Embracing Dawn: A Universal Sunrise Ritual Inspired by E Ala Ē
“The sun rose, and I remembered—I am not apart from this world. I am part of its rising.”
This Is Where You Begin
Every sunrise silently invites us to step into the light of a new day—not just with our eyes, but with our whole being. Across the world, from the shores of Hawaiʻi where E Ala Ē was born, to the quiet corner of your living room, this invitation extends—a promise of renewal and reconnection.
You may come to this ritual to greet the day—but what greets you in return is something older, deeper, and already living inside you.
The Roots of the Ritual
E Ala Ē, meaning “awaken” and “arise,” adapts beautifully to the geography of each participant. For those of us who have had the privilege to engage with this ritual, in the Islands of Hawaiʻi, the practice begins by facing the inland sunrise, with chants that welcome the emerging sun from over the mountains. As the sun ascends, the ritual shifts—participants turn to honor the ocean, acknowledging the interconnectedness of land and sea. This movement from land to water symbolizes the journey from darkness to light, a recognition of our ongoing renewal. In contrast, those on the eastern shores of the islands, or anywhere the sun rises over water, may begin by facing the ocean itself, folding the elements together in their own way.
Why You Might Long for This Ritual
In the rush of modern life, we often start the day on autopilot. This ritual answers the longing to feel grounded, to begin from a place of connection rather than fragmentation. It offers a return to the web of life—a reminder that you are part of the Earth’s rhythms, not apart from them.
To call to the sun, to participate in its rising, is to remember your place in the greater unfolding.
When life swirls, when you lose your way, you can come back to the ground, and the sun, which renews itself daily.
Your Sunrise Ritual
1. Prepare Your Space
Choose a location where the horizon is visible and you can clearly see the sunrise. This could be outdoors, or from a window that faces east.
If you wish, bring in a few simple natural elements: a bowl of water, a stone, a flower. These are not required. The ritual is already happening. You are simply arriving to meet it.
Let your hands arrange the space with care. Let your body orient toward the light. Let your senses begin to widen.
2. Ground Yourself
Stand barefoot if possible, allowing your feet to touch directly to the soil, grass, or whatever floor you are standing on. Gently twist your feet back and forth, letting your soles root into the ground beneath you.
Take a moment to recognize the pull of gravity—a force that connects you to the Earth, shaping every aspect of your physical being. As you breathe, notice how the breath draws you inward, and gravity draws you down. Let your body respond to this remembering. Let the ground rise to meet you.
Notice if a word, a desire, or a quiet longing begins to stir within you. You don’t need to name it yet. Just let it come with you into the ritual.
This is where the ritual begins: by remembering that your body belongs to the land. No matter how far you feel from it, the Earth is always beneath you. This practice creates a place to land, again and again.
3. Invoke the Light
As the sky begins to brighten, stand facing the direction of the rising sun. Rooted to the Earth, lift your voice—not to perform, but to participate. This is not about making something happen. The sun will rise. You are here to meet it, to offer your voice to the living world.
Listen to the chant below.
Let it enter your body before it leaves your lips.
(Embedded recording goes here — upload to your website or a platform like SoundCloud and embed the audio player.)
You may begin with this chant:
The first six lines are sung—a rhythmic call to the sun and to the living world. The final four lines are spoken aloud—clear, grounded, and offered as a declaration of presence.
This distinction honors both the rhythm and the shift in tone—letting the sung lines move energy, and the spoken lines land it in the body.
Sung:
Aloha E, Aloha Mai.
Aloha E, Aloha Mai.
Aloha E, Aloha Mai.
Aloha E, Aloha Mai.
Hello. Hello.
I come with Love.
Spoken:
To listen to and participate with the living universe.
To be shaped by the breath of the Earth.
To rise with the light and return to the ground.
To remember I belong, again and again.
Repeat it as many times as feels right.
Let the chant rise with the light.
Let your voice ripple outward like water.
Let your breath widen with the sky.
Let your feet remember the Earth.
Let your body remember it belongs.
4. Connect with Water
Dip your fingers into the bowl of water, if you have one. Touch your forehead, your heart, your belly—any place that calls for remembrance.
This is not symbolic. Water lives in you. It connects you to clouds, to rivers, to blood and bone, to ancestors and storm systems and the nourishment of seeds.
Let the water bless what you already know but may have forgotten.
5. Set Your Intention with the Rising Sun
As the sun continues to rise, ask yourself:
What wants to wake up in me today?
What am I willing to participate in, to serve, to honor?
Let your intention be simple. Let it rise from within. Speak it aloud or silently:
“As the sun rises, I rise in reverence and reciprocity.”
Or, “Today, I remember I belong to the living world.”
Or whatever your body speaks in response.
Let your spine lengthen with the light. Let your intention settle like dew.
6. Holding the Light
Before you move on, pause. Bow to the sun. Thank the Earth beneath you. Feel the echo of your voice, your breath, your body now reconnected.
Carry this feeling forward into your day—not as an achievement, but as a returning. Let your movements echo the rhythm of morning. Let your awareness carry the trace of something ancient and tender.
This is how we begin to weave ourselves back—into the web of the world, and the remembering of our bodies.
Stay Connected
If this ritual touched something in you—
a longing to begin your days differently,
to return to the ground of your body,
to participate more fully in the living world—
I offer 1:1 sessions, courses, and spaces to explore this kind of presence with care. You can learn more at thewildcraftedmysteryschool.com or jacquiedonahue.com.
Or come sit with me each week on The Wildcrafted Wednesdays Podcast—
real conversations with real people waking up to the mystery of their lives.
In the warmth of the rising light,
Jacquie
