Stargazing: How to Discover Benefits Hidden in the Heavens
Picture yourself beneath a vast, velvety sky, each star a whisper of ancient light guiding you into stillness. As you tilt your gaze upward and settle into the gentle rhythm of your breath, stargazing becomes more than an evening pastime. It transforms into a doorway to mindfulness.
In that silent communion with the cosmos, you cultivate compassion for yourself and others, discovering how moments of awe expand your capacity for kindness and compassion. Join us as we explore how this simple, celestial practice can ground you, deepen your empathy, and ignite a profound sense of connection that ripples from the night sky into every aspect of your life.
The Wonders of Stargazing
If you are interested in wellness and wellbeing, chances are you have heard many times how wonderful it is for us to get regular doses of sunshine.
All kinds of magical things happen when we get short, well-timed fixes of those amazing rays. Sunshine improves our sleep, helps our mental and emotional well-being, and even boosts our happiness levels.
The unsung hero? The night sky.
Benefits
Because getting regular doses of moonlight and spending time stargazing brings its own set of magical benefits, too.
Stargazing brings us some of the good feelings you may expect.
When we enjoy gazing at the heavens, we feel more grounded. We are also reminded about our own small place in the universe.
Gazing at the night sky can also help us gain perspective about life issues.
Somehow the vastness of the heavens and the constancy of the moon and the stars can bring us peace and calm.
But beyond all these wonderful things, admiring the night sky also brings some surprising benefits.
- An unexpected bonus occurs when we gaze at the night sky. As it reinforces our perspective about our own lives and presence, stargazing creates downstream benefits, too. For one, stargazing has been shown to make us kinder and more compassionate to others.
- Just as sunlight helps us know when it’s time to awaken, gazing at the night sky helps our bodies remember that it’s time to sleep. How? Darkness reinforces the evening end of our circadian rhythm cycle. This is why it’s also important to minimize viewing screens later in the evening – darkness is the natural cue for us to go to sleep.
- Stargazing has also been shown to boost our creativity. This includes creativity through art, writing, or even problem-solving. If you’ve hit a brick wall with a project at work, have a case of writer’s block, or if you’re trying to figure out how to handle a complex relationship, gazing at the night sky may help you see new possibilities and solutions.
- It is difficult to worry about the past or the future when we are gazing at a breathtaking night sky. The beauty and the wonder of the stars and moon capture our attention and bring us fully into the moment. By doing so, the night sky helps us to become more mindful while simultaneously reducing our stress levels. The downstream benefits of this include a slower heart rate and lower blood pressure, just for starters.
How to Make the Most of Stargazing
Though many of us love to admire a beautiful full moon, the best time for stargazing is actually when there is no moon in the sky.
This time, known as the new moon, is the time when you will see the most stars and planets.
To take stargazing to the next level, it pays to learn a little more about the night sky. You can purchase your own star maps to understand more about the stars, planets, and constellations.
Should you decide you want to get a closer look at the beauty of the night sky, a reasonably priced telescope can open up a whole new world of wonder.
Experiencing wonder and awe, together, have been linked to increased levels of happiness, health, and well-being.
So, make stargazing your new hobby. Embrace the beauty of the heavens every night you can!
If you’re looking for more variety, we’ve got you covered. You’ll find a roundup of selected mindfulness practices, including recommendations for how to get started in each in Mindfulness for Beginners: The Best Mindfulness Tools and Resources.
Thank you as always for reading.
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Joan Senio is the founder of Kindness-Compassion-and-Coaching.com. Joan’s career includes clinical healthcare plus 20+ years as an executive in a nationwide health care system and 15 years as a consultant. The common threads throughout Joan’s personal and professional life are a commitment to non-profit organizations, mental health, compassionate coaching, professional development and servant leadership. She is a certified Neuroscience Coach, member of the International Organization of Life Coaches, serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is also a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me. You can read more about Joan here: Joan Senio.
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