Every day you get a chance to reset your circadian rhythm and it takes a simple change to your morning routine. Ok, so may not be so simple for the night owls….but you will be thankful you did it. Let me tell you why.

Light is the most important mechanism to help sync our body clock to the natural world but the timing of light exposure matters. Morning sunlight is the main stimulus that the receptors in the eyes, our retinal ganglion cells, look for when controlling our metabolism, our sleep/wake cycles, and the production of key hormones and neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and melatonin.

On waking, our eyes are especially sensitive to blue light, which is abundant during the early morning. Why sunrise is the most beneficial time to get this enriching blue light is because the sun is low in the sky, and the UV is being filtered out by the atmosphere, allowing you to stare at the sun directly. This is known as sun gazing and has been practiced by yogis for thousands of years, with well documented beneficial health results.

So do this for me (well really for yourself) for a week and see how you feel.

- Find out what time the sunrise is tomorrow and set your alarm for 30 minutes before it.

- Get up when it goes off.

- Go outside, face east where the sun will appear, and watch it for 10-15 minutes as it rises.

- Matt Maruca

This simple routine will set your circadian rhythm to nature, like it is designed to be, and this will increase your energy levels, improve cognitive function, elevate your mood, and enhance your overall health, vitality and well-being.

Now that doesn’t sound too hard does it…