This rhythm is based on the spinning of the Earth, and everything
in our body, being part of the Earth, is also spinning and following
the rhythm of the Earth. When this biological rhythm is disrupted
by long-distance travel, for example, we experience jet lag.
Or if we work a night shift, we don't feel quite right even if
we rest during the day, because our biological rhythms are out
of tune with the cosmic rhythms.
Scientific data shows that if we give an animal a certain
dose of radiation at one time of the day, it may have a beneficial
effect. If we give the same dose of radiation twelve hours later,
the animal may die. Why? Because its physiology has changed completely
in that twelve-hour period. Even a little bit of subjective experience
tells us that at certain times of the day we feel hungry, while
at other times of the day we feel sleepy. We know that we tend
to feel one way at four o'clock in the afternoon, and another
way at four o'clock in the morning.
Tidal rhythms also have an effect on our physiology. These
rhythms are the result of the gravitational effect of the sun,
the moon, and the stars in the distant galaxies on the oceans
of planet Earth. We have an ocean within us that is similar to
the oceans of our planet. More than 60 percent of our body is
water, and more than 60 percent of our planet is water. So we
experience a low tide and a high tide, and the tides ebb and
flow in our own physiology. When we feel out of sorts, our body
is out of synch with the body of the universe. Spending time
near the ocean, or anywhere in nature, can help us to synchronize
our rhythms with nature's rhythms.
The lunar rhythm is a twenty-eight-day cycle that occurs as
a result of the movement of the Earth, the sun, and the moon
in relationship to one another. This rhythm is evident in the
waxing and waning of the moon. We see the full moon, the half
moon, no moon, and then the cycle starts all over again. Human
fertility and menstruation are good examples of lunar rhythms,
and there are many other twenty-eight-day cycles. When I worked
as a physician in an emergency room, we would frequently expect
to see patients with certain types of problems depending on the
time of day and the cycles of the moon.
As the Earth moves around the sun, we experience seasonal rhythms
as distinct biochemical changes in the body-mind. So we are more
likely to fall in love in spring or get depressed in winter.
People with a condition known as seasonal affective disorder
get depressed in winter but feel better when you expose them
to sunlight. Seasonal changes affect not only the biochemistry
of the human body; they affect the biochemistry of trees, flowers,
butterflies, bacteria, and everything throughout nature.
The Earth tilts on its axis in the spring, and flowers bloom,
groundhogs come out of the ground, birds migrate, fish return
to their spawning grounds, and mating rituals begin. People are
moved to write poetry, lovers sing songs, and young and old hearts
fall in love. Seasonal rhythms affect us biologically, mentally,
emotionally, and it all has to do with the relationship of the
Earth to the sun.
There are other cycles and rhythms that oscillate for just a
few seconds, including electrocardiogram and brain waves, and
there are rhythms that last anywhere from thirty minutes to twenty-eight
hours called ultradian rhythms. There are cycles within
cycles, and it gets very complicated, but it's all one symphony.
All of these rhythms create the symphony of the universe, and
the body-mind is always trying to synchronize its rhythms with
universal rhythms.
To separate the body-mind from the rest of the cosmos is to
misperceive things as they really are. The body-mind is part
of a larger mind, it's part of the cosmos, and cosmic rhythms
result in profound changes in our physiology. The universe is
truly a symphony of the stars. And when our body-mind is in synch
with this symphony, everything is spontaneous and effortless,
and the exuberance of the universe flows through us in joyful
ecstasy.
When the rhythms of our body-mind are in synch with nature's
rhythms, when we are living in harmony with life, we are living
in the state of grace. To live in grace is to experience that
state of consciousness where things flow effortlessly and our
desires are easily fulfilled. Grace is magical, synchronistic,
coincidental, joyful. It's that good-luck factor. But to live
in grace we have to allow nature's intelligence to flow through
us without interfering.
Theoretically, if we were totally aligned with the cosmos, if
we were totally in harmony with its rhythms, and if we had zero
stress, then there would be very little entropy in our body.
Our body wouldn't age if we were totally synchronized with the
cycles of the universe. If it did undergo entropy, it would be
on the scale of the universe, which is cosmic cycles or eons
of time. But our body-mind is not totally aligned with the rhythms
of the universe, and why isn't it? Stress. You see, as soon as
we have a thought, any thought, it interferes with the innate
tendency of the biological rhythms to synchronize with the universal
rhythms.
