The Sun, divine sustainer of all life on earth, also known as Sürya in Sanskrit, can be one of our greatest allies when approached with reverence and understanding.
Having a clear comprehension of the relationship between the Sun and our own physiology is fundamental to make of this astrological body an empowering force within our lives.
In this episode we break down the science & mysticism behind this astounding & ever-reliable force of nature.
ABOUT OUR GUEST: MATT MARUCA
Matt Maruca founded Ra Optics to make the world’s finest blue light blocking glasses, and created The Light Diet, a diet that directly addresses the root of the modern chronic disease epidemic, mitochondrial dysfunction, after having suffered from poor health and chronic fatigue at a young age due to technology overuse and an indoor lifestyle.
He is now 22 years old and travels the world, studying and teaching about the relevance of light in human health.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
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The Three Main Causes of Disease In Ayurveda
1) Misuse of intellect (prajnaparadha प्रज्ञापराध):
The term prajnaparadha is made up of two words: prajna translates as “knowledge” or “intellect”, while aparadha translates as “offence” or “transgression”.
This means doing things without properly discriminating as to whether they are favorable or harmful for the body and/or the mind.
Actions taken with prajnaparadha aggravate the three doshas and stimulate the tamas and rajas gunas allowing diseases to become established.
2) Misuse of senses (asatmendriyartha samyoga तेषां कोपे तु कारणम्):
This term is composed of the words astmaya, which means “improper”, indriya which means “sense organs”, artha translating as “the objects of the senses” and samyoga meaning “to combine” or “to link”.
Asatmendriyartha samyoga is the improper contact of the senses with their objects, and results in an over stimulation or deficiency of sensory activity. Actions that perpetuate asatmendriyartha samyoga harm the mind-body and lead to an imbalance that prevents the healthy functioning of your organism.
Being mindful of your 5 senses (pancha Indriya) is a deep-rooted ayurvedic practice that is fundamental for the balance and wellbeing of the body & mind.
The five senses are:
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Sound (sabda)
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Touch (sparsa)
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Vision (rupa)
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Taste (rasa)
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Smell (gandha)
3) Seasonal variations (parinama परिणाम or kala काल):
Parinama in Sanskrit means “change” or “transformation”, and kala means “time”.
The external environment, be it the seasons or the weather can affect and unbalance the three doshas, triggering diseases in the body. Exposing the body to extreme weather conditions for which it is not prepared very often leads to some form of ailment within the physiology of the body.
In a more general manner, this also means the passing of time itself and the effects this naturally has on the physical body & cellular decay.
Sunglasses And The Tamas Guna
When it comes to human-to-human connection, sunglasses are an obstacle that stands in between.
Sunglasses bring darkness, which in Ayurveda is often linked to the tamas guna (meaning trapped-light and/or dullness).
Rising Above the Detrimental Effects of Wearing Sunglasses
Spiritual masters such as Sadhguru & Dr. Joe Dispenza being avid wearers of Sunglasses and how they can avoid any detriments by becoming true masters of their physiology.
The Yogis who by attaining siddhis have managed to perform extraordinary feats such as living for several years without sleeping or drinking water or eating food.
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For more on siddhis listen to “Siddhis: Supernatural Yogic Capabilities | Eddie Stern #065″
The Healing Power of The Sun
Ancient cultures all over the world revered the Sun as a mighty source of healing power.
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The ancient Egyptians, Greeks & Romans had a strong reverence for the sun.
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The Romans used to even have special rooms dedicated to the absorption of the healing powers of the sun, these were called solariums.
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Florence Nightingale, a famous English war-time nurse who is believed to be the founder of modern nursing, reported a finding in her practice:
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She had patients on two wards: one that was exposed to sunlight and the other was very poorly lit. Patients in the sun-lit ward healed much faster than those in the ward with no exposure to natural light.
The recognition that all life on earth is governed by, and fully depends on the energies of the Sun.
The etymology of the word “Divine”
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It comes from the Latin word divnus which in turn has an etymological meaning that comes from an early proto-indo-european language, according to linguistic scholars, is “Daylight Sky-God”.
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Therefore the idea of something being “divine” implies the acquisition of the properties of the sky, the heavens or that which is above us.
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The takeaway being that to be more divine or to be a higher level being, we should embrace the energy of the Sun (that which is above us), invite it & assimilate it into our lives.
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Circadian Rhythms In The Body & Their Connection With The Sun
The light of the Sun, passing through our eyes is a key variable for proper health since it triggers our circadian rhythms/cycle.
The term “circadian” comes from two Latin words: circa, meaning “around”, and diēm meaning “day”.
The circadian cycle or circadian rhythm is the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle which repeats itself every 24 hours.
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This is a very intricate & extremely important process that regulates the production of enzymes & hormones all around the body and determines the availability or scarcity of energy resources that one has every day.
Studies show that the fission-fusion cycle in the mitochondria within our cells (which in turn regulate the energy resources those cells have) are controlled by the DRP1 protein which is also synchronized to the internal biological (circadian) clock.
Digestive enzymes & insulin production also being regulated by circadian rhythms.
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Ayurveda advises that one should have a light breakfast, medium-strong lunch & light dinner.
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Ideally 4 hours before going to bed one should not eat any food.
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Hormones & Light
We have receptors in our eyes called the “Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells” which have a specific pigment called melanopsin that absorbs certain light waves.
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These cells are connected to the hypothalamus which regulates all metabolic action within the body.
Dr. Alexander Wunsch and his proposed theory on photo-endocrinology.
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How the morning light from the sun stimulates a vast variety of hormones such as the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and the Luteinizing Hormone (LH).
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THS regulate thyroid function, the FSH stimulates the gonads which produce the eggs of females and sperm in men & the LH produces estrogen and testosterone in women & men respectively.
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Then there’s dopamine and melatonine along with many others.
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Full video available down in “resources”.
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The Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone, which is in charge of triggering the production of melanocytes in your skin and is itself triggered by the light passing through the eye.
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This melanocytes produce melanin which is the brown pigment that causes taking.
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When using sunglasses you are blocking the natural entry of light through the eye and therefore melanocytes are not being produced to the extent that is needed, which can in turn lead to sunburn & potentially skin cancer.
Sunglasses filter sunlight, which consequently causes the pupils to stay dilated. But blue-light is not filtered by the vast majority of commercially available sunglasses, which means that blue light still enters the now dilated and fully-receptive pupils and can damage the retina and cause lots of other issues & imbalances.
RESOURCES
RA Optics website HERE – Discount Code: VITALVEDA
Matt’s Instagram (@thelightdiet) HERE
The Light Diet Podcast HERE
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Video by Dr. Alexander Wunsch on Photoendocrinology – How natural & artificial light is impacting human’s endocrine system & hormones HERE
Mitochondrial activity related to the circadian clock HERE
“The Surrender Experiment” book by Michael Singer HERE
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