As if to welcome the summer solstice today, temperatures in New York soared to record-breaking highs. Cooling centres were opened all around the city and air conditioners were cranked up to provide respite from the stifling heat.
Noel Coward once wrote a song with the lyrics “Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun” and I think New Yorkers should be added to that list, because as the heat continued to rise, thousands of people grabbed their yoga mats and headed out to Times Square to salute the sun on the solstice. Organised by the Times Square Alliance, this annual event is now in its tenth year.
Passersby stopped in their tracks to watch the yoga class en masse. Even Times Square regulars were intrigued…
There is something visually spectacular about a large group of people doing a practice in unison; it makes for compelling viewing. Here are a few of my favourite moments:
Namaste.
Where's my backpack? 
Yummy! Oh wait, you didn’t say yogurt did you?
😛
Yoga, Jeff. Slight difference 😉
Even I know that silly girl. You don’t eat yoga with a spoon 😛
Great series of photos by the way. Reminds me that now as the days start to get shorter, sunrise will soon be at something resembling a reasonable hour.
Must be awesome to see and feel the atmosphere
It really was quite spectacular, and the atmosphere was electric 🙂
Some of my friends were there!!! Awesome shots! Thanks for sharing.
It was tons of fun, you’d have loved it 🙂
How electric….I love the energy of the whole thing. It must have been exciting to be there, except for the heat….but your pics are so cool. 🙂
Thanks, strawberryindigo, it was a lot of fun, but I was very happy to eventually escape the heat and write my post indoors 🙂
I see that Elmo on 42nd Street almost every day!
He looked a bit hot and bothered today 🙂
How nice to see that many NYers able to center and hold onto their real desires. Not so much that way on the subway or other places around the city.
Haha, don’t get me started on subway culture, Robert, light years away from the serenity and harmony in Times Square during the solstice 🙂
Spectacular indeed. If I was there, I will definitely join in. Such a rare opportunity. I agree that there is something amazing, even magical when one large group work in unison. Awesome images…
Thanks, Mr B, you would have had a lot of fun here today. xxx
Lovely shots! Our yoga school organised a similar ‘yogathon’ (108 sun salutations) for the winter solstice. Not being Englishmen (or New Yorkers) we were done with it by 8 am 🙂
That sounds like a very sensible approach 🙂
I love your pictures! So colourful! Looks really like something to do once in a lifetime 🙂
Definitely worth doing 🙂
Ah… How wonderful this is 😃 I’ll swop you a warm day for a chilly one. For us ‘downunder’, the winter solstice brought a cloudy cold day, but not the rain that was predicted. Now we are on our way back to longer days and eventually ….. summer!
..as we up north begin our slow descent into winter. I have to admit I love the winter, I was very disappointed at the lack of snow last winter 🙂
Did you participated or just took pictures?
I just took photos, Emma, didn’t have my yoga mat with me – but I got a bit of a workout trying to get the angles on some of those shots 😉
Well, that’s something too 😉
Looks great
It certainly offered up some wonderful photo opportunities 🙂
Wonderful shots. I just left NYC sorry I missed this but not the heat. I saw Elmo and he was with Cookie Monster. Thanks for sharing.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
I’m guessing Cookie Monster took the day off and stayed indoors with a frosty beverage 😉
This is so cool (no heat puns intended).
Namaste
It was very cool. in a hot and humid kind of way 😉
Yoga in the streets of Manhattan is pretty groovy, indeed. But let’s take a moment to ponder the poor guy stuck in the Elmo suit, in hundred-degree heat. Oh, Elmo-guy.
Poor Elmo, it was not a good day to be a Sesame Street character.
spectacular but just a bit unreal??.
No obviously not, with so many participants
I think what was unreal was that so many people showed up despite the temperatures!
Fabulous – love the energy you captured. Getting a real feel for the day.
Thanks Suzan, it really lent a very different energy to the normally frenetic pace of Times Square.
I can feel the energy from your pictures. What an event, great shots!
It’s a fantastic event, Amy, if you’re in the area next summer solstice you should definitely check it out.
Great pictures! And nobody looks the slightest bit hot 🙂
Indeed, the majority looked as cool as a cucumber. These photos were taken around 7pm so at least the sun wasn’t beating down on them, although it was still stiflingly hot. I passed by in the middle of the day and there were fields of people with faces the colour of Elmo’s fur – mine too, my Irish constitution really doesn’t know what to do when the mercury hits triple digits. 🙂
Great shots … must have felt almost surreal … in that heat!!! It’s bad enough here, and we’re not even close.
There’s really only one sensible way to combat this heat – bring out the green tea ice cream 🙂
Great way to beat the heat…my daughter, living in New York, sent me pics too.
Very cool. Did she take part in it this year?
No..I think she reached towards the end
I love seeing people where all the cars normally are, taking back the streets what a fantastic event!
I love your comment about taking back the streets, it reminds me of the day Hurricane Irene was supposed to hit Manhattan and the streets were deserted, no traffic anywhere. When it was announced the hurricane had passed, New Yorkers spilled out onto the empty streets and it was the strangest, coolest experience. And then the yellow cabs returned and life in the big city returned to normal. 🙂
great photos, it looked like real fun!
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Excellent series of captured moments.
I love all of the color!
Thanks Joy, it was such a colourful day to be in Times Square 🙂
I’ve been practicing Ashtanga for nearly 13 years. A few years back I attended a workshop with Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois (who has since passed away sadly) with over one hundred or so other people. When I see these photos, I wonder what our own large group must’ve looked like while in perfect sequence as he counted away…ekam…dve…trini…catvari…
Great photos.
There really is something quite magical about such a large number of people moving in perfect unison. I bet your group looked beautiful. Glad you enjoyed my photos, Jennifer. xxx Ailsa
What a lovely post! And great pics too 🙂 I saw some coverage of this event and your post tops it, by far – thank you for the wonderful morning read! 🙂
anne
Oooh, thank you for the compliment, Anne, that made my day! 🙂