How often do you look up? These days, it seems as though everyone is hunched over either looking at a phone screen or working on the computer. Our very physiology is changing with more people having neck issues caused by sitting with rounded shoulders and a drooping head. This puts a great deal of tension on our backs and is leading to serious health issues.
It’s time to look up, and there is no more relaxing pastime than stargazing. You don’t need any fancy equipment but you can get a telescope if so inclined. Otherwise just use the unaided eye to open up an entire new world that silently exists right above our heads.
Action – There are magical things that happen all around us and we tend to get so involved with our own problems and concerns that we forget how small we really are. The earth is one planet in a solar system filled with both things we know about and many we don’t. The sheer immenseness of creation is breathtaking and to acknowledge it can assist you in putting all of your worries and thoughts in perspective.
Steps – Do a little research if you want to know what you are looking at, but that isn’t even necessary. If you are in a big city with lots of lights, then stargazing can be less impressive than if you are in the country but no matter where you are, there is always something to see. This doesn’t take anything more that the desire to look up and consider what is out there.
What do you know about the moon? Do you ever pay attention to what phase it is in, whether it is full or dark? The moon affects life on earth, from the tides of the ocean to the way we feel. It’s interesting to look at something that never leaves the planet’s side.
The stars that we see as light are full of mystery and you can imagine them to be anything you wish. Think of how ancient sailors used them to navigate safely across the oceans. As the earth hurtles through space in its orbit around the sun, there is a familiarity to the constellations that are always present. There is no end to the magnificence that surrounds us.
Why It Makes You Feel Better – Perspective is an important part of life. When you allow problems to consume you and can think of nothing else other than what is wrong, your mental health is at risk. Looking to the sky is a way to open yourself up to the realization that whatever is happening right now, it is truly temporary. Allow yourself to see the big picture and to get away from the little things that in the end won’t really matter.
Example – When I travel I like to watch at least one sunrise and one sunset. If you travel to another part of the world, the sky and the moon can look completely different. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Stargazing is a great opportunity to quiet the thoughts that run your life and learn to relax and let go of the need to control everything. Lose yourself in the immenseness of existence and consider that there is a perfection to the way everything works. Life is a beautiful thing when you can let go and just live it.