We Found the Most Effective Spiritual Sunbath Ritual in Odinani for Everyone: ITU-OBA-ANWU!

Jan 1

Written By Oma

Question: In one of your posts you mentioned an early morning sunbath ritual as a way to recharge one’s Chi energy, can you go into more details on this technique?

With pleasure. The sunbathing ritual we made reference to in the post, Five Ways You Can Revatilize Your Life Force (Chi) Energy, is Itu-Oba-Anwu, a traditional sunbathing techique used for the purpose of recharging not just the physical body but other aspects of our being through the potent radiating energy of Anyanwu Ututu (the early morning sun).

We already know in a general sense, thanks to scientific inquiry, that getting exposure to sunlight in the morning has several benefits to our physical body, including reducing melatonin production, triggering serotonin release, helping the body produce vitamin D, regulating the sleep-wake cycle, improving our sleep quality, and ultimately enhancing our mood and well-being. The indigenous technique we are addressing in this post takes it a step further, it is a way in which not just the physical body but other ascepts of our being can be catered to. An essential instrument in this technique is Nzu, the local white chalk also known in some spaces as Kaolin. The application of Nzu on the body is what makes most of the difference with this technique.

For those who might still be curious about what Nzu is, it is a sacred white chalk or powder which in Odinani is believed to have protective and purifying properties. In traditional Igbo culture, Nzu is used in various rituals and ceremonies for spiritual cleansing, protection, and healing. It is very much associated with the divine and is symbolic to getting in touch with other dimensions of reality. This substance (Nzu) is definitely not unique to Igbos or Odinani, we have found it present as a customary tool within many other West African communities.

Let’s get straight to highlighting four (4) essential steps involved in this traditional sunbathing ritual:

Step 1: One typically starts by smearing their full body or in some cases a particular area of the body, which they would like to center or expose to the sun i.e the face, chest, back, or (and) palms, with Nzu which serves as a purifier as well as an amplifier for the sun rays. The smeared Nzu serves to heighten the purity of the Aura and allows the effect of the sun rays to go beyond the physical body into other parts of one’s being that needs to be recharged. It serves as an aura cleanser and purifier for our energetic body, filtering the rays of the sun (Ora Anyanwu) and transfroming it into Chi energy.
Step 2: They would then proceed to sit or stand or take whatever posture is most comfortable for 10-20 minutes under the early morning sun (Anyanwu Ututu), which is the best recommended time for this exercise, which should be typically before 10 a.m. It is important to avoid prolonged exposure during peak hours when the sun is strongest, which is typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Step 3: After a comfortable posture has been taken, one should be still or enter into a relaxed (meditative) state. It is important during this time to set one’s intention on channeling the radiating energy of the sun and transforming it into Chi energy in their being.
Step 4: There are extra things which can be done or combined to enhance the experience but they are not necessarily compulsory. Things such as using visualization exercises to channel the sun rays or taking deep conscious breaths or just staying as still and relaxed as possible during the 10-20 minutes of sunbathing.

Those are the four essential steps necessary for using this traditional sunbathing technique. As we already stated, the purpose of doing a sunbath this way is to bath the body in the potent recharging energies of the early morning sun while simultaneously transforming it into Chi energy. The difference between this practice and regular sunbathing is that this goes beyond just rejuvenating or nourishing your physical body to recharging other layers of your being like your Mmuo—spirit or energetic body.

We hope this post answered the question properly and provides those interested with enough preliminary information to engage the practice if they wish to. As always, feel free to reach out to us for any further comments or questions with regards to this post or any other posts on this blog.

Cool Proverbs & Axioms to Ponder on:

Anyanwu rie asaa kwuru, Ala ejiri Edeuli kwado ya - If the Sun consumes seven cycles and stands, the Earth will back it with Uli expressions.
Mgbe onye ji teta ụra bụ ụtụtụ ya - Whenever one wakes up is their morning.
Onye nyobe mmuo ofu Chi ya - Whoever attempts to delve deeply into spirit ultimately encounters their Chi.
Uzu na-amaghi akpu ogene lee egbe anya n'odu - The blacksmith who does know how to forge a metal gong should look at the tail of a kite.