Time, simplified, is a construct by which people measure their lives. In the not so distant past, humans lived in synchronicity with the cycles of nature.  We still carry this pattern in our cellular memory.  An easy resonance with natural cycles has been droned out, however, by round-the-clock access to electricity, the Internet, banking, and the media.  These modern conveniences offer the dubious opportunity of never having to rest.

Today, we live by Mechanical Time where the clock outside of us rules.  We force our bodies to function as machines, producing on demand and faulting ourselves when our bodies tire. 

This mechanistic view of time removes the value of rest as an integral part of the whole creative cycle.  Natural Time – a frame of reference that allows us to resonate with the cycles of nature -- helps us recover this healthy regard for rest and learn how to predict times when we might need more rest. 

It is this predictive value of Natural Time that is most beneficial to us in our work and family lives.  When we know in advance that we can expect to feel a natural depletion of energy we are not surprised -- and do not fight it -- when it comes. 

If you are interested in working with natural time, one cycle that you can start paying attention to is your best time of day. 

Best time of day 

Many people find that their best time of day relates to the time of day they were born.  For instance, someone who is born at 5:00 PM works against her own innate energy by forcing herself to be highly functioning early in the morning. 

The first step is to recognize if you are working with your inner energies, or working against your inner energies.  Do not worry if your outer circumstances do not support your optimum inner sense of timing right now.  Awareness is the first step.  Allowing for the possibility that change can work in your favour is the next step.  Then, making a commitment to explore what a change would involve is the next step.  Coming into alignment with Natural Time is a layered process that only requires taking one step at a time.

Recognizing that your best time of day and your work responsibilities may not be in sync can also serve to explain certain current frustrations or difficulties in your life. Know that good change can happen.  It starts with awareness.

Is Natural Time the same as biorhythms? 

This is a question that I am often asked in my work with Natural Time. The answer is “No!”  Biorhythms are based on mathematical formulas that hypothesize cycles of 23, 28, and 33 days as resonant with our physical, emotional, and intellectual lives, respectively.

Natural time is based on our resonance with the cycles of nature, some known, others unknown.  Natural Time addresses the weave of cycle upon cycle and the interplay of collective and personal cycles.  While some cycles of Natural Time are easily predictive, other cycles require an individual to do his or her own tracking of personal rhythms in order to identify a cycle. 

My work with Natural Time is based on helping people attune to their own natural rhythms, erase artificially imposed separation between inner and outer sense of time, and work through challenges that modern life presents in honouring Natural Time. This is a slow, yet highly rewarding, process. The benefits of this work can include increased productivity, more contentment, and a deeper reliance on intuition -- the life tool for now.