Are You Listening to Your Body Rhythms? Cozy Yoga Life Ep 19

What if your body’s natural rhythm was your greatest teacher? In this episode of Cozy Yoga Life, I explore how circadian rhythms shape our energy, focus, and well-being—and how honoring them is a deeply yogic act. 

I share what I’ve learned from wearing an Oura ring for almost 2 years, how post-menopause shifted my sleep, and why “morning routines” don’t have to start at the crack of dawn. We’ll also touch on Ayurveda, the myth of productivity, and why building your life around your own rhythm is the ultimate self-care.

Whether you're a morning bird or a midnight owl, this one's for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Oura ring

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Transcript

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I'm Shannon Caldwell, and this is Cozy Yoga Life. I've spent the last 25 years living and teaching yoga. And I'm here to help you bring that wisdom into your daily life with clarity, comfort, and always a dash of coziness. If you've been following along on the blog, you know, I just shared a post about my current morning routine, what it looks like, how it's evolved, and how it sets the tone for my day. So I thought it would be the perfect time to pair that with today's topic: circadian rhythms. Or what I like to call your body's natural clock. We'll talk about what they are, why they matter, and how I've been learning to work with my rhythm instead of against it. I'll share what wearing an Oura ring for the last couple of years has taught me about sleep, stress, and energy. And how post menopause has shifted what my body needs. I'll also get a little spicy about traditional work culture because not all of us were made to be early birds, and that's okay. So if you've ever felt like you're swimming upstream against your own energy, you're not alone. Let's start with the basics. What are circadian rhythms? Think of them as your internal 24-hour body clock. These rhythms help regulate your sleep and wake cycles, energy levels, hormone production, digestion, body temperature, and even your mood. They're deeply influenced by light and dark, which is why most people feel more alert during the day and start to wind down at night. But here's the thing. Just because these rhythms follow a general 24-hour pattern doesn't mean everyone operates on exactly the same schedule. Some of us naturally wake up ready to go at 6:00 AM. While others, hi, that's me, do their best thinking well after the sun goes down. Your circadian rhythm is personal. It's wired into your biology. It's not just about discipline or laziness. It's about understanding how you function best. We get thrown off track by modern life all the time, too much artificial light at night, long work hours, constant stimulation from our phones. These things confuse your body's signals and can lead to sleep issues, burnout, even hormonal imbalances over time. When I was researching all of this, I learned there's actually a part of your brain that acts like a master timekeeper. It takes cues from light and basically tells the rest of your body what time it is, which explains why staring at a screen late at night can throw everything off. It's like your brain gets tricked into thinking it's still daytime. But you don't need a science degree, or even a gadget, to start noticing your own patterns. Just pay attention. When do you feel most alive and alert? When do you hit a wall? When does your creativity peak? That's your rhythm. And learning to live in sync with it is powerful. I've been wearing an Oura ring for almost two years now, and let me just say it's been a game changer. But honestly, it didn't surprise me. It mostly confirmed what I already knew deep down about how my body works. I've always considered myself a night owl, easily staying up till 1:00, 2:00, or even 3:00 AM. For a long time I told myself, it's fine, I'll just sleep later and still get my seven to eight hours. But the data didn't lie. The Oura ring tracks sleep cycles, heart rate, body temperature, stress response. All of these little indicators that show how your body is recovering. And what I noticed was that when I stayed up super late, even if I slept in the next morning, my deep sleep suffered. Like, significantly. And deep sleep is where all the restoration happens. It's when your muscles repair. Your brain clears out waste. Your immune system strengthens. Without enough of it, you're not just tired, you're running on fumes. Over time, that catches up to you. The other thing I noticed, if I stayed on the computer too late, especially after 9:00 PM my brain stayed engaged, like it couldn't fully power down. It took much longer to fall asleep and it impacted my ability to stay asleep. Even if I felt fine, my ring told a different story. My heart rate stayed elevated, my recovery dipped, and the next day felt foggy no matter how many hours I technically clocked in bed. So I started shifting things. Now I try to log off my computer by 9:00, take a shower, and be in bed between 10 and 10:30. Not asleep yet, but winding down. I give myself about an hour to read, which is my favorite way to ease into sleep. It calms my mind, lowers my heart rate, and helps me drift off naturally. It took some adjusting, especially post menopause when sleep became a little trickier. But honoring my body's signals instead of pushing through them has made a huge difference in how I feel. It's a form of self-care and kind of a self-discipline too, just in a gentler way. These days, my ideal morning starts without an alarm. I really don't like being jolted awake. It makes me grumbly and it sets this rushed tone I don't enjoy carrying into the rest of the day. Because I work from home, I have the luxury of letting my body wake up when it's ready. Most days, that's around 8:00 AM. It gives me enough time to move slowly through my morning, working through some gentle stretching, making my smoothie, getting mentally prepared before I sit down and log in for work. What I've found over time is that I have very clear windows of energy throughout the day. I'm most focused and creative in the late morning, somewhere between 9:30 and