Awe Hunting is one tiny way to bring more magic, presence and mindfulness into your day to day.
It is free, it is fun, and it is effective.
Summer kicks off with so many beautiful things and great new energy. I love the abundance of Pride Parades and LGBQT+ events around the globe. Not everything is roses and rainbows, but it is very powerful for your mental health and wellness to have a few micro tools in your mindfulness toolbox to help you stay grounded.
Feel More Grounded in the Present Moment
One of my favorite concepts is awe-hunting. I learned this from the incredible Jane Clapp. She is a mentor of mine who is a trauma-informed coach, healer, professor, and somatic expert. She planted this idea in me a couple of years ago in a workshop I attended. It doesn’t need to be rainbows, but that is what I have been awe-hunting for the past year or so. Previously it was butterflies; before that, it was dragonflies, and before that, it was just patterns in nature like the Fibonacci spiral. You might already do this but don’t have a term for it; it is a natural thing children do!
The idea is that you go through your day just being a tiny bit extra present, looking for something that brings you awe: the moon, a star in the sky, a sun ray, a moment with another animal, a bird that shows up every day, a certain kind of animal you keep watch for, etc. The possibilities are endless. Everything is nature – what sparks a sentiment of awe in your being? Just take a few extra seconds each day to smell the roses, so to speak, but make it personal; that’s the fun part; it becomes a fun little spiritual or mindful game between you and the Universe.
Rainbows are just what I’ve personally chosen to tune into lately. So where do I find rainbows every day? Sometimes, when walking down the stairs in the reflections of the reflectors on my kid’s bikes, there are little rainbows on the walls. Sometimes washing dishes or even when you’re sudsing up in the shower if the sun is coming in or light is reflecting just right, you can see a reflection of a little rainbow in the bubbles in the suds. When I’m journaling in the morning with a plastic Bic pen, I’ll get a ring of rainbow reflected on the page through the pen.
Sometimes you have real luck and see a rainbow in the sky after a rainstorm. And that is one of the most epic experiences, especially if it’s a double rainbow! Especially if you can see both ends of the arch. This happened last fall when we were in Napa, leaving an extraordinary event that I know my dad, who passed on, would have loved to attend. I felt his presence at this event, one of his best friend’s 70th birthday parties. Driving away from the event, we saw a double-arched rainbow, one of the most vibrant rainbows I’d ever seen – a divine spark of alignment and reminder that everything is in order.
It’s just one of nature’s ways of reminding us how spectacular the planet is. How spectacular life is, the bounty, the abundance. So that’s just my little thing, rainbows. Sometimes, let’s say, like, I’m searching for something in Google, and an option comes up, and it’s a logo, or there’s an image with a rainbow or reflection, something that reminds me of rainbows. And you know, I look at that as a sign that everything is in alignment and will be okay. It’s like how I allow the universe to remind me that everything is connected and working out. I see it as this little boost of energy, a spark of awe, beauty, and magic you can find in your everyday life if you slow down and look for it.
So that is awe hunting; I invite you to think of what keeps you in awe about nature and how you can maybe look for that every day.
June is a great month to get outside, be more present in nature, and celebrate those rainbows!
Wellness as a Way of Life
Awe Hunting in one lesson we touch on inside my new course Wellness As A Way of Life in Module 7 | Mastering our mindfulness toolbox.
- Mindfulness vs. Embodiment
- 5 Senses Living
- Mindful Matrix
- Awe Hunting
- Personal Get Grounded Menu
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Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
