Name one thing that you can’t live without. Yet too much of that same thing can be is definitely not something anyone likes to endure.

There are lots of things that fit the bill, but the one I’m thinking of today is also reported to be the source of all knowledge and wisdom.

You might not seek it out every day, and there may be times when it’s wise to avoid it. Yet, your life, and in fact, all life on earth revolves around it.

When it comes in contact with our skin, it creates an essential nutrient inside us. But too much, over a long period of time, can be detrimental.

Just what might be this essential element of which I am speaking? If your first thought was water, you are not far off. in fact, water is its partner in providing the abundance of nature that we depend upon.

No, I’m talking about our friend the sun. Through some cosmic synchronicity of distance, atmosphere, and gravity, the sun partners with the water on our planet, to create the verdant green conditions upon which we live.

In our own body a judicious amount gives us the vitamin D we need. Too much leads to sunburn or worse.

Subjectively speaking from personal experience, I find that spending a bit of intentional time in the sun has a positive effect on my mood and sense of well-being for days to come.

Perhaps it’s the vitamin D bubbling up beneath my skin, or perhaps it’s just the download of cosmic wisdom coming from our nearest source of energy in the universe.

In my early years growing up in the high desert of Western Colorado, I found myself severely sunburned, more often than I’d like to remember. My nose was pretty much permanently peeling.

Once I spent the afternoon snorkeling on the surface of the water in Bali and emerged with the back of my legs so red that I couldn’t sit down for a week. I know, use sunscreen, learned my lesson.

But in spite of these unhealthy extremes that I put myself through I still crave the nourishing feeling of a judicious amount of sunlight upon my skin.

You can experience this symbiotic sensation simply by inviting the sun to massage you for just a few minutes at a time. Sometimes I wonder if there’s not some form of photosynthesis happening in our consciousness, when the sun warms our skin.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve found a brief solar meditation to be one of the fastest paths to gratitude and a good state of mind simply by letting the sun shine in my face and feel it’s warmth through my eyelids.

Your mileage may vary, the seasons may change. Your consciousness lives inside of a dancing organism that thrives in the balance of light, breath, water, and nourishment. So let the sun shine in!

Shining love your way till next Monday!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine