A Look at the Chinese Body Clock
Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a strong focus on the energy and the organs within the body. A few weeks ago on a visit to my acupuncturist, I mentioned that I was following a sort of intermittent fasting protocol, usually skipping breakfast and sometimes lunch, due to noticing my productivity levels drop if I consumed food. She asked what time of the day I was eating breakfast, and it seemed to explain everything.
Normally I would eat breakfast around 10-11 am, and she suggested I try to get up earlier and eat breakfast between 7-9 am and see what happens. The next morning, I woke up a bit earlier than usual, at 6 am, and had an unusually large meal prepared by 7:15 am. Usually, the bigger the meal, the harder I found it to focus afterwards. After eating my 1200 calorie breakfast at 7:15 am, I very quickly felt an unusual high that I can’t remember ever feeling before - almost as if I had drunk a cup of coffee, which at that point I hadn’t had my morning matcha yet. The rest of the day I was extremely productive and wrote two articles which was surprising to me. Two days later, I tried the same experiment and found the same result. I wondered why this was happening - and then decided to do a bit of research to find out. I came across the Chinese Body Clock and found that, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the stomach energy was most potent at 7 am-9 am so that’s why it’s recommended to eat breakfast then. I found it fascinating and have started to follow the rest of the guidelines for the rest of the day and have seen incredible results.
Today we’re going to look at the Body Clock in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and what recommendations it gives us for the time of day we eat, study, exercise and sleep.
What is the Chinese Body Clock?
If you’ve read any of Welluvia’s Guides to the seasons, you’ll know that each season correlates with organs in the body, as well as its own emotions and bodily functions. The Chinese body clock is built on the concept of energy (qi) and is said to move in two-hour intervals throughout the organ system every 24 hours. While we sleep, qi moves inward to recharge our body for the next day. Have you ever thought that you always feel “off” during certain parts of the day? Or find yourself waking up at particular times of the night? The Chinese body clock can help us figure out what might be the meaning behind these sorts of imbalances.
The Intervals
5 am to 7 am
The Large Intestine
In this cycle, it’s a great time to have a bowel movement and remove toxins from the body from the day before. It is also an excellent time to bathe and include practices such as brushing your hair. It is believed in TCM that brushing our hair can help to clear energy stuck in the mind. During this time, emotions of defensiveness or feelings of being stuck can come up.
7 am to 9 am
The Stomach
As mentioned earlier, this cycle is when the stomach is at it’s strongest. This is the time where we should eat our biggest meal of the day so the body can optimise digestion and absorption of nutrients. During this time, emotions of disgust or despair can come up.
9 am to 11 am
The Pancreas and Spleen
This cycle is where the pancreas and spleen release enzymes to help digest food and release energy for the upcoming day. This is also the best time for our most strenuous tasks in the day, such as exercise and work. During this cycle feelings of low self-esteem can come up.
11 am to 1 pm
The Heart
During this cycle, the heart pumps nutrients around the body to provide us with energy and nutrition for the day. This is also the time where we should be eating a light meal for lunch. This is also a high energy cycle, so feelings of extreme joy or sadness can arise.
1 pm to 3 pm
The Small Intestine
During this cycle, the food we have consumed will complete the digestion and absorption into the body. On the days I have followed this method, I have noticed this cycle to be an unusually low energy period, and in TCM, it is recommended to take a nap or light exercise during this phase. During this cycle, feelings of vulnerability or abandonment can come up.
3 pm to 5 pm
The Bladder
This is my favourite cycle of the day. This cycle is when the bladder moves metabolic waste into the filtration system of the kidney. Our energy is restored after the previous cycle, and we can exercise, study or go about mentally challenging tasks. This is the time I find I am most productive writing articles. Drinking more water during this cycle is essential to aid the detoxification processes. During this cycle, feelings of irritation or restlessness may come up.
5 pm to 7 pm
The Kidneys
During this cycle, the kidneys filter the blood and work to bring chemical balance to the body. This is the time we should have our dinner and get our circulation moving by stretching or going on a brisk walk. During this cycle, feelings of terror and fear can come up.
7pm to 9pm
Pericardium / Circulation
During this cycle, nutrients are carried to the capillaries and then moved into each cell of the body. We should start to wind down during this stage, and relax from our day. We should refrain from physically or mentally strenuous tasks at this time. It is the time to engage in tasks such as light reading or having sex. During this cycle, our emotions may be difficult to express.
9pm to 11pm
Triple Burner / Endocrine Sytem
During this cycle, the body’s homeostasis is adjusted, and enzymes are replenished. This is the time we should be preparing or getting into bed so that the body can conserve energy for the next day. During this cycle, feelings of confusion or paranoia can come up.
11 pm to 1 am
The Gall Bladder
This is one of the most important things I found out when researching the body clock, and have seen such a difference in mood and energy the following day if I’m asleep during this time. We should be asleep during this cycle if we want to be energised and refreshed the next morning. During this phase, our yin energy fades, and yang energy begins to grow. Yang energy is what keeps us active and energised during the day and is stored when we are sleeping. This is also when the gall bladder activates cellular repair. Feelings of resentment come up during this time.
1 am to 3 am
The Liver
If for some reason we are not asleep during the previous cycle, we should definitely be asleep by this time. Toxins are released from the body during this cycle while blood is cleaned, and fresh blood is created. This is also the time when the body prepares for qi to move outward from the body again. If you find yourself waking during this cycle, you could have a liver imbalance such as too much yang energy, or an issue with your detoxification pathways. During this cycle, feelings of anger, frustration and rage can come up.
3 am to 5 am
The Lungs
We should still be asleep during this cycle. It is also crucial to keep the body warm during this stage to assist the body with replenishing the lungs and the body with oxygen. This cycle is also attributed to dreams and memory. During this stage, feelings of grief and sadness can arise.
With these things in mind, we can understand that each organ has a repair and maintenance schedule each day which can allow us to learn more about our body to improve our wellbeing. It can also help us identify imbalances within our organ system or particular emotions that need resolving or strengthening.
With wellness,
Aleksandar
