Rhythm: The Rhythmic Foundations in Life, Physiology, Emotions and Healing

In the last journal (life phases), we explored the phases of life, revealing a seven-year rhythm that unfolds throughout our individual biographies. We can observe many rhythms on different layers, each governing various dimensions of the living individual. Essentially, rhythm is the key to both health and healing.

The heart as the conductor of our rhythm

Within our body, the main conductor of our physiological rhythms is the heart, which is also directly connected to our emotions. The heart serves as our centre of being, both physiologically and emotionally. Emotions themselves are rhythmical. Just as we observe the rhythms of nature through the seasons—sunshine, rain, or even thunderstorms—this same rhythm is reflected in our emotions when we maintain a healthy emotional balance.

The rhythm of the heart remains stable throughout our lives, from birth to death. If it didn't, death would come much sooner. The heart is also the first organ to form embryologically. Even the formation of the heart is rhythmic, with mesenchymal cells migrating from the periphery to the centre and back again in a rhythmic pattern.

Thus, the heart is never still. It holds a steady rhythm, acting as the central compass or conductor for our physiological and emotional rhythms.

The reflexive Nervous System

The outer world can often feel chaotic, pulling us away from our centre and disrupting our inner rhythms.

It is the nervous system that serves as our membrane to the outer environment. Embryologically, we can observe how the nervous system, skin, and cranial bones all derive from the ectoderm, which invaginate and wraps around the rest of the forming embryo. This forms the foundation for what will become our skin.

Therefore, both the skin and the nervous system originate from the same embryonic source (both of which enable us to interact and develop a barrier between our inner and outer environments).

However, unlike the heart, the nervous system does not work in rhythms. It responds reflexively to external stimuli, a vital mechanism for navigating and interacting with the outer world. The nervous system also alters our internal physiology to adapt and respond to these external demands.

This dynamic extends to our emotional world. When we are inwardly centred, attuned to our own rhythms and sense of self, everything feels balanced and harmonious. However, when we engage with the outer world, what may initially appear as random events can trigger significant changes in our emotional state. In fact, there is no separation between emotional and physiological states—they are intimately connected, much like the weather and the ecosystem.

The Integrating Immune System

Just as the nervous system interacts with the external world, the immune system focuses on maintaining our inner environment. It oversees our internal state, recycling old cells, managing inflammation, breaking down damaged tissue, and supplying nutrient-rich blood for the creation of new, healthy tissue.

When the time is right and there are no external demands, the nervous system can relax, allowing our emotions to "breathe" once again. In this safe setting the immune system then works to reintegrate the inner environment, breaking down old patterns that may have accumulated due to external influences. This process is reflected in the phenomenon of fever.

We often witness these whole-body integrations occurring in intervals tied to the seven-year rhythms of our biographies, indicating an unfolding of our physiology into our consciousness as it prepares for the next phase of life.

Losing The Rhythm

In theory, this process would ensure continual evolution throughout life, with no illness or setbacks. However, as we all know from experience, life is rarely so straightforward. In every life, this rhythm is eventually lost. We become disconnected from our heart's rhythm and are pulled away from our centre by the demands of the external world.

When we get lost in the periphery, everything seems random. The outer world may appear devoid of rhythm, and we may struggle to find meaning or direction. This can be a frightening place to be.

In response, the individual often attempts to take control of their environment, creating their own routines based on external stimuli. This is evident in obsessive and compulsive tendencies.

The more we lose touch with our centre, the more we try to establish controlling patterns to manage the apparent chaos of the outside world. When trapped in this state, we lose perspective on the bigger picture of our life's journey, entering a survival mode. In survival mode, we also lose our connection to our inner rhythms, which in turn lose their own harmony.

Adrenal Rhythm and Reflexive survival Pattern

To wake up each day, we rely on our adrenal glands. The hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenal cortex, follows a daily rhythm that prepares us for interaction with the external world. It readies our nervous system and physiology for the active demands of the day, enabling us to engage fully with our surroundings.

As the day progresses and cortisol levels drop, we enter a more inward, restorative state. The nervous system and physiology shift to a state of digestion and renewal, allowing us to process the experiences of the outer world. This state provides a time for reflection and insight.

In extreme situations, the adrenal medulla releases adrenaline, helping us survive through high-stress events. The combination of elevated cortisol and adrenaline forces us into a heightened awake state, pushing us out of our bodies and into the external environment. In these moments, we lose touch with our emotions and body, becoming more reflexive in our state of being.

These stress hormones act as the body’s painkillers, allowing us to function in extreme conditions, even running on a broken leg.

In this state, the immune system and inflammation are suppressed, as there is no need for healing or integration during these times of external pressure.

Whether triggered by a single event or prolonged stress, the adrenal glands can enter a chronic survival state. In this state, we lose our centre and become stuck in the periphery. This is exhausting, both mentally and physiologically, as the body is not healing, and we are not building reserves.

Coping mechanisms emerge to facilitate this state, as the adrenalised response provides temporary energy, numbs pain, and inhibits the healing process that requires safety, time, and support.

In essence, the adrenal glands act as gatekeepers between the states of healing and survival.

How do we find the rhythm again?

As long as we have a beating heart, we can reconnect with our centre and rhythm. The heart and its rhythm serve as our inner compass, guiding us through life. It does not act out of intellect, but it certainly knows what is right and wrong.

If we access our consciousness from the heart (rather than the head), we can navigate the stimuli of the nervous system without feeling overwhelmed. We can observe our thoughts with clarity and act with intention and care.

When we reconnect with our heart and inner compass, we can regulate and guide the adrenal glands. In this way, the heart is like a chariot, and the adrenal glands are the horses driving it forward—under the heart's loving and steady control.

From our centred self we can connect again with the bigger narrative of our life's journey and biography, seeing where we have come from and to where we are heading, what is important to us and what does not truly work for us.

The rhythm that needs to be reestablished is the seven-year cycle of our biography, wherein the meaning of life can be rediscovered. If we know where we’ve come from and where we are going, our physiology feels reassured. The adrenal glands no longer need to remain in survival mode if they sense a clear direction and the individual’s ability to navigate their path.

A sense of life direction and purpose also helps guide the rhythm of our emotions. When we know where we are headed, we can navigate the emotional weather patterns with greater clarity. Without this sense of direction, emotions can feel wild and imbalanced, and we may seek external sources of happiness to relieve the discomfort.

When our emotions are in a healthy rhythm, our physiology can follow suit. The emotions and our inner soul world directly influence our physiological state. This is particularly clear when we observe the physiological differences between a chronically angry person and a joyful one.

The physical body in turn requires a healthy physiological rhythm to stay balanced. It is our physiology and vitality that gives the physical body life. The physical body is a living, dancing pattern which is a manifestation of the rhythms of our physiology and life forces.