Igniting Your Solar Healing Power

All of us have witnessed the miracle of our body’s healing power, but we tend to take it for granted. If we get a scratch or a small cut, we know that it will heal up and disappear within a few days. We might clean it off, maybe put on some ointment or a bandage, and then we just wait. As if by magic, our body knows what to do to knit itself back together and to replace the tissues that have been damaged. On the cellular level, a sophisticated form of communication happens within our bodies, without the help of our conscious mind, as its healing mechanisms spring into action.

Energy, the Language of Life

So how does our body know how to do this? Where is this intelligence coming from? At the most basic level, this is happening thanks to energy. Even Western science tells us that everything, in its most basic atomic level, is energy, and even the chemical reactions of the body happen because of energetic bonds being formed and broken. In Eastern medicine, we call this energy ki or chi and the opening of energy meridians and the balancing of the energy system is the basis of all treatment approaches.

Fortunately, you don’t have to know anything about science or Eastern medicine to take advantage of energy’s healing power. Your body knows what to do, and it is always striving to get back into balance. The problem is that we get in the way in so many ways. When our body is telling us to rest, we push on, energizing ourselves with caffeine and junk food; when the body is yearning to move, we sit behind a desk all day. It’s no wonder then that, despite so many advances in scientific knowledge and medicine, so many of us have nagging health problems, like constant headaches, excess weight, or back aches, or even worse chronic conditions, like heart problems or diabetes.

Stepping Out of the Shadows and into the Sun

In my last Patheos blog entry, I talked about how the energy of the sun is the source of energy of life on earth and how we have a body that we may not be aware of, our solar body. Balancing and building the energy body is key for regaining health and mental clarity. Of course, studying and developing one’s solar body could take a lifetime of practice, but there are a few simple things you can start doing right now to help you get back into balance. Here are the most important ways to develop your solar body:

1) Spend time in the sun.

Many people today prefer to avoid the sun, fearing skin cancer or hoping to avoid wrinkles. It is true that too much sun can cause problems, but too little sun exposure is an even bigger problem. The body needs sun exposure to synthesize vitamin D, and deficiency of this vitamin has been linked to many different diseases, including immune problems, cancer, and mental health issues. Energetically, the benefits of sun exposure are even greater. If you have spent a day out in the sunshine, you know that it makes you feel like a kid again, relaxed and full of life. In a way, our skin is like a solar energy panel, soaking up energy in the most natural way possible.

2) Manage your stress and breathe.

Stress is the number one way that modern people cause blockage and imbalance to their energy systems. Due to the prolonged stress that so many people feel today, they are often in an upside-down energy condition, with heat energy pooling in the head instead of in the abdomen. This leads to poor circulation of energy through the body, resulting in cold hands and feet; a busy, unfocused mind; and a general feeling of fatigue and malaise. There are many great stress reduction techniques, such as yoga, tai chi, and massage, but the most effective one you first learned on the day you were born—breathing. In my book The Solar Body: The Secret to Natural Healing, I wrote a lot about the importance of breathing, because this is the activator of solar energy in the body. By learning to breathe deeply and naturally to the abdomen, you are bringing it back to a relaxed, youthful state. As you breathe, close your eyes and visualize the energy of the sun flowing into your body with every breath. Next time, I’ll take you through a solar energy meditation that will help you do this more effectively.

3) Get moving (preferably outside).

Actually, any movement is very helpful. When we sit too much, like so many people do today, it is like we have turned off the engine. The longer we let it sit, the harder it will be to get the engine going again, like an old car that has been sitting for months in a garage. I developed something called the One Minute Exercise as a way of helping people keep their energy moving instead of letting it stagnate, even if they must sit behind a desk all day. Even better is a walk in nature, which will allow you to connect with nature and to receive the direct energy of the sun as you move. Moving your body as much as possible during the day is an essential component to turn your body into a vibrant, radiant solar body.

If you can integrate these into your routine, even for a few minute each day, I guarantee you will start feeling better—more youthful and energized at the very least. I am not suggesting this is a replacement for medical care when you need it, but I do believe that there is a lot we can do for ourselves to maintain and develop our own health.

Natural healing power is normally considered the same as immunity, but the source of our healing ability exists in a much deeper place. The power of the universal mind that bestows sustainability and stability on all things, that enables the whole to maintain harmony and balance—that is the source of natural healing ability.

The very same natural forces that allow springtime to bloom out of the wintertime and the salmon to swim upstream to spawn are also available to you. As a living being and a child of this earth, it is your birthright, a treasure waiting to be used.