I think it may be time to bring out my artificial sunshine for the season. For almost six years, I’ve been using light therapy in the winter months and it’s made a *huge* difference in my mood and energy levels. I was raised in the tropics, closer to the equator, so I didn’t grow up with these dark, ominous winters. The days are getting shorter and I can actually feel it in my bones.
The light therapy is really effective. I was initially skeptical, but after a couple years of regular use, I don’t get S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) at all anymore. Often I can feel the effects of the light therapy within 24 hours of starting it. I usually begin during the first week of September, warding off S.A.D. completely. I’m a bit late to the party this year but I’ll perk up quickly.
I’ll need to get up 20 minutes earlier to accommodate the therapy. I usually take my daily dose of therapeutic light right before I meditate, but I’ll have to figure how this fits now that I’m taking also salt bath before my practice.
On the plus side, I can return to my morning habit of daily journaling. Last winter, I was writing free-form in a notebook for the 20 minutes, making the whole experience therapeutic on multiple levels.
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I practised for a half-hour today. I did the Suryas, the fundamental standing poses, Sirsasana and the three closing Lotus poses. Simple and easy, just to keep the prana moving. I did my practice at the gym before teaching.
Usually, I enjoy the change of scenery but today, it was busy and LOUD. I can usually tune out the bedlam, but I felt very crowded by the traffic. I may start doing my simple practice at home from now on. I’d hate to get knocked out of my headstand by a weight-lifter!
7 comments:
Hi K, I completely empathise with you in terms of the drawing in of the dark nights; I'm terrible myself, I can feel myself go completely introverted, I want to lock myself away and hibertnate, and I hate it! I've always wondered about those light boxes and whetehr they work.. I might try one cos SAD does affect my life for at least 5 months of the year... which, in the grand scheme of things, is far too much, I can't be hibernating for half the year!!! Ha!
funny, I was just bemoaning the endless summer of SoCal and how it's in my very genetic makeup to expect cool, crisp days and getting to wear sweaters at this time of year instead of dealing with a blast furnace of a sun and 90+ heat ... It's confusing because the days are indeed shorter but the heat is just kicking in (summers can be foggy here) and my system just can't figure out what to do. I guess where we were raised gets stuck in deep.
@Micqui
Definitely give it a try. See if you can rent or borrow one first. They're expensive as an 'experiment'. I really took a leap of faith when I bought mine, but I've never regretted it. It really does work for me.
@Loo
'The grass is always greener'. I spent my early childhood in Colorado and my teen years in Hawaii. While putting up Christmas lights on the palm trees, I used to get nostalgic for chill winds and snow. Silly girl, I didn't know how great I had it! ;-)
Thanks for reminding me to take out my light box!
Yay! People around here say these lights are brilliant!
I have spent the last 11 winters in LA, Nicaragua and South India and am already responding to the short days as if it's time to hibernate. Will start doing concerted time in front of the new Verilux today.
The Editor just put one on a timer, to turn on at 7 am - 15 min before he gets up. When I come back across the hall from practice and the thing is BLAZING, it seriously looks like full-on day in the bedroom. I can't distinguish the quality of light falling on the walls from a brilliant morning in July. It's just extraordinary. I can't think of a reason everyone shouldn't use these to make winter easier.
Big Vitamin D smiles, while wearing my fuzz-lined boots and scarf at my desk...
:-) :-) :-)
@Owl
I've heard good things about those lights! They're a bit more 'natural' than the glaring LED type that I have. That must be a nice way to wake up - does the light come on gradually or is it full force?
I started taking my Vitamin D supplement again too. I discovered this last year at the health food store. It's a simple drop that you can add to a glass of water and voila! Sunshine in a glass!
Hmmm... I'll get the D drops too. Good tip.
Our Verilux is on an old timer that we used to attach to holiday sparkly-lights a decade ago. There are some that do light up gradually, but they are way more than the 60USD I paid for the Verilux.
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