A Tip on Cycles and Energy
©Scott D. Wilson
We live in a world of cycles: breathing, heartbeats, day and night, weekly, lunar, seasons, et cetera. Some of these we are more aware of than others. We definitely notice when our breathing is interrupted. Others are far more subtle and therefore less noticeable. Still others are almost invisible to us as we generally lack the awareness to perceive their ebb and flow but they affect us nonetheless. It is these cycles that I wish to discuss here along with their importance in our various quests for success.
The ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism has long studied the nature of cycles and change. One of the most notable Taoist texts is the ‘I Ching’ which loosely translate to ‘The Book of Changes’ is dedicated to the study of the characteristics of change. Some dismiss this writing as mere book of divination. This is not the case. The I Ching is an observation of the nature of change. The Chinese saw all changes as resulting from the flow of energy or power between opposites or polarities. Just as electric current flows from negative to positive so to do other forms of power. Water flows from high to low. Heat flows from warm to cold. It is this cyclic change that is captured in the Chinese yin-yang symbol ([) also known as the Tai Chi Tu.
I mention all of this because understanding when one is strongest and when one is weakest is an important awareness when seeking to succeed in any venture. Our various physical and mental periods of strength and weakness follow regular cycles. They are not random. We are usually smart enough to know that if we generally sleep at night that we will not usually be doing our best thinking at three in the morning. The interruption of a normal sleep pattern will affect our cognitive abilities. However, we do not commonly pay attention to our regular cyclic changes in awareness, alertness, physical strength, emotional power and other factors in body and mind. The following chart is a very basic one emphasizing some of the highs and lows of our various organs based on the Chinese understanding of normal daily patterns:
We live in a world of cycles: breathing, heartbeats, day and night, weekly, lunar, seasons, et cetera. Some of these we are more aware of than others. We definitely notice when our breathing is interrupted. Others are far more subtle and therefore less noticeable. Still others are almost invisible to us as we generally lack the awareness to perceive their ebb and flow but they affect us nonetheless. It is these cycles that I wish to discuss here along with their importance in our various quests for success.
The ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism has long studied the nature of cycles and change. One of the most notable Taoist texts is the ‘I Ching’ which loosely translate to ‘The Book of Changes’ is dedicated to the study of the characteristics of change. Some dismiss this writing as mere book of divination. This is not the case. The I Ching is an observation of the nature of change. The Chinese saw all changes as resulting from the flow of energy or power between opposites or polarities. Just as electric current flows from negative to positive so to do other forms of power. Water flows from high to low. Heat flows from warm to cold. It is this cyclic change that is captured in the Chinese yin-yang symbol ([) also known as the Tai Chi Tu.
I mention all of this because understanding when one is strongest and when one is weakest is an important awareness when seeking to succeed in any venture. Our various physical and mental periods of strength and weakness follow regular cycles. They are not random. We are usually smart enough to know that if we generally sleep at night that we will not usually be doing our best thinking at three in the morning. The interruption of a normal sleep pattern will affect our cognitive abilities. However, we do not commonly pay attention to our regular cyclic changes in awareness, alertness, physical strength, emotional power and other factors in body and mind. The following chart is a very basic one emphasizing some of the highs and lows of our various organs based on the Chinese understanding of normal daily patterns:
This highly simplified chart helps us to understand why
exercising first thing in the morning tends to be more successful than trying
to insert a workout into the end of our day. I am not condemning those who
choose to put physical activity at the end of the day. In some cases, this is
the only opportunity that they can afford. I am merely pointing out that out
bodies are more naturally attuned to physical exertion in the morning rather
than at night. Success is still possible but more difficult. Whenever possible,
we should aim our activities to optimize our chances for success.
This same principle that hold true for physical activity
also holds true for other activities in our lives. For example, our minds are
usually sharpest and most active from 9AM to 11AM and from 3PM to 5PM. This
somewhat explains why many school kids struggle with their earliest classes and
those just after lunch. The Chinese are not the only people who have studied
the daily waning and waxing of human abilities. The Hindu yogis have similar
‘clocks’. Likewise, scientists study circadian rhythms; here is such a chart
for comparison:
The similarities between the modern and the ancient
viewpoints are quite striking. I think I have made my point here. Depending on
what we are doing and what we want to achieve we would be wise to pay attention
to the cyclic changes of our bodies and by extension our minds and our hearts.
Wherever the possibility exists we should seek to undertake our actions when
they are most likely to meet with success and when we will be able to perform
them with the greatest ease. In the cases where we cannot time things optimally
we can equally take measures to further improve our chances for success. For
example, on infrequent occasions where late night thinking is required we can
perhaps choose to have an afternoon nap, drink caffeine, employ bright white
“full spectrum” lighting or other compensating actions. Whether it be optimal
timing of an activity or compensating for weakness, it would be wise for us to
pay attention to the rhythms of our lives and understand them better so that we
do our best in planning and acting for success!
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