The importance of R&B (Rhythm & Balance!)

One of the most basic "take-aways" from ancient Vedic wisdom - as well as a growing voice in modern medical science - is the concept of finding balance in our life, or getting ourselves into a healthy rhythm. As children, others dictated our schedule and activities, and ensured that we had a good balance of time to eat, time to learn, time to play, and time to rest each day. We naturally woke up early and got tired as the sun set on the horizon; meals were well-rounded and served at consistent intervals; we got to run around outside and then take time to rest and have a snack before engaging in learning, communicating, and relating. But as adults we are left to make these decisions and timetables on our own -- and it's not always easy. Between the occasional thrill of getting to eat ice cream for breakfast ("because i'm a grown-up and i can do whatever i want!"), the now-accessible temptations that were forbidden in childhood (alcohol, tobacco, staying up late), and of course all the stresses that go along with running a household, it's no wonder that so many of us struggle with the loss of daily structure and the lack of restrictions on indulgent behavior.

Yet, falling into one's own rhythm is one of the most automatic ways to bring greater balance and well-being into your life. But you have to be ready to shake up your current habits in order to get that R&B (Rhythm & Balance) into your daily life.

In-cell-igence

Did you know that the concept of a "cell" has been around longer than the microscope? The great thinkers of what is now India were aware, centuries ago, that the body is comprised of thousands of small units that performed specific actions; their belief was that it is an individual's responsibility to support the proper functioning of each of these units, so that all the bodily systems (including mental and emotional) could perform optimally. Of course, these rishis ("seers" or philosophers) also believed that once our body-mind-spirit is in perfect harmony we become capable of attaining Enlightenment, or a state of complete oneness with ourselves and with the larger universe. But regardless of whether you're striving for samadhi or simply seeking physical, mental or emotional well-being, there are things we can all do to ensure health on a cellular level.

The ancient wisdom of the Vedas (scholarly texts written thousands of years ago, covering spirituality, philosophy, as well as medicine and diet recommendations) tells us that cells have their own "intelligence" or knowledge of the job they are intended to perform. Translated for modern times, this simply means that our body does a lot of what it's "supposed" to do without much effort or interference on our part. For example, our heart knows how to pulsate so that blood can travel through the body, carrying oxygen and nutrients where needed. Our lungs and nostrils know how to work together to take in air and breathe out CO2; our mouths, trachea, intestines, and various other organs each have their own role in breaking down food and distributing the calories, fat, proteins, vitamins and minerals from each bite we take.

Pretty cool when you stop to think about it, huh? How amazing that I don't even have to know anything about the inner mechanics of my "vehicle", which takes me where I want to go and allows me to experience all the pleasures and pains of this planet -- all I have to do is go along for the ride!

So, you might now be wondering, if our cells take care of all this stuff on their own, what is this talk of responsibility? I can't control my heartbeat or what my body does with my food!

 Or CAN you??