OUR BODY, OUR MIND, OUR emotions, our entire physiology is changing at every moment depending on the time of day, the cycles of the moon, the seasons and even the tides. Our body is part of the universe and, ultimately, everything that happens in the universe affects its physiology. Biological rhythms are an expression of the rhythms of the Earth in relation to the entire cosmos, and only four of them (daily, monthly, tidal and lunar rhythms) are the basis of all the other rhythms of our body.
The Earth rotates on its axis, so we experience a 24-hour cycle day and night which we call circadian rhythm. This rhythm is based on the turn of the Earth and, as part of it, our whole body also rotates following the rhythm of the Earth. When this biological rhythm is interrupted, for example, by some long-distance trip, we feel jet-lag. Also when we are working all night, even if we rest during the day we do not feel well at all, since our biological rhythms are out of step with cosmic rhythms.
Scientific data shows that if we subject an animal to a certain dose of radiation once a day, it may experience some beneficial effect. But if we give the same dose of radiation twelve hours later, the animal can die. Why? Because his physiology has changed completely in that twelve hour period. Even our small subjective experience tells us that at certain times of the day we are hungry, while at others we are sleepy. We know that we tend to feel some way at four in the afternoon and another at four in the morning.
The rhythms of the tides also affect our physiology. These rhythms are the result of the gravitational effect of the sun, the moon and the stars of distant galaxies on the oceans of planet Earth. In our interior we also have an ocean similar to those of our planet. More than 60 percent of our body is water, and more than 60 percent of our planet is water. Therefore, we experience in our own physiology high tides and low tides and the ebb and flow of tides. When we feel uncomfortable it is because our body is out of sync with the body of the universe. Spending time near the sea or any natural site can help us synchronize our rhythms with those of nature.
The lunar rhythm is a twenty-eight day cycle that occurs as a result of the relative movement of the Earth, the sun and the moon. This rhythm is evident considering the growth and decrease of the moon. We see the full moon, half moon, we stop seeing it, and the cycle starts again. Human fertility and menstruation are good examples of lunar rhythms, but there are many other twenty-eight day cycles. When I worked as a doctor in an emergency room, we expected to see more patients with certain types of problems depending on the time of day and the cycles of the moon.
Due to the movement of the Earth around the sun, we experience seasonal rhythms in the form of different biochemical changes in our body and mind. That is why we are more likely to fall in love in spring or get depressed in winter. People who suffer from a syndrome known as seasonal affective disorder become depressed in winter but get better when exposed to sunlight. Seasonal changes not only affect the biochemistry of the human body: they affect that of trees, flowers, butterflies, bacteria and everything that is present in nature.
The Earth leans on its axis in spring and the flowers sprout, the marmots leave their burrows, the birds migrate, the fish return to their spawning territories and the courtship rituals begin. People feel inclined to write poetry, lovers sing their songs and young and old hearts fall in love. Seasonal rhythms affect us biologically, mentally and emotionally; They all have to do with the relationship between the Earth and the sun.
There are other rhythms and cycles that oscillate every few seconds, such as brain and electrocardiographic waves, while others such as ultradian rhythms last from thirty minutes to twenty four hours. There are cycles within other cycles, reaching a high level of complexity that as a whole works in unison as a symphony.
All these rhythms create the symphony of the universe; body and mind are always trying to synchronize their rhythms with universal rhythms.
Separating the body and mind from the rest of the cosmos is not seeing things as they are. The body-mind system is part of a higher intelligence, is part of the cosmos, and cosmic rhythms generate profound changes in our physiology. The universe is a true symphony of the stars. And when our body and our mind are synchronized with this symphony, everything happens spontaneously and effortlessly, and the exuberance of the universe flows through us in glorious ecstasy.
When the rhythms of our body and mind are synchronized with the rhythms of nature, when we live in harmony with life, we live in a state of grace. To live in grace is to experience that state of consciousness in which things flow effortlessly and our desires are easily satisfied. Grace is magical and synchronous, full of coincidences and wonderful. It is that factor of good luck.
But to live in grace it is necessary that we allow nature's intelligence to flow through us without interfering with it.
