The Circadian Rhythm is our internal body clock. Inherently our internal body clock follows the natural occurrence namely sunlight. We wake up when the sun goes up and we sleep when the sun goes down. Our body temperature, blood pressure, sleep and hormones are affected by the 24-hour Circadian Rhythm and they go up and down in a cycle just like Yin and Yang.

When we are not following the Circadian Rhythm by let’s say staying up late, your internal body clock will be messed up which will affect the autonomic nervous system which controls automatic body functions such as heartbeat, blood flow, breathing, and digestion. As a result, you may have health issues such as insomnia, mental illness, weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Following the Circadian Rhythm is very important to maintain a good health.

While I’m on the topic of the cycle with ups and downs, here’s another look at Yin and Yang. When you have an up cycle that’s a big spike, know that there is something is sacrificed that much on the opposite side. For example, if you usually run 2 miles but you just ran 10 miles which is five times more than usual. You may feel great but your body physically has to pay the price and you may have soreness afterwards. When the spike is high in up cycle, you need to have the same amount of down cycle to counter the high. If you party hard one night, you will have to really rest the next day. You may have to recover from a bad hangover.

Here’s another way to look at this cycle chart.

When the up cycle is big but the down cycle is small, you remain in a high state.

When the up cycle is small but the down cycle is big, you remain in a low state.

If you keep these unhealthy cycles either way for a prolonged time, you will end up with an illness. So the goal is to be in neutral but first you need to be aware of the imbalance.

Remember the little dot in the opposite color in the Yin and Yang sign? This also means even if you are very healthy now, don’t let the guard down.

In the next chapter, you will learn about the Five Elements Theory which is part of the Eastern Medicine besides the Yin and Yang principle.

Do you have any questions so far? Let me know in the comments below or in the Facebook group!

5. Circadian Rythm and Cycles