Just when you though you’ve seen it all … a new health trend is sweeping the ‘wellness’ world that promises to boost energy and promote better sleep.
It’s called ‘perineum sunning’ and involves, in the most simple terms, exposing one’s nether regions to direct sunlight – unusually by adopting an extreme yoga-style pose to ensure maximum exposure.
Meagan, a self-proclaimed healer and weightlifter from California who calls herself Metaphysical Meagan on Instagram, has been getting a lot of attention on social media for practicing perineum sunning.
“My experience with perineum sunning has been profound,” she wrote on Instagram to accompany an image of her, legs akimbo and in the air.
“I have been practicing this for a few months now. I start my day with five minutes of perineum sunning and feel energised 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.”
Megan then explained that what others have been calling ‘butthole sunning’ was in fact “an ancient Taoist practice that’s been around for a while”.
Amazingly, Meagan is not alone in her fondness for risking a burn where the sun don’t shine.
Fellow Californian Troy Casey, who identifies as a ‘holistic coach’ and goes by the handle certifiedhealthnut on Instagram, recently uploaded a near-X-rated image of himself performing the health ritual.
“Butthole sunning seems to be resonant TRUTH trending and spreading Eagle all over the internet,” he wrote.
Doctors, however, disagree.
“There is no evidence that sunbathing in this way has any effect on physical well-being,” Dr Diana Gall,from Doctor-4-U told Insider. “Practicing mindfulness comes in many different and safer forms, and there are no extra benefits of doing this naked in the sun.”
Others pointed out that while some perineum-sunners recommend just 30 seconds of sunlight, a sustained period of butthole sunning could lead to long-term sun damage to the area.
Not everyone on social media is convinced either.
One Twitter user, named Molly Sung, wrote: “I’m from a Taiwan where Taoism is a major religion and I can confirm that I’ve never seen people sunning their bums there – nor do I know of anyone who does this. TBH, pretty tired of ‘wellness’ trends trying to claim roots in eastern religion/traditions”.
While one book, called Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy: Transforming Your Body, Mind and Spirit by Eric Steven Yudelove, can be found online that preaches the benefits of enhancing one’s “perineum power”, there’s little evidence that Metaphysical Meagan is doing anything other than risking an even more wrinkly behind.