Theoretically, if we were fully aligned with the cosmos, if we were in complete harmony with its rhythms and if we had zero stress, there would be very little entropy. In our body. Our body would not age if we were fully synchronized with the cycles of the universe. If its entropy does not increase, it would be within the scale of the universe, which is measured in cosmic cycles or eons of time.
But our body-mind system is not perfectly aligned with the rhythms of the universe; Why is that so? For the stress. You see, as soon as we have a thought, any thought, it interferes with the innate tendency of biological rhythms to synchronize with universals.
How do we interfere with the intelligence of nature? In spiritual terms, we can say that we interfere when we identify with the image we have of ourselves and lose sight of our inner being; when we lose our sense of connection with our soul, our source. In more common terms, we can say that we interfere when we begin to worry, when we begin to anticipate problems, when we begin to think about what could go wrong. When we try to control everything, when we get scared, when we feel isolated; All these things interfere with the flow of nature's intelligence. Every time we feel resistance, frustration, that things go wrong, that demand too much effort, it is because we are disconnected from our source, the field of pure consciousness, which manifests itself in the infinite diversity of the universe. The state of fear is the state of separation; It is resistance to what it is. When we do not oppose resistance everything is spontaneous and simple, it does not require effort.
Our body is constantly speaking to us through signs of comfort and discomfort, pleasure and pain, attraction and repulsion. When we pay attention to the subtle indications of our bodily sensations, we access intuitive intelligence. Such intelligence is contextual, relational, enriching, holistic and wise. Intuitive intelligence is more detailed and accurate than anything else in the realm of rational thought. Intuition is not thought; It is that cosmic field of non-localized information that whispers to us in the silence between our thoughts. Therefore, when we listen to the inner intelligence of our body, which is the supreme and definitive genius, we are entering the universe and accessing information that most people do not usually have access to.
When we pay attention to the wisdom of our body, when we are aware of the sensations of our body, we will know the entire cosmos, since we experience the entire cosmos in our body in the form of sensations. When we are not in harmony with universal rhythms, the signal that comes to us is of discomfort, whether physical, mental or emotional. When we flow in harmony with the universe, the signal that comes to us is a sense of comfort, of joy, that everything is easy.
Actually, those sensations are the voice of the spirit, which speaks to us at the level of feeling more tuned in our body. When we offer our body deep attention, we will listen to the voice of the spirit, because our body is a bio computer constantly connected to the cosmic mind. Our body has a computer skill that enables it to instantly repair the infinity of details that create every event of our life.
Knowing all this, why don't you treat your body with respect and take care of it? Take care of him with loving attention. Feed it with healthy food and fresh water. Feed it with the freshness of the earth and with the colors of the rainbow that the earth offers in the form of fruits and vegetables. Drink the waters of the Earth intensely so that they can open the lines of communication and intelligence that run through your tissues and your bloodstream. Breathe deeply so that your lungs fully expand with the air.
Free yourself from any conscious attachment or constriction so that your body can relax in the rhythms of the universe. Move your body, exercise it and keep it moving. Commit to keeping it free of toxins, both physical and emotional. Do not contaminate it with drinks or dead foods, toxic chemicals, relationships or toxic emotions in the form of anger, fear or guilt. Be sure to feed your healthy relationships and do not harbor grudges or resentments. The health of each cell contributes directly to your state of well-being, since each cell is a point of consciousness in the field of consciousness that you are.
Body and mind are 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 tuned to your body by being aware of how you dance with the universe. If you pay attention to the rhythms and cycles of your body and mind and get a little familiar with the cosmic rhythms, you will see how you can synchronize the rhythms of your body with those of the universe. You don't have to be an expert, just pay a little attention to this. See how you feel at different times of the day and month depending on the lunar cycle. Look at the sky and look at the cycles of the moon. If you read the newspaper, look at the high tide and low tide schedules. Feel your body and see how it relates to each season. Understand that these rhythms can really help you; The following information is the only thing you should remember.
Between six and ten in the morning and six and ten at night is when your body is hypometabolic, in its lowest metabolism phase. Try to spend some time in silence around six in the morning and in the afternoon. Ideally, meditate at the beginning of this phase and exercise in the middle of it, especially if you do it to lose weight.
