Sunlight is a nutrient.

You may not consume it the way you consume vitamins, minerals, or food, but light is one of the essential environmental signals your body was designed to receive. It helps regulate your circadian rhythm, influences sleep and mood, and tells nearly every system in your body what time it is.

When I was practicing medicine and trying to get pregnant, I made an effort to get outside in the sunlight for at least 30 minutes per day. Even then, I understood that our reproductive hormones do not function separately from the natural rhythms of light and darkness.

And research now supports this connection. In one controlled crossover study, women with slightly longer menstrual cycles received 45 minutes of bright morning light during the follicular phase. Compared with dim light, the bright-light exposure was associated with increased FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), follicle size, and a greater number of ovulatory cycles. FSH supports the growth of ovarian follicles, while the mid-cycle LH surge helps trigger ovulation.

A more recent 2023 study examining daylight and ovarian function also found an association between longer days and higher ovulation rates. Although sunlight is only one piece of the fertility picture, these findings offer another fascinating example of how deeply the female body is connected to the natural cycles of light.

What we do know is that humans evolved under the changing light of sunrise, daylight, sunset, and darkness—not under artificial lighting and the blue glow of screens at all hours.

That is why one of my favorite morning mantras is:

Sky before screen.

Before you reach for your phone, step outside—or at least stand beside an open window—and allow the natural light of the morning to reach your eyes.

What Is Sun Gazing?

Sun gazing is the practice of allowing the light of the sun to enter your eyes for a short period of time. I prefer to practice around sunrise or sunset, when the light is gentler and the experience feels naturally meditative.

You can also sun gaze with your eyes closed. Sunlight passes through the eyelids and reaches the retina and brain. In fact, research measuring light transmission through the eyelids confirms that a portion of visible light—especially red wavelengths—passes through closed adult eyelids.

This means that you can stand outdoors with your eyes closed and still receive the warmth, brightness, and energy of the sun. If looking toward the morning light feels too intense, closing your eyes is a gentle way to begin.

Some experienced practitioners gradually build up to sun gazing after the sun is higher in the sky. They have taken time to adapt to the practice and develop their own relationship with the light. I even know one man whose vision returned to better than 20/20 after he began sun gazing.

That is his personal experience, of course, and individual experiences are not the same as clinical evidence. But they remind us that we still have much to learn about the relationship among sunlight, the eyes, the brain, and the body’s own healing intelligence.

 

Sun Gazing – An Ancient Ritual

Sun gazing is an ancient practice found in various cultures and spiritual traditions. Practitioners believe the sun’s energy enters the brain through the eyes, nourishing the brain and activating energy centers throughout the body.

Mechanical engineer Hira Ratan Manek, also known as HRM, became one of the most prominent modern advocates of sun gazing. He drew inspiration from Lord Mahavir of the Jain tradition, as well as ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Indigenous practices involving reverence for the sun.

HRM and his supporters reported that he could live for extended periods primarily on sunlight and water. They also reported changes in his pineal gland, hunger, brain activity, and overall vitality. These extraordinary claims have not been confirmed through large, peer-reviewed clinical studies, so they should be viewed as part of his personal story and the modern history of sun-gazing practice rather than as established medical facts.

Still, his work helped renew interest in the relationship among sunlight, consciousness, the pineal gland, and the human energy system.

Why Morning Light Matters

Light entering the eyes communicates with specialized cells in the retina that send timing signals to the brain’s master circadian clock. This clock helps coordinate sleep, alertness, hormone timing, metabolism, body temperature, and many other biological processes.

Morning light is especially important because it helps tell your brain that the day has begun. Research shows that daylight is a powerful signal for synchronizing the circadian system, and morning light can help shift the body’s internal clock earlier—supporting greater alertness during the day and sleepiness at an appropriate time at night.

In other words, your body needs the contrast between bright days and dark nights.

Indoor lighting is usually much dimmer than outdoor daylight, even on an overcast morning. This is one reason I encourage you to go outside whenever possible instead of relying entirely on light coming through a window.

Can You Receive Sunlight With Your Eyes Closed?

Yes, some light passes through the eyelids and reaches the eyes. Research measuring light transmission through the eyelids found that adult eyelids allow a portion of light through, predominantly in the red wavelengths, while filtering most shorter wavelengths.

So, if direct light feels too intense, you can spend time outdoors with your eyes gently closed. You will still perceive the warmth and brightness of the sun, and this can be a beautiful, restorative practice.

The safest approach is simply to face the bright morning sky with your eyes open naturally—or rest outdoors with your eyes closed.

Why You Should Consider Sun Gazing

People who practice sun gazing report positive effects on their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Here are some of the most commonly reported benefits.

1. Helps regulate your circadian rhythm

Light is the primary environmental signal that sets the body’s internal clock. Research on circadian rhythms and sleep shows that morning daylight is especially important for helping the brain distinguish day from night.

Natural light in the morning supports daytime alertness and helps establish the proper timing of melatonin later that evening. This can support restful sleep, balanced energy, and a healthier daily rhythm.

2. Supports healthy hormone rhythms

Light entering the eyes communicates with the brain and influences the timing of hormones involved in sleeping, waking, mood, and reproduction.

Sunlight does not act on a single hormone in isolation. Instead, it helps the body remain synchronized with the natural rhythms of day and night.

3. Improves mood

Many people naturally feel better on bright, sunny days. Sunlight can support mood, energy, and a greater sense of well-being.

The connection between light and mood is also recognized in conventional medicine. Bright-light therapy is an established treatment for winter-pattern seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

Sun gazing also gives you an opportunity to step away from artificial environments, breathe fresh air, and reconnect with the natural world.

