Every single day the sun rises in the sky, bathing the world in light as it makes its way across to eventually sink back below the horizon. Sunsets are the sun’s parting gift, its promise to return just as colorfully as it went away. This sunset meditation is about that promise, and also about the journey through the night one must take to get from one day to the next.

While sunsets signal the end of the day, they also signal the beginning of the night. A turning point at which you know where you have been, but not exactly where you will be. Maybe not even exactly who you will be.

There is a sureness in daylight, in being able to more clearly see the world around you. When night falls some of this sureness goes with it as the world is bathed in shadow instead of light. But do not forget that the night has stars and sometimes even a moon.

This sunset meditation is about finding a moment of calm at the end of the day, a moment in which you can appreciate where you’ve been while also considering where you want to be. Night is just the path we take to arrive at the next day, a day full of opportunities to be more fully the version of yourself you would most like to be.

Use this sunset meditation to be a little more mindful of where you have been and where you are going, to cherish this moment in between living and growing.

Sunset Meditation

First, a quick word on meditation. If you are already an experienced meditator, feel free to skip on down to the next section. But if this is your first time meditating there are some helpful things to keep in mind.

Perhaps the most important thing to know is that it is common for people’s minds to wander while meditating. If you find yourself lost in thought that has nothing to do with sunset meditations, well, you are normal.

Meditation is a skill that takes practice, and most brains have years and years of practicing constantly leaping from one thought to the next, not staying in one thought and sitting with it for a while.

Or if they do, then it tends to be rumination about something that is going wrong or a mistake that you have made. Meditation is kind of like rumination in that you are dwelling on and exploring one thing or idea, but in a light and imaginative way rather than a heavy and exhausting kind of way.

So, if you find yourself thinking about life things instead of about sunset meditation things, that is okay. When you notice yourself doing it, just acknowledge that your mind has wandered and bring your thoughts back to the meditation at hand.

Also, keep in mind that you do not have to follow this sunset guided meditation script word for word. Once you have read it a time or two, feel free to use your imagination to picture it on your own. It is a great foundation for building something uniquely yours.

Prepare for Your Sunset Meditation

In preparation for this sunset meditation script, try to find a comfortable place where you can be for a bit without getting too hot or cold. It is helpful to limit distractions. Remember, it is natural for your mind to wander while meditating, and limiting distractions helps it to wander a little less.

Find a position that is comfortable, without crossing your legs or arms if possible so that you will not need to uncross them later. Once you have read through the script once or twice and are able to meditate without it if you want to, feel free to close your eyes to limit visual distractions as well.

Begin to settle your thoughts and emotions by focusing on your breathing. Breathe in and out, noticing the way your lungs swell and your abdomen rises and falls. Once you have found a comfortable rhythm with your breathing, feel free to begin your sunset meditation.

Begin Your Sunset Meditation

Imagine yourself somewhere outside or in front of a large window, someplace where you feel safe and comfortable, where you can see the horizon and the sun slowly descending below it. Breathe easy, in and out, as you picture the colors of the sky as day relinquishes its hold on the sun.

Envision the hues of orange, peach, and pink as the sunset begins, seeing the way these colors reach up and up into a sky that is becoming a deeper and deeper blue. Notice that the same clouds that made the day a little gloomy now serve as brilliant focal points, adding depth and drama to a sunset that would otherwise be altogether straightforward if still beautiful.

Just as the clouds continue on from the day into the night, so will you. But for now, sit in peace and notice the sunset. Take a moment to really focus on the colors, the way they are so distinct in some places, but blend into each other in different places.

Deepen

Your day has had moments like these colors; moments that came into being because of the moments before and then disappeared as they shifted into the moments after. Perhaps some of these moments were triumphs, perhaps some of them were spent merely exisiting and willing the next moments to come, and still others might have been spent experiencing pain or suffering.

During some of these moments you might have been exactly the person you aspire to be, while at other moments you may have seen a version of yourself who still has some room to grow. All of these moments came and went–started, stayed, and then left.

So this moment too will only exist for a time and then will pass on into something new. The sun will set, night will arrive, and then soon enough day will too.

If your mind has begun to wander to the day you have just experienced, or perhaps on to the day ahead, that is alright. Just take a deep breath and return your thoughts to the moment at hand, to the sunset you have imagined, and to this space of peace and openness you have created for yourself.

Internalize

Move your attention back to the colors of the sunset, to the way they have deepened as time has passed, and how fiercely they glow despite the fact that they have been radically changed from what they were moments ago and will radically change again as the sun’s light disappears.

Let your mind wander for a moment to think of ways that you have changed. In some ways, you have stretched and grown, in others, you have become more rigid and hard. However you have changed, there is still plenty of room inside of you to further change.

You are aware of areas in which you would like to continue learning and growing. Do not fret at the idea that you are not yet perfect; being able to grow, to lean more into those areas of yourself that you would like to flourish, is good. Having tasks to work toward, things to improve, and dreams to manifest into reality, is good.

This is what gives life purpose, after all. Knowing there is room to grow and striding confidently toward it. So take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, and let it go knowing that your life and your future have purpose.

End

Breathe again, in and out, and each time you breathe out allow yourself to feel peace. Peace knowing that even though this day is ending, the night is still ahead, and tomorrow will be here soon. Knowing that where you are today does not determine where you will be tomorrow.

When you are ready, bring your awareness back to the room and the world around you. Keep breathing and allow yourself to open your eyes, to bring yourself out of your imagination and into the present.

As you go forward back into your day or your night, give yourself a moment to feel gratitude for this moment of peace you have given yourself. Know that this choice you have made to be open and kind to yourself right now is a good one, and let these emotions carry you back into your life.

Not ready for it to end? Check out more meditations below:

Winter Meditation Script: Finding Peace in Storms

Warmth and Light: A Summer Solstice Guided Meditation

Spring Guided Imagery: Respite Between Extremes

Autumn Meditation for Moving Forward & Letting Go

Night Sky Meditation for Rest and Rejuvenation