Rhythm

So, this is probably where you start to figure out that none of these BLGs are actually independent from the others, they’re all interrelated.  Over the past handful of blogs, I’ve talked about keeping a balance between work and rest, about habits of longevity and  daily activities that give you purpose, about hydrating daily, about sleep consistency, and about the energy rhythms of the sun & moon.  So, today’s lesson on Rhythm seems to tie all those together.

Here’s the guideline:

“Water, moving blood, and proper digestion are essential daily routines.”

Of course, these aren’t the ONLY essential daily routines, but they are some basics that are important to remember.

Water. The substance we discussed a couple days ago that you use to hydrate your body with.  You can’t just drink water on Monday and then think you’ll still be hydrated on Tuesday.  Water needs to be a daily habit.  Generally drinking the same amounts at the same times of day is good too.

Moving Blood.  This is essentially a term for all your exercise, sport, and physical recreation activity.  “Moving Blood” refers to circulation, which is what happens when your heart gets pumping and moves blood throughout your system.  This brings fresh oxygen and nutrients to peripheral tissues, while also removing waste products and carbon dioxide.  When we move blood, we also transport white blood cells (immune cells) around the body where they can fight infections, and we circulate lymph, which supports immunity.  Do this every day, even if it’s just a walk around the block.

Proper Digestion.  This is something we’ll get into more detail on this Friday, but the general idea is pretty simple: If you’re eating food, wouldn’t you want all the nutrients from that food to be absorbed by the body and not just flush them down the toilet?  Maximizing nutrient absorption begins with respecting digestion.  Sit down and relax to eat your food, taking in the sights and smells of it before you bite.  Chew your food slowly, allowing salivary enzymes to break it down while your teeth crush it into a slurry.  Swallow when it’s ready, rather than washing it down with water.  Allow time for your digestive organs to do their work, permitting them to draw blood away from other activities.  This is why you don’t want to eat in the car while slurping a soda, and then go for a run immediately after.

Rhythm is about keeping all these essential daily routines happening on a predictable schedule.  That predictability is for your body as well as your mind.  Your body’s chemistry and hormones will thrive with regular cycles of water, movement, and digestion, just as they will with regular cycles of sleep and sun exposure.  Your mind will be able to focus more on the task at hand, assured that important things like drinks, workouts, and meals will happen at the same consistent times they always do.

Likewise, you also want to build the other things that we’ve discussed in this series into your daily rhythms: work/productive stress, rest & recovery, meaningful pursuits, sleep, and sun exposure. It’s like a piece of good sheet music.  It looks so pretty on the page, and when played that way it sounds great.  On the other hand, hit a few wrong beats and mix-up the tempo, it’ll have folks clasping their hands over their ears.  Rhythm is king.