On Chinese medicine and more…
Interested in Embodied Yin that we offer?
lets ‘get in the mood’ and explore the 24h cycle 🤗
In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is believed that each organ in the body has its point (time) of highest energy and lowest energy.
This 24 hour cycle is believed to help us know when to exercise, eat, study, have sex, rest, sleep and even brush our hair. It also acts as a way to communicate with and feel into a particular organ or meridian (energy channel) of the body. Following it is believed to balance the inner pharmacy which is your hormones.
Lets start from the mornings, I really personally love mornings and waking up early. Thats my favourite time of day and it kinda makes sense looking at other maps too as I’m a virgo (very earthy) AND wood, my problems also almost always lie in Metal element. So, if I don ́t get up early and really cultivate this energy, my whole day tends to go flat.
Just out of interest, how is your Metal doing? how long does it take for you to unpack after travels? if you ́re like."...ahem....ahem...2 weeks", then you are with me.
Mostly though, at least in our western side of the world, people have spleen issues according to TCM. That means stress, anxiety that manifest in gut issues, candida, hormonal issues etc. When we soon start to look at the clock, you will see for example just how important it is for a stressed person to have breakfast. I can skip it no problem when I am balanced, but if I‘m stressed (no fasting ever then), I really make an effort to sit down at 7/8 to eat, thats when the Earth time starts and you can most effectively ground. Eating is a great way to do it. Avoid snacking, as it causes imbalance in spleen and also the liver, set up good meals! I knew there was a reason I have always avoided snacking...
ok lets go into it, really.
3 am to 5am is the time for Metal element, and the Lungs, (more soon) and you should be sleeping. Its also very important to stay warm.
5-7am is the perfect time to wake up! before you eat anything, you should poop. yes, I said it. Your body is the master of letting go, when everything is in movement that is. This is the time of the Large Intestine, really making it a perfect time to have a bowel movement and remove toxins from the day before. You should rise when ever you can with the sun or slightly before. Go to toilet and then maybe some breath work like pranayama, mantra singing and/or go out for a walk in fresh air (as it is also the time of the Lungs), then meditate.
If you are like, "oh I do/poop like that already", great! that means your Large Intestine Qi (energy) is in movement and functioning well.
If not, we might find an answer looking at your emotional state. Are emotions in movement? or stuck? yeah, thats mirrored then in your body functions many times.
This is also the ideal time to wash your body and comb your hair. In Chinese medicine it is believed that combing your hair helps to release and ground your mind to your body and to get un-stuck in the mind, if there is a lot of movement/thoughts there.
7 am- 11am is the time of the Spleen and Stomach (we could put pancreas here too even though its not really discussed in the tradition) so it is important to eat the biggest meal of the day here to really optimize digestion and absorption. Not just fruits people! Although the best time to eat them would be in the morning to empty stomach, following that you need a warm meal that is high in nutrition (sorry smoothie bowl lovers). If you are naturally drawn to this, it again means, through this perspective, that Spleen and Stomach Qi is moving good, yay! If not, we already discussed about the emotions before in the text related to this. Worry, stress, anxiety will hinder the Qi and the energy of the Earth here. I, personally, have a pause between 7pm and around 10.30am in eating. Some might call this intermittent fasting. This is what works the best for me and I feel the most energized throughout the day.
7-11am is also the ideal time to exercise and work. Yoga, run, surf first if you can and THEN do your most yucky tasks of the day at work after.
11am- 3pm is the time of the Heart and Small Intestine and food eaten earlier will complete its digestion and assimilation as heart is pumping nutrients around the body to help provide you with Qi. This is also a good time to eat lunch and it is recommended (in Chinese Medicine) to have a light, cooked meal. This usually is a bit different in Ayurveda for example. I think they have the biggest meal at this time, or its recommended. The reality is that most people eat the biggest meals in the evening, so if you can, as early as you can would be the best. I can also confirm this from my own experience as already shared, prob you too. Having a one hour nap (YAY) and a cup of tea is also great during this time. What about emotions? well, this would be the best time to watch that Rom Com if you want to cry (yes I actually sometimes recommend this) as extreme emotions can be experienced during Heart o`clock, the Fire Element.
By the start of 3-7pm period, we hit our lowest energy (full Yin energy). Drink lots of water as the Kidneys and Bladder are now on the central arena, maybe another cup of tea, and hit the books to study. This is the perfect time for that. Also the best time to leave your work, would be the START of it, not the end like usually. If you can, go home, or have a massage, meditate, prepare a light dinner, spend time with family, your partner and friends...just nice and gentle.
If feelings of being irritated at yourself, maybe even scared of some outcomes "if I don’t do this, I cant achieve that" (could be an imbalance in Kidney Qi) its even more important that you do not power through and stay at work, BUT go home and calm down. The Water element is all about your innate truth and listening to that.
7-11pm. This is the time of Pericardium and San Jiao. We actually go back to Fire element, a bit differently though. This is the time to feed each cell and our endocrine system where the body’s homeostasis is adjusted and enzymes are replenished. A perfect time to read, to have sex (and also to conceive). You should aim to be asleep around 9 or 10pm already to really cultivate this fire.
If you cant sleep early it could be a sign of imbalance here. We all know what insomnia can do. Its the worst! Feelings of paranoia or confusion, stress, all these very negative emotions are actually heightened by it. Its very very important to get your sleep. I recommend yoga nidras and absolutely NO SCREENS just before bed.
11pm-3am is the time of the Gall Bladder and Liver and in order to wake up feeling calm but energized, the body should be at deep rest. This phase stores Yang energy, so that you can be active during daytime. Also during this time, toxins are released from the body and fresh new blood is made. If you find yourself waking during this time, you could have too much yang energy and emotional buildup or other problems with your liver or detoxification process. Also drinking alcohol REALLY messes this up. I am myself sober at the moment and feel like i’ve never slept better! ah!
Also, what is very interesting is that this is the time when usually a lot of violence occurs. People should be asleep, but they went out drinking and you know the rest. The emotions related to this Wood Element phase are "funnily" enough anger, frustration and rage.
Interesting, right?
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Love to you and yours, Satu