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I was coming back from a short trip to a beach town in the Northern Rio de Janeiro comfortably sitting in the front passenger seat. I had just swum in crystal clear water, eaten fresh fish, and had a few sips of a capirinha, now feeling fully relaxed. The sun was about to set, and I was fully absorbed by the mesmerizing show that was being put on in front of me on the sky. The clouds were playfully morphing into unimaginable shapes, the sun shining right through them: a dragons would turn into a turtle, then suddenly becoming a castle. The colors started to change slowly, from blinding yellow, to bright orange, deep red, then pale violet, finally disappearing in graying hues. When I became aware of myself, I realized I was having a what I can only describe as an orgasmic experience. It was as if the sunset had penetrated my whole being and I was fully taken by its glorious beauty, breathless yet fully present. I could feel this experience in every cell of my body, losing myself fully in the fleeting eternity.
I tried to share my intimate experience with my husband, but it almost felt inappropriate. It dawned on me that this was exactly what I was always struggling to accomplish with endless attempts at meditations and mindfulness exercises. Being aware and fully awake, experiencing the present moment with uttermost awareness and awe, melting the self away in the glorious whole.