The Sun is a magnificent phenomenon on this planet, where both sunrise and sunset are sacred occasions, inviting us to slow down and become present within the moment.
With the pings, dings and endless distractions of modern-day culture, many of us are leading hectic lives where we live on auto-pilot and have become disconnected from nature and the natural cycles of life.
Deepen your connection with both yourself and nature by getting up early to watch the sunset as you give thanks for a new day or farewell the day by stopping and admiring the sunset.
Waking up when the world is still quiet to witness the beautiful artistry of colours during sunrise is an inspiring and magnificent time of day. As the early morning breeze kisses your face and the birds sing, it is an awakening of the planet, birds, trees, and wildlife. It is a new day and a new beginning. The quietude of the early morning is a beautiful time to connect with yourself before the busy modern world wakes up and you become affected by the frenetic energy of all the busyness going on around you and maybe even within you.
"Sunset is the opening music of the night"
Mehmet Murat ildan
Witnessing the beginning and closing of a day can bring joy into the everyday mundane routine - it is an opportunity to pause, breathe and become present, making it the perfect opportunity to stop and take a few moments of gratitude.
Sun-gazing is an old method of healing. Our ancestors spoke and listened to the natural world, and one of their main daily rituals was to take time out to appreciate and worship the Sun.
Below I will share with you just ten of the gifts the Sun has to offer you if you take the time to stop and lookup PLUS some extra resources:
There is beauty all around us, yet, because of our fast pace of life many of us never stop to notice never it. When you begin to notice the little things, and seek out the extra-ordinary within the ordinary, your life takes on a brighter hue. You will find joy in the smallest and simplest of details.
The sun is a radiant soul-fuelling energy. Take the time in the mornings and evening to take five minutes to look up and witness the show in the sky. Notice the subtle changes in the sky as the sun rises up over the mountains, trees, houses or buildings. Listen to the sounds of the world waking up. In the evening admire the ever changing colours, listen to the closing song of the birds and watch for the first star to appear in the sky.
The energy from the sun is calming and one of peace. At sunrise the world is quiet as it is slowly wakes up and at sunset the noisy busy energy of the world is starting to wind down, so there is stillness to be found within the world and yourself during the sunrise and sunset hours. Open your heart-space, breathe in the stillness and allow the energy of the sun to permeate your entire being.
Greet the day by waking up and witnessing the sunrise and giving thanks for a new day. Waking up is a gift. Being grateful just to be alive shifts your perspective as it turns everything you have into enough. Each day is a beautiful gift. Be grateful. Say thank you to the sun for rising on this gorgeous day. As the sun slowly sets and the day draws to a close take a few moments to look up at the sky and give a thanks for the day you had.
The sun can recharge you. It is composed of ultraviolet light which the body needs for optimum health.The sun stimulates the production of melanin, stimulates the metabolism, and is good for helping glands that take care of internal secretion.
Vitamin D is the happiness vitamin. In the human body Vitamin D is responsible for increasing endorphin production. Endorphins give you that feel good feeling which causes happiness which in turn brings more inner peace and life-contentment.
Exposure to the sun can reduce anxiety. It is a known fact in Scandinavian countries that reduced sunlight causes nervousness, depression, and other health issues.
Witnessing the awakening of the world, being blessed with another day of life and giving thanks for the closing of another day sparks love and appreciation for nature and our connection to something greater.
Taking time to watch a sunrise or sunset slows down time. This simple act will make you more present as you become completely immersed and at peace in the experience. And given that for most of us the rest of life feels quite hectic and busy, with lots going on, this simple experience is an opportunity to pause, breathe, reset and clear the mind.
When Sunlight hits our eyes, the pineal gland in our body, also referred to as the third eye, gets activated. This activation aligns us back into our higher selves and into a space of being willing to receive.
An activated third eye trusts in and works alongside the universe, giving you the power and tools to manifest and achieve your dreams close to your heart. When you connect with the sun's radiant energy, your energies start to vibrate at a higher frequency, and you attract the right things, the right people, and the right opportunities. It's a time where the right books fall off the shelves, and miraculous coincidences come your way. It can be a very powerful and self-transformative practice.
Don't believe it? Try it for 90 days and share your experience with me over at Instagram or via claireandteam@botanicaltrader.com.
By catching magic hour, whether sunrise or sunset, you have time to reconnect with yourself and process your thoughts, emotions and life. It's a time of self-care and self-healing. Finding true joy in life is the outcome of optimum self-care, self-reflection and downtime to process and nurture your body, emotions, and thoughts. It's essential to nourish your body, nurture your emotions, and positively reframe your thoughts daily. When you take time to appreciate magic hour, you will find uninterrupted time to take care of yourself.
This is also the time for you to plan your day, week, month, and years ahead. It is also the time to dream up big projects and ideas. During the magic hour, your mind is primed for big picture conceptual thinking.
1. Express gratitude to the Sun for being the source of all life on this planet. Think about how it nourishes, feeds and grows our plants, animals, nature and selves. Have gratitude for this life-giving celestial being that we often don’t give a second thought to.
2. Breath Awareness. As you watch the sunrise or sunset take a moment to bring your awareness to your breath. Allow yourself to soften, open up your heart, focus on your breath, become present within the moment and settle into the stillness.
3. Visualise that the sunlight and its golden rays are healing you as it permeates your mind-body and soul. It is renewing, restoring and repairing the cells in your body. It is washing away negative thought patterns and rejuvenating them with positive ones. The sun energises your entire being and fuels you up with positivity.
4. Talk to the Sun. Truth is nature speaks to us - but most of us are too busy to stop and listen. And sadly, for many of us we have become far too serious in life that we have stopped believing in all the magic that we knew to be true as a child.
The universe is there for you, you just need to ask. While watching the sun rise or set speak to it, ask it anything you want to know, or alternatively bring forward any issue that is troubling you. Offer your problems at the feet of the Sun and trust that the Sun will show you a way to solve these problems.
5. Fuel with positivity and reframe your perspective by offering forward to the Sun all that no longer serves you. Everything you want to release, whether it be a negative belief pattern, anxiety, feelings of victimhood, anger, resentment, overwhelm, fatigue, lack of forgiveness, etc, offer it to the Sun and ask for positive qualities to fill you.
6. Send loving kindness outward to another in need and to certain places in the world by visualising the Sun is radiating peace and love on to them.
Create a morning ritual. Read my tips on how to create your own morning ritual here >>>
Wake up with gratitude. Read my gratitude for a new day blog post including simple things you can be grateful for each and every day.
Download my free morning rise and even wind-down journal templates here >>>
