Believing in the power of human imagination
Mariko Tagami
Happy New Year!
Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to read the Utsushiki Staff Blog.
Thank you for your continued support this year!
We hope you will enjoy watching today's show while relaxing at the kotatsu.
Speaking of New Year's, in Ibaraki Prefecture where I grew up, it was like an event to watch the first sunrise on New Year's Day from Mount Tsukuba, Lake Kasumigaura, or the Pacific coast, and I remember looking forward to it even as a child.
The light of the rising sun has a special power that can wash away all evil.
It has been considered an important event since ancient times, as praying to the first sunrise of the new year erases the misfortunes of the previous year and ensures healthy and happy years for the coming year.
So that's why we call the sunrise "Gokaikou."
Even if it's not the light of sunrise, sunlight is said to stimulate the secretion of happy hormones in the brain and boost the immune system.
In the apartment complex in Kanagawa where I used to live, there was an old man sunbathing with his arms and legs spread as far as he could towards the sun ~ lol
Like my family, not everyone lives in front of the ocean or on top of a mountain where they can see the sunrise, so some of you may have missed the first sunrise of the year!
For those of you who are in this situation, today I would like to introduce the ``Sunrise Meditation'' that I practice, which automatically gets the happy hormones flowing!
① First, imagine the best sunrise you have ever seen, or prepare a special video or photo of the sunrise and look at it without straining your eyes. Please relax and enjoy the view.
The key point is the golden light that seems to melt into the horizon.
②Then, so that you don't forget the sunrise, close your eyes and imagine yourself enveloped in the sunrise.
Although we cannot see it, we are always surrounded by round vibrations. Imagine these vibrations shining golden like the light of a sunrise.
How did it make you feel? If you felt even a little warm, that's perfect.
Of course, even if you don't feel anything, just imagining it will give your brain the illusion that you are actually basking in the sunrise and will release happy hormones.
Try adding this to the end of your regular meditation routine, and have fun practicing it!
By the way, if you are not feeling well mentally
If you find the light of sunrise too strong, try starting with the image of a candle flame.
Let's make everyone happy in 2023!♡
So,
We hope that 2023 will be a year filled with smiles and happiness for everyone!
Mariko Tagami
