August 25 2018 NATURAL RHYTHMS of LIFE

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Canyon ‘shift change’ hour:
Many settling for the night -
Others stretch to wake.
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As the sun is setting – a quiet comes to the land. It is time for ‘shift change’ in the canyon. The day critters are settling in for the night. The night critters are just stretching, yawning and readying to come out of their burrows. For myself, I am usually a day critter. Over the years it means I am usually rising between 3:45 am and 5:45 am (really it is not 4 to 6 but 3:45 to 5:45) – so I am one of those preparing to settle down for the night as I watch the sun setting in the west.
There are two times, I especially enjoy being out on the land; sunrise and sunset. It is the colors and the palpable stillness felt during this time of transition. However, even when overcast or stormy and so it is sans the colors – I so enjoy this time – and even if there is a noisy storm, somehow, there continues to be a pervasive stillness. It is a moment in time when life seems to not take inhale or exhale. It feels like the continuous bellow of the earth’s lungs – still – just for a moment. To be ‘there’ - in that moment - feels really really good.
Syncing in to the natural rhythms of life – such a good feeling.
When I worked the night shift (not given a choice – just told by my employer without option) – I never adjusted. Never. During these night shift assignments (sometimes lasting many long and grinding months) I would start my 7 pm shift having already been up since about 4 am that morning – so – by the time I got off work – I had been up more than 24 hours. Then, even with windows covered with foil and a quiet house (interior and exterior) I was lucky if I slept for 3 to 4 hours fitfully. Often, I would force myself to stay reclined for 6 hours, however I rarely slept that long. Then after 4 nights of work, when given a few days off, I would lay down for a couple hours but then wake and sleep off and on (even in public, I would fall asleep on my first day off) until the sunset when I would lay down for sometimes 12 or more hours straight. This was an exhaustive schedule for me. This was survival mode.
Science tells us that as a human you sleep at night, needing deep dark for sound sleep and the assistance in the creation of optimal health. However, with all our artificial lights (even bedside clocks) we interfere with natural rhythms. We diminish melatonin and increase cortisol levels. With gratitude for those who serve working through the night so that most of us can sleep. Your sacrifice is huge. It does not go unnoticed. 

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MELATONIN – Those getting little or poor night sleep time may be benefited by melatonin rich foods such a kiwi fruit, orange bell pepper, walnuts, goji berries and tart cherry juice. When I worked nights, my ‘go to’ was walnuts.
https://nutritionfacts.org/2014/04/03/foods-with-natural-melatonin/

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CORTISOL – Consider Mozart (and other classical composers) to reduce cortisol (stress hormone) – keeping my radio in my car tuned to Classical music station even now. Wouldn’t it be grand to consider playing classical in Police stations and emergency rooms!
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/music-for-anxiety-mozart-vs-metal/

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Photos I took last evening –

 looking to the west – 

across the canyon as the sun was completing his daily journey across the land.

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July 15 2018 Harmony

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Morning, song from birds
Mid-day, chant harmonizes
Sunset, daughter sings.
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Yesterday was (as always) a perfect day. Sometimes the ‘perfect day’ includes jagged edges and a poor choice or two – and then hopefully lessons learned. Sometimes it is a day like yesterday. Full to overflowing with joyous song and harmony.
With gratitude for the sweet birds who live on the land and share their lives beginning with morning song. To stand on the back deck looking for the sun to come up over the high hill to the east and listen to the winged ones call out - encouraging day’s breaking – a joyful beginning.
With gratitude for sweet human song as friends gather mid-day and with instruments and voice chanting with full throat calling OM – devotion, peace and fervor in abundance.
Then, as life on the mountain settles in for the night and the grand children are making their last run across the land calling out with joyful sound – I sit with daughters – and listen to Starr sharing evening song. The living ones on the land listen and are – like me – grateful.

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Aum (Om). The Sanskrit root word or seed-sound symbolizing that aspect of Godhead which creates and sustains all things; Cosmic Vibration. Aum of the Vedas became the sacred word Hum of the Tibetans; Amin of the Moslems; and Amen of the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Christians.
http://www.yogananda-srf.org/

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Image is of 2 of my daughters yesterday evening. 

Crystal listens as Starr sends out in a voice

 – in harmony with the land –

 a gift to all. 

The critters on the land listen with thank you in their hearts – 

as do I.

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