Sun-gazing is a practice that has been used by most religions, spiritual traditions, and organisms since the dawn of time.
Unfortunately, most people are unaware that there’s a healing benefit to watching the sunrise and sunset. Even those who are in the know don’t know the scientific and biological reasons why it works.
This article will serve as a comprehensive guide to explain every aspect of sun-gazing, why it works well, and how to do it properly.
The Cultural & Religious Perspective
Consider the emotional and mental benefits that watching sunrise and sunset offer.
A sunrise or sunset creates a feeling of awe, which in and of itself calms the psyche. Furthermore, it creates a spiritual connection to something greater than oneself.
Sun-gazing is a part of damn near every major religion and system of spiritual thought.
In Christianity, the rising and setting of the sun symbolizes new beginnings and endings.
In Hinduism, the daily ritual known as “Sandhyavandanam” involve prayers and meditations performed during sunrise and sunset.
In Islam, some daily prayers coincide with the rising and setting of the sun. The dawn (Fajr) and evening (Maghrib) prayers are performed during these times.
Native American spirituality includes sacred rituals around sun-gazing.
In some Buddhist traditions, it serves as a form of meditative practice.
This is ancestral, timeless wisdom at its finest.
Rayleigh Scattering
This phenomenon is why sunrises and sunsets appear orange or red. When the sun is near the horizon, its light has to pass through more of the atmosphere. As a result, blue and green light wavelengths get scattered, leaving the red light spectrum untouched.
This is where the magic happens because the red light spectrum offers incredible potential for healing. You get a level healing on a biological level that doesn’t occur anywhere else.
Cue mitochondrial function.
We know that the nano-motors within mitochondria only operate on two things:
1. Free electrons (from food & grounding)
2. Red light wavelengths
From a biological perspective, sun-gazing boosts your ability to produce energy and that enhances every system within the body.
Cue non-visual photoreceptors.
Many non-visual photoreceptors of the eyes, skin, and brain thrive on red/NIR light.
Some detect other colors:
Melanopsin (blue)
Rhodopsin (green)
Neuropsin (ultraviolet)]
Chromophores like melanin soak it up to prime the skin for high UV-A and UV-B conditions.
Cue regenerative red/NIR light.
The red light spectrum is responsible for regeneration at the quantum level.
42% of sunlight is IR-A.
This percentage rises dramatically during sunrise and sunset.
UV, natural blue light, and other wavelengths offer immense therapeutic benefit as well We’re solely focused on the red light spectrum here due to the context.
What kind of healing is involved?
Melanoma Protection
Red light in the 640 nm range inhibits melanoma proliferation and alter tumor micro-environments.
Hair Growth & Hair Follicle Health
Skin Enhancement
The red light spectrum is also a powerful way to reset the circadian rhythm.
Low-level light therapy (LLLT) using red to near-infrared light energy has profound impacts on the eyes, brain, and many disease models.
Eye Regeneration
One excellent example of red light spectrum power through sun-gazing is in eye regeneration. The optic nerve head and retinal ganglion cells contain mitochondria.
Going back to what I said earlier about how mitochondria operate, you can see the regenerative potential involved. Of course, there are other factors as well including avoiding artificial light at night, but this is real.
I’ve had many people approach me after I spoke on this subject relaying the same sentiment that their eye health has improved in multiple ways after routinely introducing sun-gazing and other methods.
The picture is clear.
Sun-gazing is the single greatest way to heal yourself and maintain optimal metabolic health. Now, the question comes into play..
“How do I sun-gaze properly?”
Here’s a checklist:
Sun-gazing is only to be practiced in the first hour following sunrise or before sunset
Ideally, do it grounded on a natural Earth surface to tap into the DC current + gather free electrons + enhance the efficiency of the living matrix within your body
Day 1: Start off slow if you’re new (begin with 10 seconds looking at the sun during the right time frame)
Day 2: Aim for 20 seconds
Each day after, continue to add 10 seconds each day and progressively build up
That’s all there is to it.
Do not make the following mistakes:
Looking directly at the sun outside of sunrise and sunset (you can look at its periphery, but not directly)
Exposing yourself to artificial blue light (especially after sunset) - use protective measures I’ve mentioned ad nauseam
Wearing sunglasses (awful idea from a biological level considering non-visual photoreceptors)
Wearing contacts during sun-gazing or in general (they cause hypoxia of the cornea)
Wearing sunscreen
Avoiding sunbathing (build your melanin stores slowly and do not push it which would result in burns)
Use sun-gazing to your advantage because it’s a powerful way to alleviate symptoms and move the needle forward towards healing chronic conditions because it’s based in circadian biology.
Much love,
Zaid