Ways Different Cultures Harness Light Therapy to Boost Health and Happiness

Throughout history, the pursuits of humans have remained the same. Like people in Ancient Greece and Egypt, people today desire rejuvenation, good health, well-being, and happiness.

So, after ancient civilisations found that natural light is beneficial in treating various ailments, the use of light to promote healing found a place in many cultures as time passed. Today, light therapy features in one form or the other in different cultures.

The warm light has a comforting effect. Importantly, it compensates for the reduced exposure to sunlight during winter.

For this reason, “light therapy” in the Scandinavian hygge practice can help alleviate winter blues (low mood and lethargy caused by reduced sunlight exposure during winter).

Also read: Harmful Effect of Lack of Light

In China, colour therapy is a part of traditional Chinese Medicine. This involves using colour to achieve wellness through exposure to specific coloured light.

For example, red light therapy stimulates the body, increases heart rate and circulation, and energises. Blue light therapy has a pacifying effect on the nervous system and encourages relaxation.

In India, Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine that involves sun exposure to achieve overall health and wellness.

According to Ayurvedic principles, sunlight provides vital energy to the body and helps balance doshas (to promote good health).

Traditional Ayurvedic practices even included Surya Namaskar (Sun salutations) and drinking solar-charged water.

Light therapy in African culture is not as formalised or documented as in some other cultures. However, there are different traditional practices that incorporate light to promote well-being and happiness.

For example, sun worship is part of many African cultures, where people revere the sun as a source of life and energy.

During sun ceremonies, people dance and chant under the sun. This maximises sun exposure, increasing the release of feel-good hormones to positively affect mood and mental well-being.

Natural light has healing powers, and this is a fact backed by science. Light therapy works by mimicking natural sunlight to influence biochemical processes in the human body.

For example, light can stimulate the production of serotonin, which is associated with mood regulation.

Also, through a mechanism called photobiomodulation, light can penetrate the skin and be absorbed by chromophores within cells, which then trigger biochemical reactions that can modulate cellular function.

Researchers have found that red and near-infrared light can penetrate skin tissues to stimulate cellular repair (making them valuable for promoting wound healing).

This differs from infrared light therapy that the eyes can’t see, but the body feels to promote detoxification, pain relief, and more.

Light has a far-reaching effect on well-being. It plays a crucial role in regulating the circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock).

Exposure to light inhibits the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Regulating melatonin production promotes healthy sleep patterns and helps treat sleep disorders, such as difficulty sleeping or morning sleepiness.

Exposure to light also has an energising effect on the body, helping to combat feelings of fatigue and lethargy.

Light therapy is very effective in treating mood disorders, as it triggers the production of feel-good hormones the same way natural light does.

When natural light enters your eyes, it stimulates your retina, which then sends a message to your brain to produce the feel-good hormone serotonin.

Bright light therapy uses special light-emitting devices to send sunlight-mimicking light into your eyes.

This tells your brain to produce more serotonin. With the feel-good hormone associated with feelings of happiness, its increased production helps you fight low mood and improves your mental health.

Light therapy is a treatment method that involves exposure to sunlight or artificial light sources that mimic sunlight.

So, you can incorporate light therapy into your daily life by spending more time outdoors and using light therapy solutions that compensate for reduced sunlight exposure.

The simplest way to incorporate light therapy into your daily life is to get out more to take advantage of natural sunlight.

While spending time outdoors has benefits, it is not preferred for light therapy for many reasons:

- First, getting adequate sun exposure from natural sunlight may be impractical. For example, people who work indoors may not have the time to sunbathe. Also, optimum sunlight exposure is seasonal. Winter days are associated with reduced sun exposure because they come with shorter daylight hours.

- Then, there’s the issue of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The sun’s rays include UV radiation, which is dangerous to the eyes and the skin.

For these reasons, the best way to incorporate light therapy into your daily life is to use light therapy solutions (like lamps and visors).

These solutions are designed to be used indoors, are not affected by weather conditions or seasons, and emit UV-free light.

Many light therapy solutions come as compact light therapy lamps. These lamps emit bright light. You simply turn on the lamp and sit beside it for about 30 minutes, allowing the light to enter your eyes.

While typical light therapy solutions require that you remain in one place throughout the duration of the session, Luminette has innovative solutions that allow you to have your light therapy while on the go.

Luminette’s innovative light therapy solutions include the Luminete 3 light therapy glasses and the light therapy lamp drive.

With Luminette 3, you no longer have to sit beside a light therapy lamp for 30 minutes daily.

While wearing the glasses and having your therapy, you can get breakfast ready, read a book, watch TV, work on your computer, and even perform light exercises.

Drive beams a safe, bright light into your eyes as you drive without altering your driving.

This gives you the full benefits of light therapy, which includes regulating the sleep-inducing hormone, thereby promoting wakefulness and alertness.

Some tips to effectively use light therapy to boost health and happiness include:

Select a light therapy solution that emits the right intensity of bright light to trigger the body’s positive response to sunlight. Also, ensure the light is free of UV radiation.

It may also be good to find a light therapy solution that allows you to have your session without changing your routine. For example, use light therapy glasses instead of traditional light therapy lamps.

For most conditions, the morning is the best time for light therapy. Plan your light therapy sessions for early in the morning, preferably within the first hour of waking up. This promotes alertness and boosts energy levels for the day ahead.

You cannot have light therapy sessions while sleeping. The light needs to enter your eyes, so your eyes need to be open.

Most people require at least 30 minutes of daily light therapy to see results. So, an important tip for effective light therapy is to make your sessions at least 30 minutes long.

One or a few light therapy sessions are not enough to treat any condition. For light therapy to work well, consistency is key - you need regular sessions for two or more weeks.

You may also like: Maximising Benefits: Achieving Best Results with Light Therapy.