‘The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.’ Albert Einstein
Have you heard the phrase, ‘Pause into the sunset’? What this means is stop for a few moments, take stock and be at one with our experience. As the Sun sets, we are in two worlds at once: the world of light and the world of darkness. Everything grows still as the Sun sets and the veil of dusk covers the Earth. These are the moments of pure grace, where we get to glimpse something of the eternal order of life and nature. Being witness to this powerful force of energy encourages us to connect inwards, with the Divine spark within.
Life Giving Energy
The Earth’s magnetic field extends tens of thousands of miles into space where it interacts with the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The Sun is vital to our life here on Earth, for, without the Sun’s heat and light, the Earth would be a lifeless, ice-coated rock. The Sun warms our oceans and seas, stirs our atmosphere, generates the weather patterns, and gives energy to the plant life that provides the food and oxygen needed to sustain life on Earth.
A Trigger for Sleep
The setting Sun plays a huge role in our daily lives. As the Sun sets, we slip into a more rested mode and as darkness creeps in so too does the sleepy feeling. This lack of sunlight stimulates an increase of Melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone. Sleep is vital to our health and wellbeing, as it gives our body time to rest so that we may be refreshed and renewed for the next new day.
Sleep also gives our brain a chance to process and sort things out. As we witness the Sun setting and the closing of the day, we’re given the opportunity to bring ourselves back to neutral and reset our energy to a purer vibration and at a much gentler pace. When we switch off from our day in this way, we’re more likely to experience a relaxing evening and a more peaceful and restorative night’s sleep.
Awe Inspiring
Gazing at the sunset is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness and being present in the moment. To witness the spectacular colour-soaked sky truly is food for the soul. When we experience such simple awe-inspired moments of bliss and fulfilment, it allows us to reflect on our day from a kinder and gentler perspective. Research carried out at Stanford University, explains ‘Experiences of awe bring people into the present moment, and being in the present moment underlies awe’s capacity to adjust time perception, influence decisions, and make life feel more satisfying than it would otherwise.’
Universal Harmony
It helps if we can fully surrender at the moment of the setting Sun, acknowledging that there’s something far greater than us and we’re part of the larger order of things. Doing so allows us to access a deeper sense of self. Where we no longer see ourselves as isolated individuals but, in fact, gain a higher understanding of our oneness through the realisation that we form part of a whole. Through this realisation, we become fully aligned with universal harmony. In this blissful state of grace, we can discard the day and stand renewed in our glory and light, knowing that we are at one with all that is.
Letting Go And Moving On
It helps if we can anchor that blissful feeling into our body, as we experience the Sun setting. You may be familiar with the old saying ‘Never let the Sun go down on an argument’, this is so true as sunsets allow us the perfect opportunity to ‘let go’ and ‘move on’ from any issue.
It can be very cathartic to state affirmations such as:
- I AM at peace with my day
- I AM free to let go and move on
- I release my day with the setting sun
- I AM awe inspired
- I AM blissfully present in the moment
The next time you watch the sunset consider it to be a gift as you witness the closing of the day and the promise of a bright and light-filled new day ahead.
With Special Thanks
The photograph included in this blog post is of a beautiful sunset in Sedgefield, South Africa. The video is of the Sun setting over the horizon on Strand Beach, South Africa. These are compliments of my dear friend, Jess Peery. Thank you, Jess. The accompanying music is a track called ‘Observations From A Far Away Place‘ by Rannar Sillard.
I hope you enjoy watching the video of the sunset, it truly is beautiful. It’s worth noting that the brain doesn’t know the difference between real and pretend so bear this in mind as you watch the video and experience for yourself the magic of ‘the closing of the day’.