The sun (or Father Sun as I know it) has gotten a bad rap about aging your skin. From the dark sunglasses to the SPF 50 sunscreen full of toxins, people today will do whatever it takes to protect themselves from the sun. But what if I told you that the sun can actually help you fight signs of aging?

Sungazing is an ancient practice that involves staring directly at the sun. When I first heard about sungazing from my good friend, I was intrigued. I’m sure you’ve heard most of your life not to stare at the sun or you might go blind. Here my friend was, telling me that sungazing could actually benefit my health. I did my research and found out that, among other things, sungazing can actually help your eyesight, and it also regulates your sleep cycle. Now, I’ve been a glasses-wearer since I was in third grade, so the possibility of improving my eyesight naturally and improving my sleep as well was enough to get me started. Here are some of the other benefits of sungazing:

1. It stimulates the pineal gland. The pineal gland produces melatonin which in turn helps you to produce feel-good hormones and sleep better.

2. It gives you energy. Those feel-good hormones will energize you, helping you feel ready to embrace the day.

3. It gives you Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium and phosphorous, maintain healthy bones and teeth, and may protect you against diseases such as cancer, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

4. It promotes weight loss. Also called “eating the sun,” sungazing may decrease your appetite, meaning you don’t have to eat as much.

5. It increases the size of the pineal gland. As you age, your pineal gland shrinks. Studies have shown that sungazing can increase the size of your pineal gland. That’s anti-aging in action!

Yes, I’m telling you that you can stare directly at the sun. Now, before you go out right now and do it, remember that sungazing is an art, and it needs to be done correctly. You really can go temporarily blind like Galileo if you don’t do it with caution. Here are some sungazing guidelines:

1. You must be grounded. Sungazing should be done with bare feet. You must be connected with the earth, be it on dry sand, dirt, moist earth (not mud) or gravel. Avoid sungazing on artificial surfaces.

2. Take off your glasses or contacts. Sungazing should be done with the naked eyes. If you wear glasses or contacts, the effects could be limited or you could damage your eyes.

3. Do it at the right time. Only sungaze when the sun is low on the horizon, when its rays are not as intense. Basically, sunrise or sunset. If the rays seem too bright for you, don’t push it. It may not be right for you, especially if you are of fair complexion and light eyes.

4. Begin slowly. Start off gazing at the sun for 10 seconds. Relax. There should be no tension on your face or in your body. Treat it as if you are meditating. Blink when it feels natural.

5. Feel the energy. As you are sungazing, feel the sun’s life force energy pulsing through you. Let every cell in your body recharge to its full potential.

6. Increase the time. As you get more comfortable with sungazing, you may increase the time to ten more seconds per day. Keep increasing the time as you get more comfortable with the duration of your sungazing. Make sure you are only increasing the time in subtle increments, as it takes time for your eyes to adapt to the intense light.

Now that you know the benefits of sungazing and how to do it correctly, think about whether you want to begin this path. Keep in mind that sungazing requires a lot of discipline. You have to be able to deal with the specific schedule of sungazing (only sunrise or sunset!), and you can’t rush it. I have to stress that you must be disciplined in order to reap the benefits of sungazing. If you do it at the wrong time or become impatient in increasing your time sungazing, you could possibly damage your eyes. Do this at your own discretion.

If you decide that you want to start sungazing, great! I know that I can already feel the effects of it, and I’m excited to share it with you.

If you’re still unsure, though, try my no-risk alternative:

30 Days to a Vibrant, Healthier, Younger You

Included in this is the Centering Flow, which actively stimulates the pineal gland, just as sungazing does. There is also a flow called the Energizing Flow which I like to compare to giving you sunshine.