with Tracey

This is a beautiful time of year to bask in the light as the end of the day transitions into evening. The colors, the soft setting angle of the rays of the sun, the shift in the air temperature all beckon a slowing down and a changing of rhythm. This is a perfect time of day for a sitting mediation.

Find a place where you can take in the elements at the end of the day. Sit near a window or if possible outside on a surface that will provide for a comfortable seated posture. Face the west and let the elements guide the rest.

The following are simply some suggestions for a sunset sitting meditation. If you find yourself inspired instead to practice a moving meditation of sunset salutations, then let the spirit of the day direct you. No matter how the day has presented itself, take time to tune in to the natural qualities of the shifting tide from day to night. It is a moment to be savored.

Sitting Meditation Suggestions

1. Sit comfortably with your spine aligned. Support your hips with elevation, if helpful.
2. Notice your first breath, especially focusing on the feeling of the exhalation.
3. Check your physical sensations scanning briefly from head to toe. Complete your scan by noticing the temperature of the air on your skin.
4. With gently closed eyes, take in the end of the day rays.
5. Let your breath become settled, natural, and not controlled. Watch your natural breath.
6. Listen to your environment.
7. Let the light, the sounds, the temperature--all the physical sensations of your surrounding environment remain present parts of your sitting.
8. Sit long enough to feel the subtle shift emanating from this particular time of day.
9. When you open your eyes at the end of your sitting, take in the quality of light that surrounds you.
10. Notice your first breath once your eyes are open, paying particular attention to your inhalation.

Om Shanti