Rhythm, The Cosmic Pulse Supporting You On Your Wellness Path
Softly beating inside your chest right now is the first organ that developed inside the womb. Each beat a pulse, carrying the vital fluids and prana throughout your body. Your heart is a direct reflection of how things operate inside and out. So what does this organ have to teach you about living a healthy, balanced life in harmony with the world we share? Rhythm. Take dancing with a partner for an example. You are either in rhythm with your partner which can be a beautiful flowing collaboration of connection, balance and harmony, or you are just trying to make it work piecing together each fragmented movement. Looking at the bigger cosmic rhythm, how does it relate to be alive and breathing on this living planet? This is the cosmic dance of connection and true vitality.
What is the cosmic pulse?
Inner pulse
Everything in and around you is in a rhythm. Let’s begin with you and your body. There is a wisdom within your body — call it a divine intelligence — governing you, me and our shared world. It is the supporting wisdom behind your living and breathing body. A regular practice of dinacharya promotes harmony within our bodily systems. Dinacharya is the synchronized daily routine which promotes wellness and includes practices for a nourished body, balanced mind and connected spirit. Placing these routines with intention in your day helps to restore balance and connection to your inner pulse.
Outer pulse
The larger rhythms around you such as the circadian (light and dark) cycle, seasonal cycle and lunar phases are among the biggest. These are the members of the divine orchestra reminding you when to sleep, eat, play and take time to do nothing at all. Throughout evolution, humans have been living in harmony with these cosmic pulses, that is until the recent advancements of technology, artificial lighting and food grown out of it’s natural season. This shift is driving humans offbeat and likening the experience of physical disease and emotional distress.
Syncing the beats
Why it is important.
The relationship of your inner and outer pulse greatly influences the overall health and wellbeing you experience. Ayurveda is perhaps the oldest tradition exploring the relation of inner and outer rhythms. When I began to go deeper into Ayurveda and explore my relationship to the larger pulse of life I had many questions. Why does an arhythmic schedule cause stress? What is the importance of sleep? How does eating out of the seasonal rhythms affect my meditation? And then something clicked. We are nature and are born into the beautiful cosmic dance but it is the lifestyle we live and choices we make that bring us in or out of this rhythm.
The roadmap for balance
To thrive as a human you need a balance between rest and activity. A balance between eating and digesting. So we look to the rhythmic structure of Ayurveda to guide us on the path to restoring a balanced, healthy life.
Are you familiar with the doshas? These are the three combinations of the five states of matter.
Vata = air + ether ～ Pitta = fire + water ～ Kapha = earth + water
The doshas are the governing qualities on the human physiology, biorhythms and influence behind mental/emotional tendency. They represent the movement of the energy and are shown on the dosha clock. The dosha clock is the cyclical roadmap of the day focusing on what is happening in relation to the sunrise and sunset. The clock runs on two 12-hour cycles, each 12 hour cycle is divided with the three doshas. Simply put, honoring the rhythmic nature of the doshic clock gives us insight for balancing our daily routines with the present attribute.
Restoring your balance through rhythm
Do you want to learn to live in balance with nature’s rhythms? If you desire to restore balance in your body, mind and cosmic connection, then it is time to evaluate where your routine can evolve to support you on your path. Begin with simple dinacharya during specific times of the clock to find the balance with the current dosha such as exercising in the morning and eating your largest meal in the heat of the day. Come back to basics and honor the diurnal nature of life. Setting a bedtime for yourself and your electronics to limit stimulus during the evening. An evening dinacharya like a self foot massage, helps you let go of the day by creating time for your rejuvenation. With proper time to rest and recalibrate, the nervous system can return to homeostasis and ease of life is restored. Inviting curiosity is a great way to evaluate where your rhythms are supporting you and where they could be upgraded. Are you ready to refine your rhythms? Here a few questions to ask yourself. Remember to invite curiosity about areas that could use an upgrade. Do I feel natural energy upon waking in the morning? Where was the food on my plate grown? What would help me charge my internal battery? From a scientific perspective, being in sync with the natural rhythm is how we recharge our cells. Like charging your cell phone battery, your cells need to be in sync with these larger cycles to optimize their functions. With charged cells and relaxed nervous system, the microbes in the body are able to perform their jobs well, supporting the the detox and digestive systems. When out of sync, your cells are overworked and your body and mind become stressed. If this persists, stress induced digestive diseases and a whole grocery list of other symptoms may enter the scene.
Think long term and begin to identify where are you in sync and where could you enter the cosmic dance more harmoniously. Where is there potential to build momentum of health and vitality? Where could the cosmic pulse support you on your path? Coming back to the beating heart, you have reminders within and around you reflecting the pulse of the cosmos. As a human you can choose to align with these rhythms enhancing the quality of life you experience with deeper connection and well-being.
