Sun Influences
Keep your face towards the sunshine,
and shadows will fall behind you.
– Walt Whitman
Here comes the Sun…
You don’t have to be a sun worshipper to love a bright sunny day. It has been proven that people are happier when the sun shines. If like me you suffer with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), seeing the sun makes a massive difference to my happiness.
So why does the sun make us happier?
Well, the sun helps to increase SEROTONIN, the happy hormone, which improves mental well-being. Spending some time in the sunshine and exposing our skin to the warm rays for 10-15 minutes will also help with the production of VITAMIN D. This is a key vitamin which aids our bodies to reduce inflammation, promote cell growth and help build stronger bones and teeth.
Without the SUN there would be no life on earth.
Some cool, or should I say ‘hot‘ facts about the SUN:
1) The sun is 150 million kms from the earth. It would take an aeroplane flying at 500mph over 19.5 years to reach it.
2) The temperature on the sun’s surface is 5600 celsius (which is 10,000 fahrenheit) and at its core the temperature rises to an astonishing 15,000,000 celsius (27,000,000 fahrenheit).
3) The sun’s magnetic poles flip approximately every 11 years. With the next scheduled occurrence to happen in 2025. This event impacts our weather due to the increase in solar flares.
4) The sun is the largest object in our solar system with a diameter of 1.4 million kms (865,000 miles).
5) The sun is approx. 4.6 billion years old.
The sun is a dynamic star at the heart of our SOLAR SYSTEM. All the planets, including earth, revolve around it.
Think back to school days and you may well remember that the earth also tilts on its axis while it orbits the sun and this creates our seasons. This is why we have spring and autumn equinoxes, along with the summer and winter solstices (remembering that the southern hemisphere is the opposite from the north of the equator).
As human beings we cannot directly create energy in our bodies from the sun, however, we get it in the plants we eat which uses photosynthesis to convert energy into complex sugars. Although, we have coding in our DNA which allows us to produce certain proteins used by our retina to detect light. Sunlight also plays a huge part in our sleep by influencing our internal body clock (known as circadian rhythm – click here to find out more).
This is only skimming the surface of how the sun influences our lives and I hope you, if you don’t already, will appreciate our SUN STAR at the heart of our universe much more.
ENERGY PRACTICE: ‘WELCOME A NEW DAY’
A morning practice to energise your Mind, Body and SOUL
This is a great way to start your day. Stand at a window (ideally open) facing the sun, alternatively you could stand in a garden (perhaps even barefoot on the grass, grounding at the same time) and say the 3 affirmations listed below, one at a time, as you do the practice.
Start with your arms stretched wide out out to the sides. Then as you say the first affirmation slowly draw your open outstretched arms in towards your heart area, placing your hands across centre of your breastbone (heart chakra). Inhale a deep breath and then a slow exhale. Repeat for the next two affirmations.
1) I am grateful for the energy of a new day
2) I receive the blessings the Universe bestows on me with gratitude
3) Today is a great day – all is well in my world
Use this practice on a daily basis (even in winter) to recharge your body’s energy systems and begin your day on a positive note.
If you wish to know more about how the SUN influences us-
CLICK HERE to listen/watch the Heart and Soul Show episode
