Getting up at 4.15 in the morning to watch the sunrise, even for the Summer Solstice will always be a hard thing for me – I am definitely NOT a morning person. But this year was much easier because I was doing it for me, it was more about the way I live now. So I crawled out of bed and pulled on some warm clothes and walked down the road to a point that would give me the best vantage point.
The top of Robins Folly is on top of a hill and my view would be less blocked by full summer trees and hedgerows. En route I took a video of the pre-dawn sky, the colours were beautiful and the dawn chorus uplifting!
After walking up and down to find the spot that would give me the best photos I took a couple of early images and then technology got the better of everything – my phone died despite having a sufficient amount of charge. I restarted it tried to load the camera and then died again and now was completely dead! My first thought was aaargh – failed by technology but then I realise that maybe I wasn’t meant to share this moment, maybe this is what I needed to do – for me. Maybe that was the object of getting up at this ridiculous hour, not being here only to share it with others but to give it my full and undivided appreciation. So I enjoyed the sunrise, on the edge of the field in middle of nowhere, on my own – a proper mindful moment.
I enjoyed the early signs of sunrise seeing, the light coming up through the clouds, peeking over the trees in the distance. It was quite magical and I felt honoured I felt alive and I stopped to marvel at this beautiful day and what it meant for me. For me, it was all about reflection on how the last half year has been, and for those of you who know me, what a half year has been – giving up my job, starting my business and watching it develop. A rollercoaster no doubt, but some of the happiest months of my life.
This time of year is a chance to reflect on where you’ve come so far, so I thought about the goals that I’d set at the beginning of the year and I thought about where I’ve come, what’s happened, what hasn’t happened. And I felt grateful for all the wonderful things have happened, that I’ve achieved and for the opportunity to review and refresh as I looked out across the fields of newly growing barley. I felt grateful for the new life that will come from that barley, the gift of a new day, the gift of beauty and food that mother Earth gives us and real sense of delight in being alive.
I really enjoyed this moment for me and realised that getting up at 4:15 was not about just taking photos for social media, to share with you all, but it was about it was about doing it for me. And that is what meditation and gratitude is all about – not because someone says it’s a good idea or because you feel you ‘have’ to but because of the sense of self you get when you practice, even for a little while. And the more aware you are of your own self then the better you can cope with what life throws at you.
Once I’d enjoyed the sunrise I headed home to put some charge in the phone and get some photos from the back of the house where I know the trees are a lot higher but at least I would get some lovely pictures to share
My original thought had been to go back to be, well, that’s what I did last year, (although last year I had to go and do an office job for the day) but as I walked back along the road this morning I decided I wasn’t going to waste the day so I made tea and toast and brought my laptop through to the kitchen where I can enjoy the warmth of sun’s rays and get on with some work. Then enjoy the rest of day which will be packed with meeting lovely people, getting my new broadband sorted (which will mean I can start uploading guided meditation videos for you and sharing things that I want to share including Facebook live, Instagram live, YouTube live…………..this evening I will share the sunset on the longest day with a friend as we walk again across the fields.
Thank you for sharing this with me I hope you too have enjoyed your summer solstice, the longest day. Don’t be sad that the days are getting shorter but enjoy what we have now be present to each day. Each season has their own particular beauty – be part of this one – NOW.
Namaste
