Are You Ready for It?
And a meditation to help you feel calm.
Hello. Are you ready for it?
On Monday, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. If you won’t be in the path of the eclipse you can watch a NASA broadcast of it. I highly recommend you do so.
Communal experiences are mostly of our own making. As a nation, and with the help of the news and social media, we concoct things for entertainment and then talk about them endlessly. We stage an annual out-sized Super Bowl, complete with a slew of sideshows. There’s the Puppy Bowl, halftime entertainment, and a national conversation about advertising. People place bets on the Super Bowl — about 23 billion dollars worth. It’s big business, all made to entertain.
A total solar eclipse, however, is a rare product of the natural world. It happens without human intervention. It is completely beyond our control. There is no way to stop, delay, or alter it. Therein lies exactly what makes it so special. Nature is bigger than we are. We can only stand in wonder.
I know, we humans have turned this into big business too. People are selling branded safety glasses (wear protective eyewear and beware of fakes!) and have created travel tours. People are coming from all over the world to marvel at the spectacle. It will undoubtedly be the subject of much small talk and news coverage on Monday.
People who chase eclipses describe being in one as true awe, as being part of something greater than yourself. If you can witness the eclipse in person, try to savor the experience and tune in with all your senses. Take photos to remember the moment, but also put your camera down. See what you can hear and feel. Many people will only look up, but if you look around, your surroundings may fascinate you. Colors will shift. At the eclipse's peak, or totality, the sky will get as dark as night. The temperature will drop. Notice how that feels on your skin. Animals will stir. Listen to how birds react. Spectators may hoop and holler, or things may quiet depending on your location. If you are in the direct path, white strings of light from the sun’s corona will be visible. If the circumstances and weather are right, a thin, pink circle will appear around the moon's edges.
While 30 million people in the US live directly in the path and can see the total eclipse, most people will have the opportunity to witness at least a partial eclipse. It’s a great reminder to take a break from our jaded lives and remember that there are things much bigger than us.
Once the moon recedes again, the sun will return to its usual brightness. Try to appreciate that daily too. The sun is always there —even if it is hidden behind clouds. Our existence depends upon it.
Here is a short meditation that will, hopefully, add some calm to your day.
Moment of Calm Meditation
Thanks for being here. See you next week.