Sunbathing 101
Lets Be Careful
Before sharing any of my personal experience regarding sunbathing, I would like to start this post with a word of caution. As with all starting points, one should always introduce change in an adapted way to her reality. I think even more so when it comes to direct exposure to sunlight. This is one of the most mysterious starting points for me, since I am barely starting to understand some of the mechanics and chemistry behind it. Besides the positive effects of sunbathing I’ve been benefiting from, I have no idea of the possible negative consequences. So far, exposing my skin to direct sunlight has done lots of good to me, but who knows maybe in the long run what I am doing could also have some negative effects as well. I decided to take that risk, because the immediate benefits are truly helping me in my journey towards a healthier living. I can only be responsible for myself. If you are planning on exposing your skin to direct sunlight, please take the necessary precautions which are adapted to your own reality.
The Sun and I
My personal background in regard to the sun and hot weather: I am of Turkish origin, I have black hair, brown eyes and a Mediterranean skin complexion. As opposed to popular belief, Türkiye, for the most part, is a cold weather country. I’m not sure if there is a correlation between me loving hot weather, and the place I am originally from. My physique may be more or less adapted to sunny weather than others. I am truly in love with the sun, and hot weather. When there are extremely hot days during the summer, and a lot of people around me are complaining because it’s too hot. I secretly wish that the weather was like this all year around. At one point, I’ll probably move to an equatorial country.
I never had any problem with being exposed to the sun, except during the mid 90s. Something extremely strange was constantly happening to me around springtime. I would get allergies when exposing myself to the sun in Switzerland, but when I’ll go to Türkiye during the summer with way more daily exposure to the sun, I’d be fine. Maybe some layers of the atmosphere protecting us from harmful rays of the sun were thinner in the north at that time? Or maybe my skin was more sensitive during the early days of sunny weather? This problem of mine lasted for about 4 or 5 years, now I am fine with the sun wherever I go. I’ll still experience some mild reaction to the sun, if I expose an area of my body which has not been much exposed to the sun previously. My skin will only react the first couple of times of being in direct contact with the sun, then if I keep exposing that particular area, it will stop reacting after the third or fourth time me laying under the sun.
My Sunbathing Sessions
My routine with sunbathing for the last 20 months or so has consisted of getting at least 20 minutes of uninterrupted exposure to the sun two to three times a week. I’ve been seeking any opportunity to make this happen. One does not need an all year around access to a poolside to make this possible. If the weather is sunny, and I see a bench at the park I go sit on it. If the social environment and the air temperature allow it, I take off my shoes, roll up my pants, and take off my shirt when possible. The idea once again, is to get at least 20 minutes of uninterrupted exposure. The 48 hours following the sunbathing session, I only wash the hygienic parts of my body with soap, and wash the rest of my body with water only. I started to proceed this way after reading an article called “Is the Sun our Enemy?” on Néstor Palmetti’s website. The article is in Spanish and contains a good amount of valuable information on the human skin, the function of bacteria, and how the human body gets its vitamin D from the sun.
Sunbathing and Dry-Fasting
During the periods when I am dry-fasting, this is when sunbathing becomes an important supporting element. Sunbathing tend to energize my entire system and helps me to get over the healing crises faster and easier. Sometimes I even have the sensation that exposing my skin to the sun provokes the actual healing crises. Being warmed up by sun is very comforting during the crises and it really feels like my body is benefiting from the entire process. I highly recommend sunbathing during dry-fasting. Since rest is always welcome during these periods, sunbathing seems to be the optimum way to rest and promote regeneration. The sunbathing / dry-fasting combination definitely works for me. At times, a sunbathing session during dry-fasting feels almost like having a meal. I truly get a sensation of being nourished by the sun while sunbathing on an empty stomach.
I fine tune my exposure to the sun
Depending on the intensity of the sun, I adapt my exposure accordingly. If the contact of the sun with my skin creates a discomfort because of the heat, I tend to change my position, put a shirt on, or stop the sun bathing session all together. The idea here is not to get a suntan, or stay for hours under the sun, but rather get at least 20 minutes of direct exposure to sunlight on a regular basis.
Conclusion
Living in Buenos Aires is definitely a huge advantage to practice sunbathing, since the city gets a great amount of sunny days throughout the year in comparison to cloudy ones. That said, even when I used to live in Geneva Switzerland, I would be able to find opportunities to expose my body to the sun. From March to November there are plenty of opportunities when one can enjoy the rays of the sun on her skin.
At this point in my journey, I can only say good things about sunbathing. Besides the obvious benefits, it also forces me to take a break from my daily activities, and allows me to meditate. The days when I am able to sunbath, I usually have a better focus, more energy, and I also tend to sleep better at night.
I AM NOT A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. I would like to make it very clear that I am only sharing my own experience on this website, and have no intention to give any specific advice on health. Please read the disclaimer section for more information.
