Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either your sails or our rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas. For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.
-The Prophet, 1923, Kahlil Gibran
If we want to maintain health, vitality and good cheer, it is essential that we get adequate amounts of deep, restful sleep. The Taoists concur with the old adage “Early to bed, early to rise.” To rise with or before light and to begin to settle down and sleep with nightfall—this is the natural order of things. It is the way human being lived for countless ages. Today, bright electric lights seemingly turn nigh into day. Yet our bodies’ natural rhythms remain tied to the sun and its light. In addition to the lights themselves, modern technology gives us so many things to do with them. Most people spend their evenings with televisions, stereos, computers, video games, or other electronic gadgets that tend to excite the nervous system. This nervous excitement, combined with the general stresses of modern life, may make it difficult for us to go to bed early or even to sleep at all.
Try to wind down your activities so that you are ready to go to sleep between 9 and 10 P.M. I know this advice may seem difficult to follow for some. I was a night owl myself for many years. Especially when I was younger, I thought going to sleep early was boring and staying up late was fun and exciting. However, in more recent years, I find myself retiring early and naturally rising between five and six o’clock in the morning, the time which the ancient Chinese referred to as “the hour of arousal.” Since changing my habits, I find that I feel more rested with less sleep.
The Taoists tell us that every hour we sleep before midnight is worth two hours after midnight. They believe that we do most of our dreaming between the hours of 1 and 5 A.M. we all know that while we are dreaming, our bodies do not reach the deepest levels of rest. Modern sleep researchers have confirmed that sleep becomes lighter as night progresses. Make your bedroom as dark as possible before you go to sleep. The general rule is: the darker the room, the deeper you will sleep. If you are in excellent health, have peace of mind, eat well, and retire early, six hours of sleep is plenty.
Lacking any of these conditions, you will require more. How much more will depend on you. Be aware that you can sleep too much and that quality of sleep is as important as quantity.
Another aspect of getting adequate rest is taking time to do nothing, to just be. If you can find even twenty minutes a day to sit or lie quietly in a yard or park, gaze out a window, or lie down on a bed or couch with your eyes closed (without falling asleep) you will be amazed at the rejuvenating effects these brief interludes can bring. When we are doing nothing, we are resting not only our bodies but our minds and emotions as well. Take time to be still and listen to the quiet.
- The Tao of Abundance, 1999, by Laurence G. Boldt
The 12 Principles of character:
1. Honesty
2. Understanding
3. Compassion
4. Appreciation
5. Patience
6. Discipline
7. Fortitude
8. Perseverance
9. Humor
10. Humility
11. Generosity
12. Respect
- Kathryn B. Johnson
