Harmonizing with the rhythms of the cosmos

We humans are not designed to be random. Our bodies are in tune with the sun and moon, the seasons and stars, and the weather. We can learn to feel these connections and harmonize with them, supporting our innate capacity for health.

Built in to the traditional healing science from India, called Ayurveda, are prescriptions for regular practices to align the body’s cycles with nature’s. The sun, for example, is closely tied with digestion. Ayurveda tells us when we eat is as important as what we eat to synchronize with the sun. For example, by having the main meal in the middle of the day when the sun is highest in the sky, our digestion is strongest and our bodies can receive the most nutrition from what we eat. Eating the lightest meal at the end of the day, at least a couple of hours before bed, supports both a restful night’s sleep as well as the body’s nightly detoxification cycle.

I have studied and practiced Ayurveda and yoga, its sister science, since the early 2000s. Yet it was during my second trip to India, in 2011, that I felt the full power of the daily routines and practices. I had signed up for a month long cleansing and rejuvenation process in an Ayurvedic ashram in a small village in south India. During my stay, daily routines were strictly set. Every morning, my first Ayurvedic treatment would begin around sunrise with a prayer. When the treatment was finished, I walked down the hill to the main house, where water was heated by the perpetually tended fire, to receive a bucket of hot water for my bath. I went back for breakfast after my bath; we did not bathe for several hours after eating. Meals were at least four or five hours apart with no snacking in between, except in rare cases. And in the evenings, electricity was intermittent so bedtime came shortly after dusk. During my stay, my doctor assured me that my long-time adherence to these daily routines, along with my yoga practice, had helped offset the effects of many of my less-than-wise and harmonious diet and lifestyle choices through the years. I was healthier than my Western lifestyle and corporate career might otherwise have indicated.

Another way to connect with nature is through astrology, an integral part of traditional wisdom teachings.  Most of us have heard of using astrology for agriculture, yet it can be very useful for helping us to know “what time it is” for beginning new projects or taking advantage of opportunities in certain areas of our lives. A simple way to get started with astrology is by setting intentions each month at the time of the new moon for what we want to grow and manifest in our lives. Each new moon carries the energy of the season and supports intentions of the specific time of year. For example, if we want support to begin a new writing project, the Gemini new moon of late May can be a great period of mental creativity. My own writing practice took off this year as soon as the sun moved into Gemini, beginning with this column. In my astrology practice, I focus on the birth chart as a map of the soul’s purpose and intentions in this lifetime. The placements of elements in the chart indicate the strengths and skills we are born with, as well as some of the areas of our lives in which we have both the chance and the means to grow.

Once we begin to pay attention to the natural cycles of our bodies and creative energy, and their connection with nature, many daily decisions on how to support our health and well-being become more intuitive.

If you find yourself intrigued and ready to explore how living in harmony with nature could support your creative energy and health, get in touch! 

This article appears in the July/August 2017 issue of Natural Life News and Directory: NaturalLifeNews.com