Welcoming the Fire element
Let’s talk about the power of light. In our series of articles focusing on our need to reconnect with the natural world, we thought bringing some clarifications on the importance to welcome the Fire element into our home. The truth is we do not realize how much we need this element to live a happy and productive life, and more importantly how to benefit from its eternal vitality.
One of the most powerful ways to connect with the Fire element is through the natural light of the sun. You see, even though the trend tends to demonize its negative effects on our skin and health, sunlight is in fact really important as it synchronizes every circadian rhythms of life on Earth. Not to mention its numerous wellbeing benefits. In order to function optimally, our biological rhythm also known as internal body clock requires sunlight. Just like we need food to operate, exposing ourselves to sunlight is vital.
Disturbing our clock can profoundly affect our metabolism, sleep patterns, mood and numerous critical functions such as our natural healing system. The moment the light sensors within our eyes detect light, a group of neurons called the Suprachiamatic Nucleus (SCN) is activated, responding by releasing hormones and regulating our sleep-wake cycle.
At night, artificial lighting continues to activate the SCN and disrupt our nightly release of melatonin, the hormone responsible for our sleepy mood. As we spend more and more time indoor, many of us miss on the natural signals of the environment. And this has far reaching consequences for the quality of our sleep and overall our wellbeing.
The optimal amount of light varies from person to person, but we know that our bodies need exposure to very bright light which the majority of indoor lighting does not provide. For instance, here is another side effect of natural light deprivation; Season Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression especially observed in winter in Northern Countries, which is linked to the lack of sunlight.
Although some of our natural cycles have evolved to the point where they can be maintained without natural sunlight, scientists have demonstrated that our health and wellbeing have in the meantime decreased. So considering that we spend most of our time indoor, it seems obvious that we pay extra attention to the amount of light our home is receiving while designing our interior according to our natural needs.
The Pattern Language, one of the most renowned books also named the architect bible, has been promoting the importance of sunlight into our homes for over four decades. While studying the secrets of old European homes and their mysterious cozy, safe and inviting atmosphere, the author Christopher Alexander not only discovered 253 architectural patterns but also that our ancestors were using intuitively natural elements at their best advantages. They were designing and organizing their homes in accordance to the effects of light and darkness. Rooms devoted to social activity were bright and cheerful therefore located south, and rooms whose purpose was to rest and retreat were facing north. All it requires is to follow our circadian rhythms in our home design.
So whether you like having breakfast facing the morning light, watching the rest of the world wake up, get your body moving with morning stretches, those precious morning lights have the power to set a positive tone for the rest of your day. Just like reading a book, watching the sunset, listening to music or taking a bath before bedtime. Those sleep rituals without invasive light will allow you to unwind and mentally prepare your body for a good recovering night sleep.
There are alternative ways to bring the energy of the sun into your home. For example, light a candle, make a fire if you are lucky enough to have a fireplace or even use colors. As surprising as it might sound, color therapy, also known as chromotherapy, is a powerful holistic approach able to heal energies into your space.
Associated with the sun, colors such as red, orange and yellow are a simple expressions of the natural light. Mostly because they are part of the electromagnetic spectrum of the sun, colors also affect the way we feel. Research to understand if colors really influence us has shown that exposure to warm colors increases blood pressure and pulse rate while also being detected as warm, rough and tingling.
Use red color to stimulate action and vitality, or orange to invite optimism and confidence while yellow will bring happiness, serenity and harmony into your home.
Next article is about welcoming the Earth element.
Wishing you to feel superb Xx
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