“We trust nature to know what it is doing,
but we are not nearly so kind, understanding and trusting of our own rhythms and cycles.
It’s ridiculous that we are so hard on ourselves.
Can we not trust that the very same forces that created the rhythms & cycles of nature created our own?
Of course we can. We often don’t, but we can, if we remember.”
~ Jeffrey R. Anderson, The Nature of Things – Navigating Everyday Life with Grace
Good morning everyone, and happy Sunday! Boy, it’s been hard getting up the last few mornings!! May is typically more of a rainy season for us here in the VI. I’ve been glad for the clouds that have impeded and slowed the sunrise, because I might have missed it, if it rose right on schedule.
I suppose what I’m feeling is Jet Lag. I googled whether jet lag is worse going West to East. And apparently it is.
The body is synchronized to night and day by the action of sunlight through brain chemicals or neurotransmitters, especially melatonin. Many bodily processes are timed on this 24-hour physiological ‘clock’. These include temperature, hormones, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure and brain states. This changing rate of activity over each 24-hour period is called the circadian rhythm (‘circadian’ means approximately one day). Traveling to a different time zone disrupts the circadian rhythm.
Your circadian rhythm is less confused if you travel westward. This is because traveling west ‘prolongs’ the body clock’s experience of its normal day-night cycle (the normal tendency of the body clock in most of us is slightly longer than 24 hours). Traveling eastwards, however, runs in direct opposition to the body clock.
There is no cure for jet lag, but its effects can be reduced with careful planning. The Better Health Channel suggests that if you are flying Westward, try to go to sleep as late as possible – say 2AM – for two to three days before you leave.
I first became aware of this circadian and biological rhythm when working with my yoga teacher to heal my shoulder. As an energy practitioner, she attributed the muscle and nerve pain to an imbalance in my Qi, and in particular, an overloaded Triple Warmer. She used crystals to help bring the meridians back into balance.
Synchronizing our daily life with the Organ Clock is a very effective way to preserve good health, improve immunity and resist disease. It can also allow us to recognize areas where disturbances may be occurring so that we may receive appropriate treatment, often long before the symptoms lead to illness.
For instance, 5AM to 7AM is Colon Time. We must be empty to receive. Blood concentrates in the large intestines. So perhaps it is not too surprising that a lot of people have a bowel movement first thing in the morning. If the bowels don’t eliminate regularly, we may experience feeling stuck, cynical, dismissive, or brain-fog.
7AM to 9AM is Stomach Time. Be sure to eat a healthy breakfast during this time because the Stomach is prepared to take in nourishment that will become energy. Otherwise, we may have trouble receiving in other areas in life and feel emotionally unstable, spaced out or unsatisfied.
I’ve bookmarked three sites, with diagrams of the Organ Clock. I hope you’ll take a look. It’s fascinating. And it may help you to understand your own imbalances, and make important changes to your daily routine. Why don’t they teach us this stuff in school?
http://kerrchiropractic.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/organclock.jpg
http://www.astrodreamadvisor.com/Qi-Cycle.html
http://brattleboromassage.com/2012/03/working-with-our-natural-rhythms-chinese-clock/
