How To Start The Day Right: Tips To Be Enchanted By The Sunrise

There is an essential fact that seems to be mixed with so many others and that we hardly notice: that the sun rises every day. Without his presence made of light and heat there would be no life. Plants and animals would not exist, and consequently we humans. If the sun ceased to exist, in an instant everything would turn into a frozen desert.

The most extraordinary thing about the sun is that we cannot imagine that it does not exist. Although at the same time we tend to forget his presence, engrossed as we are in our daily work.

That is why we will dwell here on the symbolic aspects of the beginning of the day, when it dawns and the first rays of the sun tear, as it were, the darkness of night and, in the midst of great beauty and stillness, everything begins anew. How to enjoy the spiritual sense of sunrise?

Night and day

For there to be light, there must first be darkness. While darkness is mere absence of light. These are the paradoxes of existence, that mystery to which we have become accustomed.

There are two polarities between which we move. On the one hand, the day, which represents activity, wakefulness, the conscious. On the other, the night, that is, rest, sleep, the subconscious.

When we are awake, a lot of energy is required, the brain is the governing organ in this sense and needs a large supply of oxygen and glucose. At the end of the day we are tired and we just want to sleep to rest and renew ourselves.

It is during the night when the body puts into action its mechanisms of physical detoxification and processing of psychological data that will become part of the memory. Every night, irretrievably, we abandon ourselves to restful sleep. And we then immerse ourselves in the ocean of universal life, where the individual becomes collective.

But when we wake up in the morning, the conscious self, the differentiated personality that distinguishes us – and at the same time separates – from others, re-emerges from the depths. During the day, sunlight allows us to appreciate concrete things, objects and people with which we interact. The night, on the other hand, is the stillness, the immensity, and its light is that of the moon and the distant stars of the sky.

We cannot see the sun directly, as its light is blinding. Only during dawn and dusk, moments of transition, is it possible to contemplate its beauty. Both when going out and when putting on, the whole nature is aware of the change that is going to take place and everything seems to stop, to remain in suspense, for a time that invites us to contemplate the meaning of its light.

The spiritual sense of dawn: an intercultural phenomenon

All civilizations have been sensitive to the real and at the same time symbolic importance of the sun, to which they gave divine rank. Let us especially remember Hinduism (Surya), Pharaonic Egypt (Ra) and Inca culture (Inti). They saw the sun as a celestial opening through which life flowed.

Prana, or vital energy, comes to us directly from the sun, with our breath and through food. In the ancient Vedic texts of India, surely the oldest sacred books of mankind, written by the sages ( rishis ) of the Himalayas and inspired by the cosmic Intelligence itself, the sun is often alluded to with beautiful hymns.

In Hinduism and Yoga sunrise is considered “the hour of God or Brahma” ( Brahmamuhurta ). It is the period between 3 and 6 in the morning, especially suitable for spiritual practices given its quality of harmony and purity ( sattva ) and because it is the least polluted time of day both with respect to the air and the usual noises to others. hours of the day.

Everything is cleaner and more energetic at dawn, plants begin photosynthesis from the first rays of the sun and produce oxygen. That is why it is recommended to then do the breathing exercises or the practice of meditation.

Already before dawn, in the holy city of Benares, the faithful wait on the steps that overlook the river Ganges for the sunrise, which they greet with offerings and prostrations. They not only venerate their presence in this way but also actively participate so to speak in their permanence throughout the day.

But not only the Hindu religion ( Sanatana Dharma or “eternal law”) highlights the spiritual importance of sunrise. Muslims pray the first prayer of the day at dawn, from just before sunrise to sunrise. The Christian monks, in their “Liturgy of the Hours”, have Lauds or morning prayer before starting the work.

Youth and dawn

The energetic virtue of dawn, both physically and psychologically, derives from the fact that it corresponds analogously to spring and youth. We have in the first place the qualities of vitality and renewal.

This is how the Japanese poet Issa reminds us, not without a certain touch of humor, in the following haiku:

In this first spring dawn
even my shadow
is full of vigor.

Nature renews itself every morning just like spring does with respect to the annual cycle. This drive is equivalent to that of adolescence and youth. ¿ And what are the youthful virtues are beyond wanting to have fun as exploited by the TV ads?

