Warm Summer Days
And a meditation to take you there.
Earlier this week, I visited the dermatologist’s office for a routine annual skin check. All good! (You should go if you have been putting this visit off. And wear sunscreen.) While I was there, the doctor asked me a whole bunch of questions, mostly about sunscreen and sun exposure, but one of them was phrased in a funny way, which was, “How do you interact with the sun?”
I told her what she wanted to know, but there is a more deeply considered answer to her question. Everybody interacts with the sun, whether they go outside or not. The sun is the center of our solar system and essential to our very existence, but it is a passive interaction, so it’s easy to forget about it, and we tend to take it for granted.
The sun just does its thing. It is not selective. It warms us all. Sometimes the sun is behind a cloud, but it is always there, shining. The sun does not say to itself, “Oh, that Valerie is a good person, I am going to give her my best rays,” nor does it say, “That person is ugly, or impoverished, or mean, so they don’t get to be warm today.” No, the sun just shines. We all get equal treatment. Sure, we can move to hotter or cooler climates, but that is up to us. The sun doesn’t ask for anything in return, and it gives us life. Oh, that we could all be more like the sun.
But back to the original question, how do I interact with the sun, or the way I answered the doctor, how do I live outside? Being outside is so good for us. Spend as much time out there as possible. There is nothing better than immersing yourself in nature, taking in the sights, sounds, fresh air, and yes, the feeling of the warm sun on your sunscreen-slathered body.
This meditation will take you there.
Meditation For Lying in the Grass on a Summer Day
I hope you can spend some time outside this weekend. Be safe out there.
xx Page