An aspiring Californian “influencer” with the handle “Metaphysical Meagan” aka “Meagan Whitson” proved this when she posted about the benefits of the ancient “Taoist practice” of “Perineum Sunning.”
The self-proclaimed healer and teacher called the practice game changing and said it had brought profound changes to her life.
I was recently interviewed for an article on this, so I thought I’d share more. Perineum sunning is an ancient Taoist practice that originated in the Far East. In Taoism, the perineum or Hui Yin is called the “Gate of Life and Death.” This is a gateway where energy enters and exits the body. I first learned about perineum sunning through my studies of “Taoism and Tantric practices.” Mantak Chia speaks about this in his work, as does my friend @ra_of_earth.
The benefits of “perineum sunning” include:
It brings in prana or solar energy from the sun into the organs within the body which strengthens the organs.
Perineum sunning prevents against the leakage of chi or life force energy from the body.
This in turn sustains health & longevity of the physical body.
Increases creativity and creative output.
Aids in a healthy libido & balanced sexual energy.
30 seconds of sunlight on the perineum is equivalent to being in the sun all day with your clothes on.
It regulates the circadian rhythm and promotes deeper sleep.
Grounds and connects you to the Earth.
Increases your personal magnetism and amplifies the auric field.
Better focus & mental stimulation.
Regulates hormone function in the sex organs.
“My experience with perineum sunning has been profound. I have been practicing this for a few months now. I start my day with 5 minutes of perineum sunning and feel energized for hours. I no longer rely on coffee for energy to start my day because I am getting my energy from the sun.”
“I also am experiencing better sleep and require less sleep due to boost of overall energy. I highly recommend this to anyone who is seeking optimal health and wellness and to those looking to connect with their sexual energy in a balanced way. The main advice I have that this practice is meant to be done in the time of 30 seconds to 5 minutes MAX in the sun. The intention of this is not to tan or burn your butt hole. Sunscreen is not required and all you really need is 30 seconds of sun exposure. The ideal hours of the day to do this are between 7-9 am” she wrote in the post, as if her body were an iPhone and her butt hole a charger jack.
Her caption also pointed to a number of other ostensible benefits, including “hormone regulation, libido strengthening, increasing personal magnetism and amplifying the auric field.” Naturally, her photo featured a censored image of herself on her back, blissfully “spread-eagle, exposing her brown eye to the sun.”
The post contained virtually every element of instantaneous “virality, pseudo-scientific, goofy wellness jargon, egregious cultural appropriation” and a photo of a lady with her clothes off.
But in the increasingly competitive “social media” economy, even the most obvious of “wellness stunts” aren’t guaranteed to attract eyeballs, and the post didn’t quite go viral until a Twitter user named @sisterofonline posted a screen grab of it, with the caption: “People out here butt-chugging sunlight.”
A similar Instagram posted by health influencer Troy Casey also advocated for the practice, led to media outlets classifying anal tanning as a bona fide “wellness” trend.
One of the influencers cited in Meagan’s post, @ra_of_earth, posted a screen grab from the book, which advocates for doing a “Sun Worship Exercise.”
“Sunlight has excellent germicidal qualities, and exposure to the sun will help keep the anal and vaginal areas healthy and free of germs. It is also excellent for the treatment of hemorrhoids,” the book claims, complete with a cartoon silhouette of someone bending over and “showin’ off dem cheeks.”
It also served as a perfect opportunity to skewer the admittedly mockery-worthy wellness industry, with the New York Post referring to it as the “latest insanity wellness influencers swear by.”
It does beg the question, though: is this something anyone other than a few engagement-thirsty wellness influencers are actually doing? And does it actually have any basis in traditional Chinese medicine practice, as white wellness influencers would have you believe?
The claim that “perineum tanning” has therapeutic benefits appears to stem from a 1986 book by Qi Institute founder Dr. Stephen T. Chang called “The Tao of Sexology.”
While Chang and the Qi Institute did not respond to requests for comments, there certainly isn’t much by way of peer-reviewed research to support the practice. Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a practicing gynecologist and instructor at the Yale School of Medicine, says that while the anal area has billions of bacteria, “no amount of sunlight will kill them, nor do we necessarily want them killed, since most of us live in very good harmony with our microbiome.”
In fact, she adds, sunlight exposure in that area could potentially be risky. “That tissue in the body is about the most delicate tissue there is. So why do anything to which one could have an allergic reaction? she added.
And of the half dozen or so “Traditional Chinese Medicine” (TCM) providers contacted none had ever heard about the “therapeutic” benefits of perineum tanning. “I guess it’s possible, but I can’t comment on it either way,” says Mona Yuan, director of the “New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.“
A representative for the “Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation” summed it up as “We don’t talk about it, we don’t practice it. Why would you write about it?” before hanging up.
The answer to that question is the same as any other topic in the “digital” information economy: “because other people are talking about it.” And in truth, that’s the only real reason why “perineum” tanning, a practice cited from a page in a more than 30-year-old book, has generated any mainstream interest at all.
In a world where yoni steaming, vagina-tightening jade eggs and anti-aging blood infusions are actually available to the very wealthy and the very silly, spreading your “ass cheeks” for the gods in heaven and your next-door neighbors to witness seems both plausible and worthy of discussion.
But in truth, such trends are rarely driven by anyone other than a few individuals who know there is attention to be gained from mining the widespread scorn toward the wellness industry for all it’s worth.
“I can’t imagine why anyone would want to do that. Is this an L.A. thing? It sounds like a West Coast thing,” says Dante Fitzpatrick, head of operations at “Beach Bum” tanning salons.
Even A-listers are sunning their bums.“Big Little Lies” actress Shailene Woodley, who is known for her “holistic” lifestyle that doesn’t even include a TV, has admitted she’s also practiced a version of “perineum sunning.”
“Another thing I like to do is give my vagina a little vitamin D. I was reading an article written by an herbalist I studied about yeast infections and other genital issues. She said there’s nothing better than vitamin D. If you’re feeling depleted, go in the sun for an hour and see how much energy you get. Or, if you live in a place that has heavy winters, when the sun finally comes out, spread your legs and get some sunshine,” she told “Into The Gloss” in 2014.
However, medical professionals are far from convinced the practice has any merit.
“There is no evidence that sunbathing in this way has any effect on physical well-being. Yes, practicing mindfulness and meditation, and getting your dose of vitamin D, is beneficial for mental and physical health, but you don’t need to damage your skin in the process from sun exposure,” Dr. Diana Gall of UK-based online doctor service Doctor 4 U tells “Insider.”
Gall suggests that there are different and “safer” ways to practice mindfulness and adds that “there are no extra benefits of doing this naked in the sun.”
While influencers are currently letting the “sun shine in their back door” the Federal Trade Commission is having little luck convincing them to shed more light on product endorsements.
According to Dr Sam Hay, director of Your Doctors in Sydney, the perineum sunning trend is simply “promoting something significantly beyond people’s comfort zones for no benefit. There is absolutely nothing that this woman is doing in 30 seconds that has any affect on her libido, sleep, creativity or focus.”
“Yes, taking some time for mindfulness and meditation can assist with all of those things but there’s no magical benefit from getting naked, holding your toes and pointing your arse to the sun.”
There are a number of ways to go “viral” on Instagram. The most surefire way – “the one totally unimpeachable, fail proof method” – is to “boast” about the benefits of sunbathing your “front and back holes.”
Meagan, from California, shared a snap after practicing perineum sunning in which she can be seen spreading her legs and presenting her genitals to the sun.