I am always happy when summer arrives and we can get rid of those heavy, bundling clothes and chapped lips. But, there are other good benefits as well as those that come with our enjoyment of summer.
Now if I lived in Hawaii, my benefits wouldn’t be as great. The season is year-round but not so for us that live in the Northern states. Following are 7 definite benefits of the sun and warmth of summer.
Besides stimulate all that great green growth, we are now able to take advantage of the abundance of fresh, local fruits and vegetables from our local organic farmers.
Don’t forget that important Vitamin D, a hormone, for optimal health in strengthening your immune system, cancer prevention, bone strength, metabolism and just plain good emotional health.
Now we can get out there and get physical! Take jogs, bike rides, go swimming, throw Frisbees, try yoga, soccer, baseball and hundreds of other activities.
Now sweating isn’t my favorite thing to do, but it is actually a great health benefit. Usually we don’t exercise enough to get a good sweat, so in the summer we should take advantage of this as a key component in detoxification for best health.
I’m usually not one that enjoys walking barefooted unless in nice soft grass (or a gorgeous beach). We do get benefits to simulate and open up blockages or sluggish areas of those pressure points. Then look forward to better digestion, elimination, enhanced immune function, backache healing and many other benefits, as getting a grounding effect.
Look at all the fresh air we’ll get in lieu of that closed in heat during the winter months. In the Eastern traditions air or breathing air is referred to as “prana”, the vital life force. Most of us here in the Western culture breathe shallowly on a daily basis which signals to our bodies a stress response and we breathe very poor quality air.
Then there is that sun. It makes us feel good all over and can help all those many people suffering from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which occurs during the dark and cold months.
So why not make the most of the seasons and take advantage to be able to get in that sun, speed up our activities and maybe garden a little, which is also a known benefit to the human body. Don’t forget to keep well hydrated with fresh water while enjoying the extra physical activities and sunshine. Shut off those televisions, put up the androids or iPhones and “get out there”! Stay healthy AND happy!