In our pursuit of nourishment, we often look to our plates — colourful vegetables, clean proteins, maybe a green juice or two. But what if some of the most essential forms of nourishment are invisible? What if they can't be bought, stored, or cooked — only received?
This week, we're diving into the subtle, often overlooked forces that feed us from the inside out: sunlight, silence, and soil. Think of them as an energetic trinity — each one powerful in its own right, but deeply interconnected.
Sunlight: Eating the Light
Every leaf knows this: sunlight is food. And while we don’t photosynthesise, our bodies and spirits still thrive on light. It regulates our circadian rhythm, boosts serotonin, and awakens our inner fire.
- Vitamin D: Sunlight on the skin triggers vitamin D production, essential for mood, immune function, bone health, and hormone regulation.
- Circadian Rhythm: Exposure to natural morning light helps reset the body’s internal clock, improving sleep, energy, and mental clarity.
- Nitric Oxide: Sunlight prompts skin to release nitric oxide, supporting heart health by relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.
Each morning or late afternoon, pause for 10–15 minutes and simply be with the sun. Let your skin absorb it. Let your eyes (closed or gently opened) take in its golden hue. This isn't about tanning — it's about tuning in.
Silence: The Nourishment of Stillness
We live in a world saturated with noise. Notifications, conversations, content, commentary. But silence isn’t just an absence — it’s a presence of its own. A nutrient for the soul. A space where we can actually hear ourselves again.
- Neurogenesis: Silence stimulates the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus — the area linked to memory and emotional regulation.
- Stress Reduction: Quiet environments lower cortisol levels and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).
- Interception: Silence enhances awareness of internal bodily states, which improves emotional resilience, decision-making, and intuition.
Try this:
Take a silent walk in nature. No talking, no headphones. Just your breath, your footsteps, and the wind through the trees.
Designate one meal or one hour each day as a digital and verbal fast — a moment of listening, not filling.
Soil: Our Microbial Mirror
Soil isn't just dirt — it's a living matrix, teeming with billions of microbes that mirror our own internal ecosystem. Scientists now know that healthy soil supports healthy guts, and that even just touching living soil can boost mood and immune function.
- Mycobacterium vaccae, a soil-dwelling microbe, has been shown to stimulate serotonin production and reduce anxiety when inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
- Microbiome Connection: Contact with diverse soil ecosystems can help improve the diversity and health of our own gut microbiota — which affects everything from immunity to mood.
- Mental Health: Regular gardening is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety, likely due to microbial exposure, grounding, and time in nature.
Try this:
- Walk barefoot on earth, grass, or sand. Let the soles of your feet reconnect with the ground.
- Plant something — even a single herb — and touch the soil with reverence.
- Offer compost or food scraps back to the earth as a ritual of reciprocity.
Grounding isn't a luxury. It's a return to relationship.
As you move through this week, ask yourself:
What truly feeds me?
Where does nourishment come from when I stop chasing and start receiving?
We are fed not only by what we consume, but by what we allow to touch us — sun on skin, stillness in heart, soil beneath our feet.
These are not luxuries. They are birth rights.