Youth does not normally have the wisdom qualities of maturity and old age, such as patience, prudence, thoughtfulness, or even compassion. But yes the freshness, the rebellion of wanting to change things, the feeling of invulnerability, the vitality in a general sense.

Youth passes, just as dawn gives way to noon and the rest of the day. But that spring youth, apparently lost, never completely disappears ; moreover, it can be renewed to some extent at any time in life. We can all be a little more vital, joyous and bold.

A chance to start the day right

Whoever contemplates the sunrise also finds two qualities that can be assimilated or internalized. It’s about peace and beauty.

Before dawn there is a deep stillness that just invites meditation or prayer, as has been commented. Likewise, with the first rays of the sun, the song of the birds and the perfume of the flowers, an ineffable beauty is manifested before us. Sometimes it is worth getting up earlier than usual so as not to miss out on that experience.

Dawn corresponds to the spring equinox, while sunset represents the autumn equinox. Both times, in the day and in the year, are transitional periods between light and darkness. Each one is half a cycle, ascending and descending.

Dawn suggests renewal, a move toward clarity, individuality, and greater activity. Twilight suggests repose, darkness, and fusion. Perhaps that is why lovers especially like to watch a sunset together.

When dusk comes it is a good occasion to review the day and assess the mistakes and successes that we have had. Getting up in the morning is the ideal time to mentally channel the meaning of the day in a positive way.

Dawn as a state of consciousness

Dawn is also an awakening. From night torpor, often full of fears and ghosts, we pass to the clarity of day. Accompanied by the sunlight, we can love and understand, discover others and ourselves.

Plato, in his “Myth of the cave”, allegorically shows the situation in which we may well find ourselves.

There are several men confined from birth inside a cave and tied so that they can only look towards the back wall. Behind him there is a bonfire as well as the opening to the outside that lets in rays of light that are projected on the rock wall, drawing shaded images of what is happening outside.

For these, that is the only reality, a dim reflection. When one of them manages to escape from the cave and returns to free the others from the captivity in which they live, they scoff and do not want to follow him.

In the same way that morning awakening opens us to a new perspective, spiritual awakening – a deeper and more complete form of knowing – is also a human possibility.

Let us remember in this sense that the word Buddha literally means “awake”, although it is usually translated as “enlightened”, perhaps because the symbolism of light is linked to the inner dawn. So Buddhism means “The path to awakening.”

Also in relation to death, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that this may well be a new dawn. We tend to believe that dying is the opposite of living, when it is simply the opposite of being born.

Maintaining an “auroral” consciousness is also important and helpful in dealing with life’s problems. Let us remember that when the night is blackest the dawn is. Optimism and inner calm allow us to overcome obstacles.

It is also true that sometimes when the sun rises there can be clouds, rain or even a storm. But we must not forget that although the sun then remains hidden, it does not stop shining for this reason. Do not be discouraged.

The sun rises for everyone and each new day gives us the opportunity to properly guide our steps, to be a little better and perhaps also a little happier.

Exercise to visualize the sun within yourself

This unprecedented exercise consists of visualizing the course of the sun through the central axis of the body. It allows to increase optimism and vitality.

The posture will be relaxed, like the breathing, with the back straight and the eyes closed. You can be sitting on the floor or in a chair.

1. First, a semitransparent tube or channel is visualized , the size of the little finger, which goes from a point located about four fingers below the navel and reaches the head, a little above the eyebrow.
2. We imagine a small spherical sun that will rise and fall through that central channel as does the outer sun. The diaphragm, the muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity, represents the horizon that marks the sunrise and sunset.
3. The little sun below the navel is not yet bright (it is midnight). You have to imagine it reddish in color and feel its warmth. We then visualize that it is slowly rising: it passes through the navel, then over it until it reaches the chest.
4. At this central point is where you have to visualize the sunrise: its first rays of light, until that sun is already a small sphere of light on the horizon. We will keep that bright and warm image at heart level. We are calm and we have a smile. We stay like this for a few minutes.
5. Then that sun slowly rises, crosses the throat area, until it reaches the head. We visualize for a few minutes its golden light (it is noon) that radiates from above in all directions and gives us mental clarity.
6. Finally, we do the downstream visualization. Then the passage through the “horizon” located in the diaphragm must be seen as a sunset. Until the small sphere, already reddish, returns to its point of origin below the navel.