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S O A K up THE sun? Y E S
10 Tips and F U N - IDEAS
Researchers now think that we need 15 to 20 minutes of unprotected sun every day
for vital health and well-being. And there is something about becoming mindful of
the life-promoting energy of the sun that connects us with that force for growth in a
very powerful way.So here is a cornucopia of sun-drenched ideas for getting the
most out of your sunexperience. Try one or try a few–you too can be a sun-worshipper!
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1. Find a pleasant place in the sun and just sit there. If you wear glasses, remove
them so you can absorb the full spectrum. Feel the warmth on your skin: after
15 or 20 minutes, sniff your arm and enjoy the sun-warmed scent. If you’re
afraid you may fall asleep, take a timer with you!
2. Go for a sunny walk around your neighborhood, or explore someplace new.
Either way, you get sun and exercise, too.
3. Take your lunch break in the sun.
4. Make a pitcher of Sun Tea: Put 1 tea bag (Black, green, or herbal) per pint of
water in a glass container, and leave outside in the sun to steep for an hour.
Add sweetener and fresh mint, if you like, and drink a glass slowly during your
Sun Minutes.
5. Play with Prisms: Buy a prism, go outside, and make rainbows. Give some
thought to the wonder of bright light being made up of all those beautiful,
saturated colors.
6. This fascinating favorite never fails to amaze and amuse: using a magnifying
glass, capture sunlight in a small focused beam, shining it on a piece of paper
or a dry leaf. See how quickly it will begin to burn. Be careful: the sun is
powerful!
7. If you can’t get outside enough, or in the winter, use full-spectrum lighting.
Eight hours in this lighting only amounts to about 15 minutes of UV radiation.
Sunlight offers all the same color spectrum as the chakras: red, Orange,
yellow, green, Blue, indigo, Violet and white (the 8th chakra). We need a
balance of all those colors to feel whole.page 4 of 11
8. Do some gardening. If you don’t have the space for a big garden, plant
something in a terra cotta pot and tend it: it can be very soothing and
meditative to pluck off dead flower-heads or pull out weeds, to water and
nurture your plants. The sunlight you absorb while you do this is an added
benefit.
9. Read the daily newspaper in the sun. Look at your mail there, too!
10. If you are physically challenged, open a window facing the sun and sit beside
it for your 20 minutes. A friend of Annie’s takes time every morning to soak in
some sun, before coffee, breakfast, or anything else. This practice is similar to
the Native American tradition of making a prayer to the sunrise first thing
every morning, and then again at sunset.
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