Drew University and is completing the Tara B rach/Jack Kornfield mindfulness certification\, in tegrating his academic studies with a holistic\, e mbodied approach to mindfulness.\n \n CATEGORIES:Service CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T100000 DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T113000 URL:https://naunitarians.org/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=490 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR