” The sun rises. I walk. The sun sets. I walk. “

What does this simple action do? By using the sun as a marker for my day, I form a stronger connection with my own time. I wake up for the sun rise, then later I take a walk to watch the sun set. This is as reliable and constant as the earth’s orbit around the sun.

watching the giant star do a 180 into and out of your life will become the immovable image from which you base the nuisances of life as truly what they are, insignificant.

“Sunrise” and “Sundown” are markers for the start and end of a day, and it’s remarkable to observe this phenomena in person. It’s taken for granted, but this life giving orb is the basis for our entire calendar system, it’s material presence both astronomical and structural. So why not bracket our lives with its observation?

From atop a modest hill, I can see the faint light hugging the east mountains. What banality awaits me today? The thought evaporates as I see the brightening sky. Then I spend a chunk of time attending obligations. I go for my walk towards the west approximately sixty minutes before sunset.

No music. I observe sounds, my body moving footstep by footstep. The crunchy loamy sand, dusty dirt. Is my left shoulder sore? I stretch it out. Try to lose. Loosen and lose attention and stuffiness of structured living.

This activity can be considered a walking meditation or a debriefing of the day. It’s a time for reflection, but because this is not a brainstorming session, I let thoughts dissipate into mist. It’s also not exercise since this is non-goal oriented.

After months of doing this daily practice, managing the stress of life is less complicated. The practice of walking and observing the sun’s relationship in the setting of your life rescales things. If it’s cloudy, rainy, or the weather does not permit this activity, see “what to do in the event you cannot see the sun.” (coming soon) But when it’s possible, watching the giant star do a 180 into and out of your life will become the immovable image from which you base the nuisances of life as truly what they are, insignificant.