4. Stimulates the pineal gland

The pineal gland is a tiny endocrine gland located deep within the brain. It plays an important role in the production of melatonin and the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.

Many spiritual traditions also associate the pineal gland with intuition, perception, and the third eye. Sun-gazing practitioners believe that allowing natural light into the eyes helps awaken and stimulate this important center.

Science has established that light signals received through the eyes communicate with the brain’s circadian system and influence melatonin timing. Whether sun gazing produces additional effects on the pineal gland remains an intriguing area for further study.

5. Relieves stress and tension

Standing outside in the morning or evening light can be deeply relaxing. It gives you a reason to stop what you are doing, breathe, become present, and allow your nervous system to settle.

When you combine sunlight with nature, stillness, prayer, or meditation, the experience can become a powerful daily ritual.

6. Activates the third eye

The third eye is traditionally associated with the pineal gland, intuition, expanded awareness, and the ability to perceive realities beyond the five physical senses.

For many practitioners, sun gazing is not simply about physical sunlight. It is a spiritual practice that helps them become more receptive to insight, guidance, and Divine intelligence.

7. Increases energy

It is common to feel more energized on bright days. Morning light signals to the brain that it is time to wake up and engage with life.

Many sun-gazing practitioners also describe experiencing the sun as a direct source of energetic nourishment. They report feeling clearer, more awake, and more vital after their practice.

8. Changes your relationship with hunger

Some practitioners, including HRM, have reported a reduction in hunger after practicing sun gazing consistently.

A mindful sun-gazing practice may help you become more aware of your body’s genuine signals—including the difference between physical hunger and eating prompted by habit, boredom, or emotion.

9. Supports eye health

Sun-gazing practitioners sometimes report improvements in their eyesight. While scientific research has not established direct sun gazing as a treatment for vision problems, we do know that outdoor light plays an important role in visual development.

A 2024 systematic review found compelling evidence that spending more time outdoors can help reduce the development of myopia, or nearsightedness, in children. More recent research also associates lower exposure to bright outdoor light and greater amounts of close-up work with myopia.

This research involves spending time outdoors and reinforces the importance of natural light for the eyes.

10. Opens the body’s energy channels

In yogic philosophy, nadis are the subtle energy channels through which prana, or life-force energy, flows.

Sun-gazing practitioners believe the practice helps open and balance these channels, allowing energy to move more freely throughout the body.

11. Supports memory and mental clarity

Many people experience greater calm and mental clarity when they spend time outside in natural light. Part of this may come from supporting the circadian rhythm. Part may come from the meditative quality of quietly watching the sky.

When the nervous system relaxes, it becomes easier to concentrate, remember, and hear your own inner wisdom.

More scientific research is needed to understand all the reported effects of sun gazing. But we already know that natural light is an essential signal for the brain and body. At the very least, greeting the morning or watching the sun set can become a beautiful meditative practice.

How to Sun Gaze

Here are seven ways to begin developing your own practice.

1. Begin with the gentlest light

Sunrise and sunset offer naturally gentler light and a peaceful atmosphere for contemplation. Begin when the sun is close to the horizon and the light feels comfortable to you.

Eye-health organizations caution that staring directly at the sun can injure the retina and that retinal injury may occur without immediate pain. You can honor the spiritual intention of sun gazing while looking toward the illuminated sky rather than fixing your eyes on the solar disc.

2. Start slowly

You do not need to force the experience. Begin with a short period of time and notice how your body responds.

Some traditional practitioners begin with only a few seconds and slowly increase the length of their practice. More is not necessarily better. Let comfort—not a stopwatch or someone else’s routine—guide you.

3. Try it with your eyes closed

You can receive sunlight through closed eyelids. Stand comfortably in the morning light, close your eyes, relax your face, and notice the warmth and colors you perceive.

This is a wonderful option if you are new to the practice, sensitive to bright light, or simply prefer a softer experience.

4. Go outside

Outdoor light is far brighter and more expansive than typical indoor lighting. Whenever possible, practice outside rather than through a closed window.

You do not need a perfect view or a special location. A porch, backyard, balcony, garden, or quiet outdoor path can become your sacred space.

5. Connect with the Earth

If conditions allow, stand barefoot on grass, soil, or sand. Combining sun gazing with grounding can deepen your sense of connection with the natural world.

Feel the Earth beneath your feet, the light on your face, and your breath moving through your body.

6. Listen to your body

Blink whenever you need to. Close your eyes, soften your gaze, or look away if the light feels uncomfortable.

If you experience persistent afterimages, blurred or distorted vision, a blind spot, unusual changes in color perception, or light sensitivity, stop and consult an eye-care professional. Certain eye conditions and medications can make people more sensitive to light, so seek individualized guidance when appropriate.

7. Use prayer or visualization

As you receive the sunlight, imagine its life-giving energy entering your eyes, brain, and body. Visualize every cell awakening and becoming illuminated by healing light.

You may want to offer a prayer, repeat an affirmation, or simply become still and listen.

Sun gazing is ultimately about more than looking toward the sun. It is about remembering your relationship with light, nature, your body, and the Divine intelligence that gives life to everything.

Remember: Sky Before Screen

You do not need to adopt a formal sun-gazing practice to benefit from natural light.

Simply step outside first thing in the morning. Let your eyes receive the sky before they receive your phone. Take a few breaths. Allow the morning light to tell your brain, hormones, and every cell in your body:

A new day has begun.

Light is information. Light is energy. And light is a nutrient.

Tomorrow morning, remember:

Sky before screen.