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We all know that light and the sun is what sustains life on earth, without their energy there would be no higher existence than the strange alien-like fish at the bottom of the ocean. On top of this, most people know that getting some fresh air and sunlight is good for you, but most people don’t know the full benefits of getting a few hours of natural light a day.
From helping your mental and physical health, to balancing the energy in your home, or energizing your crystals, light from the sun is one of the most widely beneficial parts of nature!
As I mentioned, natural light can have huge effects on your mental and physical health. Regular exposure to sunlight are proven to make you more productive and calm, as well as regulating mood disorders including Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and depression.
Along with these important mental boosts, sunlight helps you physically too. When you’re under the Sun’s rays, you’re getting a direct flow of Vitamin D, giving you calcium deposits and aiding bone growth; it’s also known to prevent some types of cancer, heath disease, and weight gain. Being in daylight even helps you sleep better since it balances out and triggers the regulation of your Circadian Rhythm; and can help your vision, helping avoid near sightedness and vision sensitivity due to our time spent staring at screens.
Apart from just having sunlight in your space, the benefits of actually going outside are even more plenty. When you’re outside you’re exposed to clean air–fresh from plants producing oxygen and a breeze stirring the air around you. Being outside also gives you a new perspective which can boost creativity, concentration, and productivity. There’s even a practice of “Grounding” where you stand, sit, or lay on exposed earth or grass; considered beneficial because you’re able to feel and absorb the vibrations of the earth in a way you can’t when you’re wearing shoes or separated in some way, this balances your energy and makes you happier and healthier overall.
On top of all the physical benefits of sunlight, there’s a lot you can do with the metaphorical and spiritual aspects of it. In the idea of the Chinese practice of Feng Shui, sunlight can have a huge effect on the overall energy and feeling of your home. When considering the part of your home or apartment that faces the east side, you’re supposed to have a lot of areas to let light into your home. Sunrise and morning light brings healing and serenity, so it’s best to allow as much of it in as possible. Even including mirrors opposite the windows or doors could be beneficial, since mirrors reflect and amplify the energy that’s coming in. With light, it’s also important to make sure it’s not too bright during large portions of the days; it’s good to avoid creating hard shadows or overly bright areas, since they can throw the balance of the energy flow. Invest in some translucent shades or curtains so you can control he amount of light that comes in. Feng Shui also dictates that you keep in mind what colors your house is, as natural light amplifies the intention or mood of a color. Blue is for peace and calm, red for passion, green for motivation, pink for love, etc. Keep this in mind when choosing how much light to let in, and what type of energy you need in a space.
Finally, with great care, you can use sunlight to energize and set intentions for some of your crystals. With this, it’s best to first cleanse with sage, salt, water, rice, or on a selenite charging slab depending on what type of crystal you’re using. This will release any negative or fuzzy energy from the crystal, and prepare it for your desired use. Upon cleansing, try sitting and meditating with your crystal to set the intention of it, and then you can set it in a clean and peaceful space under sunlight to be energized. In this practice, sunrise or sunset is best so the energy of the sun is a bit more mellow and less overbearing or damaging to some crystals. It’s also important to only leave your crystal in the sun for an hour or two at a time to avoid having the color fade, but to do the energizing a couple days in a row to really absorb your intention.
I’m sure by now you can tell just how beneficial natural light is, and how wide it’s benefits spread. The sun can aide your life in mental, physical, spiritual, and energetic ways, as soon as you accept it’s abilities and give it a chance. Start out with trying to get out for 30 minutes every day (doing this in the morning is shown to help the most), and work to spend more time outside enjoying what nature has provided us with!