How do we interfere with nature's intelligence? In spiritual
terms, we can say that we interfere when we identify with our
self-image and lose our inner self; when we lose our sense of
connection with our soul, our source. In more common terms, we
can say that we interfere when we start worrying, when we start
anticipating problems, when we start thinking, What can go
wrong? When we try to control everything, when we are afraid,
when we feel isolated - all these things interfere with the flow
of nature's intelligence. Anytime we feel resistance, anytime
things are going wrong, anytime we feel frustration, anytime
there is too much effort, then we are not connecting with our
source, the field of pure consciousness that manifests as the
infinite diversity of the universe. The state of fear is the
state of separation; it is resistance to what is. If we don't
have resistance, then it's all spontaneous, effortless ease.
Our body is constantly speaking to us through signals of comfort
and discomfort, pleasure and pain, attraction and repulsion.
When we listen to the subtle nuances of sensation in our body,
we are accessing intuitive intelligence. This intelligence is
contextual, relational, nurturing, holistic, and wise. Intuitive
intelligence is more accurate and precise than anything that
exists in the realm of rational thought. Intuition is not a thought;
it is the nonlocal cosmic field of information that whispers
to us in the silence between our thoughts. So when we listen
to the inner intelligence of our body, which is the ultimate
and supreme genius, we are eavesdropping on the universe and
accessing information that most people don't normally access.
When we listen to our body's wisdom, when we become aware of
the sensations in our body, we will know the whole cosmos, because
the whole cosmos is experienced as sensations in our body. If
we are out of harmony with universal rhythms, the signal that
comes to us is a sense of discomfort, whether it's physical,
mental, or emotional. When we are flowing in harmony with the
universe, the signal that comes to us is a sense of comfort,
ease, or joy. In reality, these sensations are the voice of spirit,
which speaks to us at the finest level of feeling in our body.
When we offer our body our deep listening, we will hear the voice
of spirit, because our body is a biocomputer that is constantly
plugged into the cosmic psyche. Our body has a computing ability
that can instantly take into account the infinity of details
that create every event in our life.
Knowing all this, why not treat your body with reverence and
take care of it? Nurture your body with your loving attention.
Nourish your body with healthy food and fresh water. Feed your
body with the freshness of the earth, and the colors of the rainbow
that the earth offers in the form of fruits and vegetables. Drink
deeply of the Earth's waters so that you open the lines of communication
and intelligence that course through your tissues and blood vessels.
Breathe deeply so that your lungs are fully expanded with air.
Let go of all constriction and tightness in your consciousness
so that your body can relax into the rhythms of the universe.
Move your body, exercise your body, and keep it moving. Make
a commitment to keep your body free of toxins, both physical
and emotional. Don't contaminate your body with dead food and
drink, toxic chemicals, toxic relationships, or toxic emotions
in the form of anger, fear, or guilt. Make sure that you nurture
healthy relationships, and that you do not harbor resentments
or grievances. The health of every cell directly contributes
to your state of well-being, because every cell is a point of
awareness within the field of awareness that is you.
The body-mind is the dance of the universe, and the more you
dance with the universe, the more joy, vitality, energy, creativity,
synchronicity, and harmony you will experience. You can stay
in tune with your body by being aware of how you dance with the
universe. If you pay attention to the rhythms and cycles of your
body-mind, and if you become a little familiar with cosmic rhythms,
you'll see that you can synchronize your body's rhythms with
the rhythms of the universe. You don't have to be an expert,
just pay a little attention to this. Notice how you feel at different
times of the day and at different times of the month depending
on the lunar cycle. Look at the sky, and observe the cycles of
the moon. If you look at a newspaper, check the high tide and
low tide. Feel your body and see how it relates to each of the
seasons. Understanding these rhythms can really help you, but
the following information is all you need to remember.
Between six and ten in the morning and between six and ten in
the evening is when your body is hypometabolic, or at its lowest
phase of metabolism. Try to spend time in silence around six
in the morning and six in the evening. Ideally speaking, it's
best to meditate in the early part of this phase, and to exercise
in the middle of this phase - especially if you're doing it to
lose weight.
Between ten in the morning and two in the afternoon is when
metabolic fire is at its highest. This is the time to have your
biggest meal, because your body will metabolize the food much
better. Between two and six in the afternoon is a good time to
be active, to learn new mental skills, or to engage in physical
activities. Between two and six in the morning is a good time
to dream.
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by Dr. Deepak Chopra