This article was written by Monika Luberda, long time Kundalini yogi and cellist extraordinaire. In it she explains how understanding and working with the sun and her Circadian rhythms has changed her life for the better. There are also words of caution about electronics negatively impacting our body’s natural rhythms.

 

I love light. I love sunny days. The thought of impending long and gloomy winter evenings and dark mornings always make me sad. So, if someone had told me six months ago, that I would be waking up every day at 6 am, in the autumn, full of energy and happy to start my day I would have laughed out loud!

So what’s changed? Well, thanks to Suzanne and her online classes I can now start every day with a breathing session followed by 30 minutes yoga or a short walk. Also, inspired by the book by Linda Geddes called “Chasing the Sun”, I realized how big an impact the sun has on our body and our daily rhythm regulated by the circadian clock. So, I decided to try for a month at least, waking up early (and going to bed early) and being outside every day for at least 30 minutes. So far it’s working beautifully!

The Circadian rhythm is like your favourite song. It starts with double bass, followed by guitar then piano and eventually vocals. Each instrument has its special part and needs to start at certain point. All mixed together this creates a gorgeous tune which lasts around 4 minutes.

For us, this song with rhythm lasts exactly 24 hours. We are fully synchronized with the 24-hour rhythm of light and dark. What was a revelation to me was that this strong daily rhythm is present in exactly every single part of our body. Every cell, nerve, organ has its own little clock controlled by a master clock called SCN. All are connected and “see” time by checking what type of light we are receiving through our eyes. We receive different light from the sun in the morning and to that during sunset. Different light means that different hormones are released throughout the day. We experience different body temperatures, and different organs peak at different times.

That’s why it is so important to adjust to the sun and reduce exposure to blue light. No more watching your tablet before bed and checking your phone first thing in the morning! If you’re doing this your master clock gets confused and thinks that it’s midday already. And if you on your phone or PC for most time of your day, your pineal gland will never produce enough Melatonin for a good night sleep.

Morning light is especially healing for us. It increases the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin that boosts your vitamin D production, which keeps your immune system healthy. Morning sun is also actually the safest for humans, as the protein the body produces to repair damage caused by UV rays is most active before noon. Surprisingly even in the gloomiest day, it is at least 10 times brighter outside than inside with “bright” artificial light. So looking at the sky as first thing in the morning followed by yoga might change your life. Even if you are not an early bird.

Monika Luberda is a wonderful cellist and music teacher. You can find her via her website – monikaluberda.com