Rhythm is the Key to Our Natural Vitality
An Excerpt from our Upcoming Book: Reverence, A Book of Rituals
Rhythm is the Key to Our Natural Vitality
By Cristina Star Ryan
Is there anything more natural than the pulsing rhythm of cycles? Days, seasons, and tides determine the ebb and flow of all life, drawing periodicity from the whirling and spiraling of the Moon and Earth, a system itself embedded in loops of infinite astronomic cycles.
The wonder of this cosmic dance is felt in every Body, as ultradian, circadian, and infradian rhythms that keep the biochemistry and actions of an organism attuned to the environment for optimum performance; this optimum is experienced as health, vitality, joy, and flow. Blood circulation, organ function, appetite, sleep, fertility, hormones, body temperature, energy movements through the channels, and nearly every facet of our biochemistry is dancing to the cosmic beat, as we pulse along in our precious lives to the turning of celestial bodies.
When we oppose these rhythms, we inevitably cascade through the symptoms of “biological rhythm disorders”, well documented by the medical field to cause anxiety, depression, disconnection, inability to focus, exhaustion, chronic health challenges, and worse. (Think of a time when you were extremely sleep deprived). This is nature’s way of nudging us back into her rhythm and a reminder there is a cost to moving out of sync. We simply cannot oppose the natural cycles of our bodies and be healthy. Period.
To experience health and access joy one must connect to the natural cycles and pace with them, listening and aiding through action: rest when tired, eat when hungry, etc. However, for an optimum experience of life, to access our highest capacities of connection and flow, we must celebrate and acknowledge the cycles with Ritual. This is our uniquely Human ability: we can consciously oppose nature, or we can harness her power by consciously joining with Her dance.
Now that you know, what do you choose?
“We can consciously oppose nature, or we can harness her power by consciously joining with her dance.”
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