It's been about 2 months since we've had any real sun here in Ojai, CA and it's reminded me when I was in college in Boston, MA and the counselor called students from CA (I think there 5 of us) into her office to talk about the upcoming winter and the emotional and mental "blues" that can happen when you're not able to be outside in the sun.

It' a real thing!

"Decreased sun exposure has been associated with a drop in your serotonin levels, which can lead to major depression with seasonal pattern. The light-induced effects of serotonin are triggered by sunlight that goes in through the eye. Sunlight cues special areas in the retina, which triggers the release of serotonin.(1)  According to scientists 5-15 min daily of sun if you're lighter skinned and up to 30 min if your darker skinned are a great amount of time without causing health problems (longer if you use suncreen) (2)  Information has also been gathered that during the winter months our body need longer amounts of sunlight to obtain the same levels of Vit D than the summer months (3)

One of my medical Qigong teacher's used to ask us "How much are you experiencing the energy of the sun, the moon, the stars, the seas, mountains, etc?... Or are you taking these energizing elements for granted?"

For example, do you go out at night and really notice the stars? Are you only looking straight ahead, or at the ground, (or your phone 😊) and not engaging with the natural gifts of energizers all around you?

We have these amazing "energizers' all over our planet that most people take for granted. But if we can begin to connect more with the natural elements of our planet and universe (sun, moon, stars, galaxies) our emotional frequency will naturally balance.

So if you've been dealing with some emotional ups and downs, please consider engaging with these divinely gifted natural "energizers." 

I.e. - Just touching a green leaf, breathing in the essence of the flowers, running your fingers through grass, holding a rock, are all wonderful practices to begin to attune to the elements around you.

"Taking in the sun" an easy practice:  

• Go outside and connect your crown chakra (top of your head) to the sun and allow it to rain into your crown chakra and down through the center of your body.  Allowing the cells in your body to breathe in the light of the sun.
• For balancing the Qi (energy) in your body -Take long and even breaths in and out through your nose while doing this practice.
• Do this for 5 min. a day. (of course protecting your skin if needed).
• You can sit or stand - but always maintain an aligned posture with your spine elongated so your breathing (your diaphragm muscle) can move to its maximum length.

As a side note - when I've lived in large cities, I've done this practice on my balcony and allowed my mind to visualize standing in an open field or at the ocean. There are times when I didn't have access to a balcony and I've had to sit inside a window and just feel the sunlight radiate into my body. The key is to stay connected to the elements of nature and understand their energizing quality. So if you need to improvise please do!

Just a little weekend exploration that I hope will support you... 😊

Have a beautiful day.

Lot's of love,

Dr. Maria