Sun Benefits

Mental health

Sunshine can have so many ways of improving your mental health and lift your mood. Sunlight and darkness trigger hormone responses in your brain. Sunlight triggers the release of serotonin, and serotonin boosts mood and helps the person become calm and focused (the focused part is why most offices would improve with a window to natural sunlight).

Without enough sun exposure your serotonin levels can dip into dangerously low levels which cause the mental disorder SAD (seasonal affective disorder or seasonal depression) which is caused by there being less sunlight in winter/fall where days are shorter, but there is a helpful treatment to this with light therapy which copies natural sunlight and helps boost serotonin and reduces excess melatonin (hormone caused by darkness). Sunlight has also been proven to help reduce anxiety-related disorders! Source

Physical Health

Natural sunlight also helps with multiple physical health attributes. Sunlight rays cause the skin to create vitamin D which plays a big role in bone health. The majority of people who spend at least 30 minutes in the sun a day have decreased chances of bone-wasting diseases (like osteoporosis and osteomalacia).

Another benefit is cancer prevention although excess sunlight can contribute to skin cancer those who live in places with fewer daylight hours tend to have a higher chance to get colon cancer,hodgkin's lymphoma,ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer and multiple RNs and doctors have recommended light therapy (or exposure to sunlight) to cure psoriasis, eczema, jaundice, and acne while light therapy might not be for everyone it can benefit to certain skin concerns!

Sunlight helps so many different physical health issues so at least 15-30 minutes of exposure is recommended!! Source

Spiritual Beliefs

The sun has been a source of fascination and wonder for humans for thousands of years, multiple cultures have worshiped it as a deity and it has been used in various spiritual practices.

In Native American culture the sun is revered as a vital source of life,spiritual power, and healing energy. It serves as a guide for ceremonies and rituals, symbolizing clarity, direction, and the interconnectedness of all living things. The sun's movements are honored through seasonal celebrations and rituals that emphasize balance, harmony, and a deep connection to ancestors and the natural world.

In ancient Greek mythology, the sun was personified as Helios, who drove a chariot across the sky each day. Helios was considered a god of light, bringing illumination and warmth to the world. His role was integral to the daily cycle of life, and he symbolized power, clarity, and divine presence in the heavens. Worshiped and revered, Helios represented the eternal force of the sun that sustained life and inspired awe among the ancient Greeks.

In ancient Egyptian spiritual beliefs, the sun was embodied by the god Ra, who was considered the creator and ruler of the universe. Ra was depicted as a powerful deity with the sun as his visible manifestation. He symbolized light, warmth, growth, and the cycle of life and death. Ra's journey across the sky each day represented the eternal renewal of life and the triumph of light over darkness. Egyptians worshiped Ra fervently, believing his benevolence sustained both the physical and spiritual realms, making him central to their religious practices and cosmology.

It's also very meaningful in a ton of other cultures (for example aztec, japanese, norse, ican, celtic, hindu, chinese, maori, and many more! Source

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