According to the ancient Indian healing tradition, Ayurveda, if you are living a life that is disconnected from natural rhythms – if you are under stress, eating and sleeping poorly, and not taking time to nurture your spirit with meditation and quiet contemplation – then your vital energy, which is known as prana, will be compromised.
Constant exposure to unnatural light sources such as fluorescent lighting in offices is thought to drain energy, have a negative effect on mood, and worsen stress-related ailments such as insomnia. Natural light, on the other hand, has a balancing, restorative effect on emotions and your body's individual rhythms.
A simple way to boost prana – and to feel stronger, less stressed and more focused – is to let yourself be woken by natural light as often as you can. The rays of the rising sun act as a natural trigger to your mind and body, gently shifting you from a dreaming state to a waking one, and then gradually raising your body temperature and charging up your hormones.
Aim to be in bed by 10 p.m. at least three nights a week, and leave your blinds open so that you wake up with the sun. You will feel more relaxed and refreshed, and also more in tune with the day.
Before she set out to walk to the station every day, my grandmother would pick a tiny posy of flowers or even just a sprig of rosemary and pin it to her hat or thread it through the brooch on her jacket lapel.
My mother kept the tradition going when I went to school, giving me a flower every morning as I went out the door, to hold or to pin to my shirt. On leaving the house, I still always take a flower – I might tuck it into a buttonhole, leave it on my desk at work, or maybe I'll just put it on the dashboard of the car. One sunny afternoon last summer, I even twined ivy and honeysuckle and nasturtiums into a circle and made a flower crown for a small friend.
'That's not a real crown!' scoffed her brother. 'Yes, it is!' she said. And she wore it for most of the day, skipping through the bush, at one with nature, a fairy princess crowned with rubies and emeralds.
Wearing a flower or carrying the smallest piece of greenery with you during the course of your day is a link with home and with nature. It's also a way of connecting with the pagan child inside you. 'One touch of nature makes the whole world your kin,' wrote William Shakespeare. Don't wait for an invitation to a formal event or dinner to pin a flower to your shirt, or to tuck one behind your ear. Do it today.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Alice Nedles at 06092010
1. Align yourself with the energy of the day
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