Waking with the Sun
In many Indigenous communities, waking with the sun is seen as the first blessing of the day. In waking up to a new day, giving gratitude to the sun as it rises honors our place in the natural world.
Health Benefits:
Mental Health
Cardiovascular health
Stress reduction
Health Condition:
Anxiety
Cardiovascular Disease
Depression
Method of Use:
Cultural Narrative
Several community members discussed the importance of honoring the cycles and rhythms of the natural world. Offering prayers and gratitude to the sun, often referred to as “father sun”, honors the important role of the sun in sustaining life both physically and spiritually.
One community describes how her father would wake her and her siblings before sunrise. She noted that her father explained that waking before the sun would avoid the “day spirits” instilling laziness, procrastination, and disorganization. The teaching emphasized building the habit and responsibility of waking early and starting the day with physical movement.