Week 2: Sunrise, Sunset
It's Week 2 of the Nature Rx Challenge! This week we're focusing on soaking up the sun. While putting on some sunscreen and heading to the beach is one way to appreciate the sun, this week we're challenging you to take in the sun by watching one sunrise or sunset (bonus points if you do both). If you want to learn more about the benefits of watching the sun rising or setting, check out the resources below...
As a reminder, we'll be checking in weekly with these emails, but we'll also be posting more throughout the week in the Nature Rx Challenge Facebook group. Make sure to join the group if you want a place to share your experience and ideas with other challenge participants.
The sunrise and the sunset act as natural bookends to our days. Many of us probably don't wake up until after the sun rises, and when the sun sets I have a hunch that most of us are busy with dinner, kids, or catching up on the news. But checking in with the sun is important and can really help us begin or end our days on a good note.
On the day you're planning on doing your sungazing, look up the predicted time for the sunrise/set and set an alarm 10-20 minutes before that. If you can, get outside and find a comfortable spot from which to observe the sun. We encourage you to do your sun observing totally unplugged. Phone on silent, no headphones. Just sit back, relax and see how the world changes as the sun makes its move. What comes alive? Goes to sleep? What are the first things you can make out as the sun peeks over the horizon? The last things your observe before the sun disappears for the night? As with all our challenges, we encourage you to do some mindful breathing, trying your best to be totally in the moment, not thinking about the stresses of the day. Let yourself just be in total awe of this beautiful show that we have access to twice every day!
For more inspiration to watch a sunrise or sunset, check out the blogs below:
This writer put herself through "sunrise therapy" and is here to report on the benefits of daybreak. I appreciate the candid nature of this blog, the author is honest about how tough it was to get up early at first, but, eventually, she came to love her morning meetings with the sun.
The author of this article has a long history of taking time for the sunset, but things changed as life got in the way. Her perspective on the importance for making time to take in the sunset when you can is lovely.
More sunny resources...
Let the sun inspire you! Incorporating art into your sun observing is a great way to get kids involved! You can draw a picture of the sunrise or sunset, write a poem about it, make up a song, whatever it moves you to create!
Check out this blog from 2012. A self-identified non-morning person challenged themselves to view the sunrise 40 days in a row from Ault Park -- pretty interesting! (Spoiler Alert: They ended up viewing way more than 40 sunrises)
Appreciating a beautiful sunset enriches your life beyond the moment.
We'd love to hear how your sungazing is going! Share pictures of your beautiful sunrise or sunset views, tell us about your favorite viewing locations, or tell us some fun stories from your mornings or evenings with the sun. You can always shoot me an email (mcurran@imagoearth.org) or post about your experience in the Nature Rx Challenge Facebook group. Have a great week, we'll be checking in soon!
