Do you ever wonder why you wake up around the same time every night, or why you wake up many times during the night? Do you feel vaguely sick at a particular time of day or do you feel sluggish by the afternoon?
Most of us are not getting the restful sleep that our body needs, especially during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic and probably more now, many of us stay up and wake up later.
Did you know that Traditional Chinese Medicine advises a bedtime no later than 10:30 pm in order to be asleep by 11:00 pm? That’s because this is the time when the Gallbladder and Liver are busy processing emotions, detoxing the body, and balancing hormones! For the next 4 hours, they are also busy helping to maintain our health, which is even more important to our bodies as we age.
Research has shown that you get your best, deepest, and restorative sleep during the first 1/3 of the night. Both memory and learning ability is restored during this time, which also helps us to feel refreshed, keeps us alert, and highly functional during the day. Between 9 pm and 7 am, the human growth hormone which helps repair our bodies and maintains our health is released.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) discovered the Horary Clock (also known as the Meridian Clock, Meridian Flow Wheel, or Body Clock) long ago. It’s a very useful tool to diagnosis and treat energy imbalances which affect both our emotions and our physical body. It can also help us understand when we should participate in certain activities of daily living. If you notice any fluctuations in your energy or your current symptoms become aggravated, make note of when this occurs. This may help you find the organ system that is contributing to the problem.
The body has 12 organ/meridians (some are yang and others are yin). Keeping them open with energy (Qi) flowing is essential to good health. The body clock is divided into 2 hour intervals, which helps us understand how energy moves in our bodies through meridians and organs, helping it to function at its best. In other words, each organ in the body has a particular time when it has the most energy and is at peak performance. When one organ is at its peak performance, the organ 12 hours away is at its lowest.
Qi flow starts with the Lungs, flows through each organ, and is drawn inward to restore the body while you sleep. This “rest and repair phase” usually happens between 1 and 3 am. The Liver is busy cleansing the blood and preparing the body for Qi’s outward movement. At 3 pm the energy cycles associated with activity are carried out, including digestion and elimination. Next the energy flow starts moving inward to begin the repair phase to filter, cleanse and move heat and fluids.
I guess that explains why eating late at night is not a good idea! Instead of absorbing the food: the small intestine is resting!
According to Bill and Angela Douglas (World Tai Chi and Gigong Day), Tai Chi can strengthen and energize every organ. This means that Tai Chi could provide therapy for all organs. In the middle of the night, Qigong (either sitting or lying) would be a better choice. That being said, you (and your organs) will reap benefits from either Tai Chi or Qigong whether or not you follow the Horary clock.
In the next blog, we’ll look at the functions and peak times of the organs, their associated emotions, and what happens when an imbalance occurs.
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