(Bowie, Arizona) Stargazing is a perfect excuse to get out of the house and into wild open spaces.
Watching the stars was the foundation for humans’ understanding of time. “Because humanity evolved over years and years, there’s an ingrained personality attached to the night sky—people wish upon stars and count the stars. When we lose that connection to the sky, we lose part of our connection to nature,” says Mike Weasner, amateur astronomer and chair of the International Dark-Sky Association Dark Sky Places committee.
Research at IWU states that creating breaks from life in the highly-charged power grids of city lights and into natural darkness with an open view of the stars beneficially affects physical and mental health. They reported significantly less stress, and a more positive overall mood that resulted in getting along with others, with stronger feelings of awe at beauty.
Stargazing has increased ten-fold during the COVID lock-down according to Neill Sanders astrologer and founder of Go Stargazing. Visitors to Diamond Mountain Retreat Center in the foothills of the Chiricahuas tell stories about the astounding brilliance of stars they see there.
With sparse surrounding populations, a retreat center such as Diamond Mountain is the perfect getaway destination. Located just two hours east of Tucson, it’s tucked into remote rolling foothills with little else nearby. Each of the 30 eco-friendly cottages scattered around 1,000 privately-owned acres surrounded by BLM land is equipped with a telescope.
Staff on-hand cannot only talk about the wonders of the night sky, but also yoga, meditation, and the flora and fauna of the area. Retreat centers such as this one – in unpopulated and natural environs – are the perfect get away for these times of COVID and life in a modern power-gridded world.
For more reasons to be amazed and awed during evenings out-of-doors, not just from the scientists, go to
https://www.happiness.com/magazine/inspiration-spirituality/gazing-at-the-stars-what-is-stargazing/
When booking please add “Stargazer” in the comments box. Diamond Mountain is a 501c3, www.diamondmountain.org