In anticipation of the solar eclipse, I read an article about the health benefits of experiencing awe. It made me pause and ask myself – how often in our busy, fast-paced world do I take the time to notice the beauty around me?

Like many people, I won’t see the total eclipse from where I live, but I will be able to catch a glimpse of a partial eclipse. Surely this is an extraordinary way to experience awe and reap its mental, physical, and emotional benefits. But what about all the other days, the ones that aren’t marked by a special occasion, celestial or otherwise? Where is awe on a run-of-the-mill sort of day?

It's easy for daily schedules to take up the moments that could otherwise be spent gazing at a colorful sunset, a flowing river, or the vibrant green of a newly sprouted plant in the spring. When this happens, we miss out on the peace and broader perspective that comes with awe. But maybe it doesn’t have to be that hard, maybe awe doesn’t have to be something that requires extra time and effort, like a task on a to-do list. Maybe it can be simpler than that, something that’s already part of our immediate surroundings, right here and now…and it’s just a matter of allowing awe to become part of our consciousness, part of our awareness.

A few things come to mind that we all experience every day:

Billions of cells and neurons, woven together in our brains, make it possible to think, remember, and communicate.
The force of gravity naturally grounds us to the earth, with no effort on our part, giving reassurance and stability with every step.
Air, a life-giving substance that cannot be seen, moves continuously in and around us as we breathe.

I invite you to open your eyes to the space around you and notice something that inspires a sense of awe. Allow your heart to be warmed with appreciation for it, and feel a glowing, soft energy inside. Allow the feeling of awe to envelope you, if even for a moment, and know that you can tap into it anywhere, anytime.