Between ten in the morning and two in the afternoon is when the metabolic fire is at its maximum. It is time to make the main meal because your body will metabolize the food much better. Between two and six in the afternoon it is a good time to be active, learn new mental activities or undertake physical activities.
Between two and six in the morning is a good time to dream.
Around six in the afternoon, preferably before sunset, it is a good time for dinner. It is better to have a light dinner and leave at least two or three hours between dinner and sleep.
Therefore, try to go to bed at ten or half past ten at night and you will have an ideal rest with great dreams.
These are very basic recommendations but, once we begin to tune our rhythms with cosmic rhythms, the body feels quite different. It feels vital; He doesn't get tired. Subjectively we feel more energetic. We begin to experience that state of consciousness in which all things in our life flow easily. A vibrant health is not just the absence of disease; It's that joy that should be inside us all the time. It is a state of positive well-being not only physical but emotional, psychological and, ultimately, even spiritual. Technology is not going to make us healthier. What will make us healthier is that we are aligned with the forces of the universe, that we feel that our body is part of the body of nature, communing with it and with our soul spending time in solitude and silence.
The Hindu poet Rabindranath Tagore summarizes the miracle of life in a more beautiful way than science can do. He says: “The same tide of life that runs through my veins day and night runs through the world and dances with meticulous metrics. It is the same life that is triggered with joy by the dust of the earth in innumerable blades of grass, breaking into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life to which the sea rocks, cradle of birth and death, in its ebb and flow.
I feel that the caress of this world of life makes my members glorious. And my pride comes from the beat of ages that is dancing right now in my blood. ”
The seas and rivers of this biosphere are the blood of life that circulates through our heart and our body. The air is the sacred breath of life that gives energy to each cell of our body, so that it is possible to live, breathe and participate in the dance of the cosmos. To have the experience of "the vital heartbeat of eras that dances in our blood at this moment" is to live joy, the connection with the cosmos. This is the healing experience; It is the experience of being complete. And to be complete is to live in grace.
© 2006, Deepak Chopra, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission from Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc., San Rafael, California.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deepak Chopra was born and raised in New Delhi, India. Son of an eminent cardiologist, he attended the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences, embarking on his career in the field of Western medicine.
After graduating he moved to the United States, completing his specialties in internal medicine and endocrinology. He taught at Tufts University and the Boston University School of Medicine, reaching the status of Team Leader at the New England Memorial Hospital and exercising extensive private practice.
At that time, despite his apparent success, Dr. Chopra felt growing dissatisfaction and the uncomfortable feeling that he might be doing something else for his patients. These doubts led him to Ayurveda, the ancient Hindu science of healing. Dr. Chopra recognized him immediately as the health care system that treats the person as a whole instead of treating individual symptoms. Ayurveda taught him that the mind exerts a profound influence on the body and that Good health depends on both consciousness and inner balance as well as leading a healthy life. Thanks to Ayurveda, Dr. Chopra woke up again to the ancient spiritual traditions of the East, and his writings reflect the influence of ancient wisdom coupled with the best of modern science. His precursor works mix physics with philosophy, the practical with the spiritual and the venerable oriental wisdom with the sharp western science, with dynamic results.
Dr. Chopra is founder of the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine. In 1992 he was appointed member of the commission of experts created ad hoc on Alternative Medicine by the National Institute of Health and member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Longevity magazine. In 1993 he was appointed Executive Director of the Sharp Institute for Human Potential and Medicine of the Mind and Body, as well as chief advisor to the Center for Medicine of the Mind and Body. In 1995 he founded the Chopra Wellness Center in La Jolla, California. Millions of copies of his books have been sold worldwide, having been translated into more than 34 languages. Among his best-known titles include The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Bodies Without Age, Minds Without Time and Quantum Healing.
* Dancing with the Universe
by Deepak Chopra *
DANCING WITH THE UNIVERSE
by Deepak Chopra
Fragment of Power, Freedom and Grace:
Live in the Fountain of Enduring Happiness
