Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
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Sun's up
This morning I saw the sun rising above the trees of Hyde Park for the first time this year as I drove to work in central London. And what an uplifting sight it was after all the grey and cold weather we've been having, it seems that with the longer hours of daylight, spring is truly on its way.
There is something about the sun that helps us feel jolly; when the sun is shining, we are smiling. 'When the sun has got its hat on', particularly for days on end, then our jollity can become somewhat depressed. We also do not benefit from its significant healing powers.
Concerns over the risk of skin cancer from excessive exposure to the sun has probably detracted from the many benefits to be gained from moderate and safe 'sun-bathing'; such healing from sunlight is called Heliotherapy. It has been understood for centuries that sunlight has wonderful healing powers, from healing wounds and recovery from illness including lung diseases. Although we gain vitamin D from our diets, apparently it is not sufficient to maintain healthy bones and avoid loss of calcium, so safe exposure to daylight for our bodies to create vitamin D is very important to maintain healthy bones. Exposure to sunshine also helps our body to create the feel-good brain chemical serotonin which helps lift our mood, improve our sex drive and avoid depression. Seeing the sun at 6.15am this morning certainly lifted my spirits!
We all know that there are dangers in over exposing to sunlight and if we ever see a slight redness in our skin and senstive sting of having had too much sun, the damage has been done long before we even became aware. It is important to use high quality sun protection against UVA and UVB. Most importantly we should avoid prolonged periods in the sun; just a mere 20 minutes of morning sunlight before it gets intense, provides all the benefits we need, for health and happiness.
Why am I writing about sunlight in late March when the weather forecast is for snow and freezing conditions this weekend? Having enjoyed the dazzling sunlight over Hyde Park this morning, it seems so unseasonal to be considering concerns that normally do not enter our thoughts until early summer. And that's why; in summer it's easy to get bright light, but in winter it is much harder so it's even more important. Winter is a time when we can all feel a little low, and any opportunity to get out of the office or home to gain some time in bright light is going to help us feel good and keep us healthy. Frequent and short periods of sunlight are far better and less risky than occasional long ones. So, with longer brighter days coming, it's as good a time as any to start enjoying just a bit of sun.
More information about the health benefits of sunlight are on What Really Works. Consult your doctor if you have concerns.
