I GIVE THANKS FOR SUNSHINE
We could just give thanks for light and life but there is
something so beautiful about sunshine that it commands a category of its own.
Sunshine has the effect of making us feel good- it acts as a
catalyst to boot up our greatest vibrations. Love and sunshine- what a
fantastic combination! Sunshine can reach into our moments of deepest despair
and flip our thinking for a few moments by opening our eyes to the beauty of
the world. In the words of the late John Denver, ‘sunshine on my shoulders
makes me happy,’ a line that jumps to mind looking out of my window and seeing
the sunlight illuminating the beauty of the Hawthorne tree’s blossom whilst my
neighbour is sunbathing on the lawn.
How do you feel when you get up in the morning? Chances are
that if we are greeted by sunshine we are more than ready to face the day and
look forward to it with anticipation. Waking in darkness and cold tends to make
us want to bury ourselves under the duvet and go back to sleep! By now most of
us will have heard of SAD syndrome (Seasonally Affected Disorder) where lack of
light affects people’s emotional make up and they suffer with depression in the
winter. This is very real as are the effects of a warmer climate suiting a
great many people who experience problems relating to joints and other
illnesses. Even in the winter we can feel better watching programmes such as,
‘A place in the sun’ as they trigger our desire to experience sunlight.
Sunshine is life- just look at the way nature revives in the summer from the
dead of winter to new growth- and don’t children tend to shoot up in the summer
too!
There is real enjoyment in soaking up the sun; our bodies
crave sunshine and vitamin D giving us the feel good factor. My favourite
holiday consists of sun, sea and sand- hours spent relaxing and fully
appreciating the surroundings, living in the moment whilst squirreling away
memories for those dull rainy days- which we need in order to fully appreciate
the sun! Relaxing in the sun helps generate a feeling of lightness associated
with the power of a positive outlook (ref: great thoughts.) Of course, too much sunshine is
not good, as with all types of excess, and we can suffer sunburn or sunstroke
if we spend too long in direct sunlight or fail to take precautions and drink
plenty of water.
Sunshine is so often the answer to apathy. People adore
sunny days. We suddenly want to look good in our summer clothes, feel fit and
eat more healthily. Sunshine generates warm evenings and we make better use of
our days, choosing to sit outside rather than in and spending more time
socialising with friends. The smell of countless barbeques accompanied by the
sound of laughter across the country bear testimony to this trait- and as for
those beach barbeques- well, that’s where the magic created by sunshine lies.
Sun helps maintain health. We tend to exercise more when the
sun is shining, quite noticeable now that the milder winters draw more people
to open spaces for outdoor workouts. In addition, there seem to be less
infections around in the summer, although hay fever comes into its own here in
the UK. How much better is it to have the windows wide open inviting fresh air
in rather than blasting heat into our rooms from radiators to incubate all
those germs!
Let’s give thanks for sunshine- it brings out our smiles and
makes us more tolerant, especially if we can take our young children and more
elderly relatives out rather than keeping them cooped up indoors! Sunshine+
smiles = sanity- I think that’s a great recipe for fun and improved health!
Jaz McKenzie
Need a bio, review,
article, website content? Contact me: itsbraap@live.co.uk
Comments
Post a Comment