The Horary Cycle, The Energy Cycle Of The Day
As I write this morning, I know that, according to the wisdom of Chinese medicine, this is the time of day when the intellect is energetically running the strongest. Between 7 and 11 a.m., the stomach and spleen are in energetic high tide and directly relate to our intellect. We can be efficient and get the most work done during these hours.
Knowing the energy patterns of nature throughout the day, through the seasons, and our life stages can help us organize ourselves to utilize them rather than push up against them and expend more energy than needed.
The life stages, the seasons, and the daily flow of energy that runs through our organs can be considered the three gears.
The biggest gear is the life stages, according to the five elements, which have 25-year cycles. I addressed this in last week's email.
The next smaller gear would be seasonal energy shifts, as we can feel the different energy levels from winter to summer or spring to autumn.
The smallest gear would be the daily 2-hour cycles corresponding to different organs, known as the horary cycle.
We go through the energetic cycle called the Horary Clock throughout the day.
In the early morning, between 3 and 7 a.m., the lungs (responsible for respiratory health) and the large intestine (responsible for elimination) are at high tide. Those with asthma or respiratory issues often wake up between 3 and 5 a.m. as the lungs struggle to find balance. Between 5 and 7 a.m., the large intestine is cleaned out with elimination.
Later in the morning, between 7 and 11 a.m., we are in the spleen/stomach time of the earth element. This is the time of day when ‘acquired knowledge’ is strongest, the most conducive time to learn and study. We should eat a warm, nourishing breakfast to feed spleen chi. The spleen likes warm, sweet foods like sweet potatoes, pancakes, or oatmeal, turning them into energy for the day.
The fire element is next, between 11 am-3 pm, when the heart and small intestine receive mental and food nourishment from the stomach and spleen after breakfast or lunch and after studying and acquiring knowledge. Also, at this time, the characteristics of the heart make it a good time of day to connect with others over lunch or be in nature by taking walks. It’s a natural time to feel our interconnectedness. When the small intestine runs between 1 - 3 pm, we digest our breakfast and lunch, so it's often siesta time.
Between 3 and 7 p.m. is kidney/bladder time, when we can feel rested and digested, focus, and study more. If not rested, we can put our legs up the wall, take a yoga nidra, become still, and re-nourish the kidneys.
Between 7 and 11 p.m. is the time of the pericardium and triple warmer (the energy that runs the metabolism). Again, this is a time to be with loved ones as the pericardium is the heart protector, and the triple burner works the metabolism of respiration, digestion, and elimination.
From 11 pm to 3 am. the liver and gallbladder are front and center. The Hun (the spirit or consciousness of the liver, known as the observer) reports to our original soul. It’s so important for us to sleep well during these hours, especially during the time of the liver between 1-3 AM. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that those who work nightly hours suffer a diminished lifespan, as Hun doesn’t get the rest it needs to report to our original soul.
Knowing these cycles puts us in the driver's seat of our energy and allows us to plan our days accordingly. Often, what seems like a good idea in the morning may feel differently in the afternoon, depending on what we eat or drink, whether it provides us with qi or depletes us, and whether we're flowing with the energy cycles or pushing against them.
This weekend, I will discuss this in more detail at our upcoming Masters Path and 300-hour teacher training during the Meridian Flow session on Saturday afternoon. We invite the community to join the mini-retreat weekend.
From my heart to yours~
Namaste,
Maggie