noon. That's when I try to do anything that takes brainpower: writing, planning, problem solving, or learning something new. Around lunchtime is when I shift to more admin work or emails. Something that is a little more routine and takes less brain power. Later in the day, especially after dinner, I'm better off doing something reflective like reading, dreaming, or sketching out big picture ideas. My energy just doesn't stay in one gear all day, and honestly, I don't think anyone else's does either. I'm grateful that my current job respects that. I don't have to fake productivity at 7:00 AM or force creativity at 4:00 PM. It's one of the reasons this role has felt so aligned. It honors how I work best. And I've been able to design my days in a way that actually supports, and not fights, my rhythm. And that's what I would love for everyone. Not a perfect schedule, but a rhythm that feels good in your bones. Now here's where I'm gonna get a little salty. One of the things that frustrates me is how traditional work culture still clings to this one size fits all model of productivity. For decades, we've been taught that success looks like waking up at 5:00 AM, crushing your to-do list before breakfast, and staying in constant motion until bedtime. And if you're not wired that way, it's easy to feel like you're doing something wrong. Like maybe you're lazy, unmotivated, unfocused. But here's the truth, we don't all run on the same clock and we're not supposed to. Some people thrive early in the morning. They wake up energized and ready to go. Others, like me, do their best work later in the day or even in the quiet of the night. That doesn't make one better than the other. But in our culture, morning people are often praised as being more disciplined, more driven, more successful. We've all heard the quote, the early bird catches the worm. But you know what? Maybe the night owl writes the novel or builds the website or dreams up something the world really needs just at 1:00 AM instead of 8:00. We never ask early birds to shift their rhythm to match night owls, but we constantly ask night owls to shift to match the 9-5 mold. It's so normalized we don't even question it. And when I look at other countries like Sweden or Finland or even parts of the Netherlands, I see cultures that prioritize flexibility. They design work days around output and wellbeing, not just sitting at a desk for eight hours. What if we gave people permission to honor their own rhythm and instead out of forcing them into a narrow version of success What if we stopped measuring worth by alarm clocks? Now, if we zoom out a bit and look at this through the lens of yoga and Ayurveda, it all makes even more sense. In yoga philosophy, we're encouraged to practice self-study. It's about getting curious about your own patterns, your habits, your tendencies. And what could be more personal than your energy rhythm? Yoga doesn't ask us all to move at the same pace. It asks us to pay attention. To honor our nature. And that's where Ayurveda comes in. If you're not familiar, Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga. It's an ancient system of healing that looks at the body, mind, and spirit as deeply interconnected, and it's rooted in the belief that balance looks different for everyone. According to Ayurveda, we each have a unique constitution, or dosha. There are three main ones. Vata, which is air and space energy-- creative, light, and quick moving. Pitta, which is fire and water-- focused, driven intense, and Kapha, which is earth and water-- steady, grounded, and nurturing. Most people are a mix of two. I am primarily Pitta with some Kapha leanings, which means I can be super driven and focused when I'm in the flow. But I also need stillness, rest, and warm comforting routines to stay balanced. Ayurveda even breaks the day into dosha times. For example, the morning and early evening are Kapha times, slow and steady. Midday is Pitta time, great for productivity. And Vata time shows up in the afternoon and late night, perfect for creative bursts or deep thinking. It's so fascinating once you start noticing it. There's this beautiful alignment between ancient wisdom and modern science. Whether it's your circadian rhythm or your doshic makeup, the invitation is the same. Pay attention and live in a way that honors your nature, not fights it. So here's what I want to leave you with today. Your rhythm is not a flaw. It's not something you need to fix or force into someone else's mold. It's something to notice. To respect. To work with. Living in sync with your natural energy cycles, whether that means moving slower in the morning, creating space for rest in the afternoon, or letting yourself dream big at midnight. And one more thing, don't think morning routines are only for people who get up at the crack of dawn. I love a morning routine. It just starts about three hours after the crack of dawn. And that still counts. You don't need a fancy gadget to start tuning in, just start observing. When do you feel most alive and focused? When do you feel scattered or foggy? What kind of movement feels good at different times of the day? When does your brain want to create and when does it need to shut off? Also, look around you. Your family might reveal some clues too. And mine, being a night owl seems to run in the blood. My mom, my son, and I can all stay up into the early hours. Me and my mom with a good romance novel, my son with his coding projects. It's just how we're wired. Once I stopped fighting that and started honoring it, everything got a little easier. This isn't about finding a perfect schedule. It's about building a life that feels like you. And for me, that's what a cozy yoga life is all about. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Share your rhythms with me. Are you a morning bird or a night owl? How do you shape your days to fit your flow? Until next time, be gentle with yourself and remember, your body knows, you just have to listen. That wraps another episode of Cozy Yoga Life. Until next time, may you move with intention, rest with purpose, and live in alignment. Remember, it's all yoga. Be sure to check out the latest blog. Come say hi on Instagram.