Right now, this very day, March 13th in Ontario the Sunrise (East) is 7:33 am, and our Sunset (West) will be at 7:21 pm. Our Next Vernal Equinox (Spring) is just around the corner, Mar 20, 2022 11:33 am. Daylight saving is today, March 13. It's time to Spring Forward, to experience REBIRTH. Today we are actually receiving 11 hours, 48 minutes of daylight, things outside are melting, and others are going through the cleanse creating with it a new environment for us to thrive - can you see the fractal, the gift of sight and infinite knowledge you were born with. You have approximately from 7:33 am – 7:21 pm to live your best life before getting quality sleep and naturally manifesting even more abundant energy tomorrow. 

This is the basic information, what you need to know to harness the energy of our primitive ancestors that had infinite amounts of pure, wild, and connected energy. Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things, including animals, plants, and microbes. Chronobiology is the study of circadian rhythms. One example of a light-related circadian rhythm is sleeping at night and being awake during the day. 

We have a master clock in our brain that coordinates all the biological clocks in a living thing, keeping the clocks in sync. In vertebrate animals, including humans, the master clock is a group of about 20,000 nerve cells (neurons) that form a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN. The SCN is in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and receives direct input from the eyes. Natural factors in your body produce circadian rhythms. For humans, some of the most important genes in this process are the Period and Cryptochrome genes. These genes code for proteins that build up in the cell’s nucleus at night and lessen during the day. Studies in fruit flies suggest that these proteins help activate feelings of wakefulness, alertness, and sleepiness. However, signals from the environment also affect circadian rhythms. For instance, exposure to light at a different time of day can reset when the body turns on Period and Cryptochrome genes. Circadian rhythms can influence important functions in our bodies, such as: Hormone release, Eating habits and digestion, and Body temperature. However, most people notice the effect of circadian rhythms on their sleep patterns. 

Changes in our body and environmental factors can cause our circadian rhythms and the natural light-dark cycle to be out of sync. Some examples of this include: Mutations or changes in certain genes can affect our biological clocks. Jet lag or shift work causes changes in the light-dark cycle. Light from electronic devices at night can confuse our biological clocks. These changes can cause sleep disorders, and may lead to other chronic health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.

Evolution has installed in us a powerful internal clock programmed to anticipate physiological events based on a battery of entertainment cues, including light, temperature, food, and physical activity. Unfortunately, the infrastructure of today’s society and our lifestyle choices have ‘thrown a wrench’ in our biological clockwork. 

● 20-30 minute walk outside after sunrise, upon waking

● Minimize use of glasses & contact lenses if possible

● Avoid the use of sunglasses as often as possible

● Open windows, allowing more natural light in

● Use ‘f.lux’ app on your electronics at night

● Use blue-blocking glasses after sunset

● Use orange/red light bulbs in evening

● Use candlelight or fire in evening

● Intermittent Fasting (Simple Fast: 12 hours daily, Cyclical Fast: 16 hours - 3x weekly, Warrior Fast: 16 hours daily, or Full Day Fast: 24 hours - 1x weekly)

● Breathwork (pranayama), Third Eye sun work

● Forest bathing and Walking barefoot (Earthing)

● Eating mushrooms to get natural vitamin D

● Dehydrating foods in the sun to absorb vitamin D

Sun Salutation, is a series of postures that warms, strengthens, and aligns the entire body. It serves as an all-purpose yoga tool, kind of like a hammer that’s also a saw and a screwdriver, if you can imagine such a thing. This sequence might be considered the classic one, but there are so many variations that many modern schools would dispute this. You can alter this particular Sun Salutation by playing with its pace. If you move through the sequence rapidly (by transitioning into the next pose each time you inhale or exhale), you’ll warm up fairly quickly. Start with 5 or 6 repetitions and gradually build to 12 or more or set a timer starting with 3 minutes and gradually increase to 10 or more.

Sun Salutation is one of the most important yoga practices. It is the set of 12 yoga poses which can be performed while chanting 12 different mantras. Mantras add a profound spiritual element to the practice. The practice of Sun Salutation awakens the body's intelligence to create energy directly from the sun. In the Vedic tradition, the sun is symbolic of consciousness and, therefore, has been worshiped daily in Indian culture. Sun Salutation is designed to access the ethereal energy that exists all around us. Every morning at dawn, the air is filled with prana shakti, or life energy. When performed facing east during the first rays of the morning sun, breathing correctly and chanting the mantras, one experiences a phenomenal effect on the mind, body and spirit. 

This morning practice is designed to work on all body parts, every organ, every system and every chakra. It is also believed to be the most efficient way to connect with our core inner strength. The body is equipped with the innate intelligence to produce energy from the sun directly. The mind, through the solar plexus; the body, through physical movement; and the spirit, through the chanting of the mantras, all get a boost from the practice of Sun Salutation. Therefore, it is a complete workout for mind, body and soul.

When I dove into the subject of hormone health I learned that unlike other vitamins, Vitamin D functions like a hormone and may in fact be one. Every single cell in your body has a receptor for it. Vitamin D is required for the proper function of many important organs. Vitamin D helps our heart, lungs, brain, immune system, and together with calcium, Vitamin D optimizes our bone health. I figured living in Canada during the winter I may be deficient but did you know that over 1 billion people worldwide across all ethnicities and age groups show to be deficient in Vitamin D in blood labs. In Canada where most healthcare is free, the patient is required to pay for the Vitamin D test. It is not covered because they say everyone is deficient, or that's what I was told by my local physician. During the fall and winter in Ontario, it is hard to get enough vitamin D but even people living in sunny climates might be at risk, possibly because people are staying indoors more, covering up when outside, wearing sunglasses and using sunscreens to reduce skin cancer risk. Reminder: what you buy in stores is hazardous to your health, contact me or find a recipe to create your own sunscreen and bug sprays. 

● Depression

● Chronic pain

● Excessive fatigue

● Increased risk of illness/infections

● Poor wound healing

● Low bone mineral density

● Bone pain and lower back pain

● Hair loss or alopecia areata

Fortunately, a Vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix. Sun exposure is the preferred way to get vitamin D and varies with age, skin type, season, time of day, etc. Approximately 5–30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM 2-3 times a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen will usually provide sufficient vitamin D. In retrospect, 6 days of casual sunlight exposure (no sunscreen) can make up for 49 days of no sunlight exposure. This is because vitamin D is stored in fat and then released when sunlight is gone. Vitamin D can also be found in some foods like fatty fish, mushrooms and fortified food products, although it's very difficult to get enough from diet alone. The recommended daily intake (RDI) is usually around 400–1000 IU, but this is where testing and experimentation come in. 

I really hope these tips help you self-regulate for better focus, a higher quality Sleep, and provide you a better understanding of The Circadian Rhythm so you can tap into the primordial energy of our ancestors. I am a strong believer in synchronicity, meaning if you're reading this it's for a good reason and at the right time. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to invite you to our Integration Collective. Let’s Grow Together 🌱🌲

Additional Resources 

1. https://elementalgrowth.org/ 

2. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/circadian-rhythm#how-it-works

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519507/

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxDloX13JHg

5. http://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Vitamins-and-Minerals/What-you-need-to-know-about-Vitamin-D.aspx