Two weeks ago, I met my husband, Billy, out in Hana with Ryder and his two friends. He had spent the first night with the boys and then met me at Hamoa with three tired teenagers. He mentioned that they had been up since sunrise.

As the boys napped on the beach, I took in the beauty of Hamoa...our favorite beach on Maui. Being in nature allows for your nervous system to relax. For some reason, Hana seems to take it a step beyond and I felt like I was being “held” energetically in a loving and supportive way.

We camped out in Kipahulu by the 'Ohe'o pools. Between games of hide and seek and burnt s’mores, the boys were in heaven. When I woke early the next morning, I took the long way to reach the ocean to watch the sunrise. When I got there, I couldn’t believe what I saw....the three boys standing out there to watch the sunrise for themselves. It about moved me to tears...that three 14-year-old boys would choose to get up and take in the wonder of a sunrise. With the recent disasters and chaos in the world, it gave me a sense of hope that I hadn’t felt in awhile.

Dan Bova, a writer for “Entrepreneur" writes, "Experts including Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., co-director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC-Berkeley, have researched the mental and physical benefits of experiencing awe—defined as witnessing something that is vast, difficult to even comprehend, and, well, awesome. Research has found that being around something that brings on awe leads to a reduction in stress, an increase in open-mindedness, and a sense of being a part of something bigger and greater than ourselves."

As part of a healthy mindfulness practice, get outside and experience the AWEsomeness of Maui. Especially when you are feeling down—know that there will always be a sunrise after the darkness of the nights. And, there will ALWAYS be rainbows after the storms we experience in our lives.