LOOKING UP | SKYGAZING | HEALTH BENEFITS
Want Things To Look Up? Then Look Up.
The Joys Of Skygazing
As a very busy week draws to a close, I came across Dennett’s post about Looking Up (link below). As she points out, the concept of looking up can be interpreted in many ways. However, my busy week inclines me to take it literally.
For me, as for many others, being busy means looking at a screen for much of the time. Looking up — at sky, clouds, trees — is something I do to get away from too much screentime.
Skyscapes always have a new story to tell. In the one above, I can see three fantasy dogs play-chasing across the sky. Watching the story unfold is a great way to clear your mind of the minutiae of life’s minor annoyances.
Some skyscapes are worth taking the time to stand and watch as the picture is painted across the massive canvas. It’s hard to take in a spectacle like this without absorbing some of the tranquility of the scene— a great way to relax after a busy day.
Aside from mood enhancement, sky gazing has some specific health benefits. Exposure to natural light is good news for your circadian rhythms and sleeping patterns. When you are outside under a blue sky, you are exposed to sunlight, something not to be overdone, but key in allowing your skin to produce vitamin D.
Additionally, and especially for the screen junkies amongst us, the sky provides some well-needed relaxation for the eyes. Gazing at the sky or the far horizon provides a form of visual relaxation for eye muscles strained from focusing on screens for extended periods.
If you want things to look up, then looking up is a good start, but even the literal interpretation can turn itself on its head. In this last photo, I was looking down — but treetops and sky still took centre stage.
Tagging some people who might like to join in Dennett’s Weeds & Wildflowers challenge, with a request to let me know if you already have and I’ve missed it (it has been a very busy week!): Susan Alison, Anne Bonfert, Kim Zuch, Ellie Jacobson, pockett dessert, Erika Burkhalter, Barb Dalton 🇺🇦, Pene Hodge, K. Barrett, Mia Verita, Louise Peacock.