Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a challenging form of seasonal depression that individuals often feel as summer ends and evenings grow longer.

The term 'affective' relates to our emotional responses, which are disrupted during the winter months due to reduced light reaching our eyes. This lack of light hinders the release of neurotransmitters that typically help maintain a balanced and engaged mood. The result is depression, a biological condition that can feel as intense as a significant injury or illness.

Sakura meditation counteracts the harmful effects of stress by soothing the amygdala, which triggers our stress response, while also restoring balance to the nervous system and stimulating the vagus nerve.

As a result, we achieve a more natural level of parasympathetic tone in our central nervous system, helping to prevent our thoughts from becoming irrationally negative.

This practice also boosts melatonin levels, which can decrease during SAD, leading to feelings of fatigue.

Additionally, through meditation, our optic nerve strengthens, and our retinal cells become more sensitive, allowing us to extract more neurochemical benefits from the light signals we receive.