by Julia Scalise, DN, PhD
Just like the earth has its seasons and timing, so does the body. There are many advantages to becoming familiar with your body’s energy clock, as you will soon see!
Western medicine is familiar with circadian rhythm, but our 24 hour cycle is more than just about hormone and neurotransmitter flow, sleep and wake cycles, and metabolic function. In alternate health disciplines, the belief is that a continuous flow of energy cycles through each organ/organ system for function, purpose, rejuvenation and repair based on a 24 hour cycle.
The timing for each organ system meridian may vary slightly in different disciplines, especially taking into account that we create alterations due to daylight savings time clock changes twice each year, but most disciplines are in APPROXIMATE agreement on which hours of the day are connected to the specific organ systems. The one I have used over the years is from my training in Jin Shin Jyutsu, a Japanese healing art system.
Body Organ-Energy Flows
4:00 a.m. Lung Function Energy: Deals with self-expression. There can be difficulty with speaking one’s mind, feeling a lack of pride or self-respect, having feelings of shame, or the opposite when energy flow is in excess. This is in addition to physical manifestations of health issues where breathing problems and endurance may be compromised.
6:00 a.m. Large Intestine Function Energy: Deals with the rhythm of life. When you feel as if things are bottled up or if you hold on to memories or situations (constipation) or if you purposely let things go or push people away (diarrhea). It can also have bearing on skin conditions such as eczema, allergic reactions, or dermatitis if you tend to be sensitive and easily irritated.
8:00 a.m. Stomach Function Energy: Deals with sustenance. You may have digestive issues such as reflux, bloating, feeling full quickly or not feeling full ever, or indigestion. You may find yourself saying or thinking often, “I can’t stomach this anymore” or “I can’t take this anymore”. Surprisingly the stomach energy flow meridian also may show on your face in the form of skin aging, wrinkling, tone and texture.
10:00 a.m. Spleen Function Energy: Deals with resentment. Feeling an energized calm is balanced spleen energy, but excess anxiety or excess lethargy can be an indicator for disruption in this flow. Metabolism and nutrient utilization is also part of this flow, so pay attention to appetite and energy levels, whether lacking or in excess.
12:00 (noon) Heart Function Energy: Deals with heartache, love, hurt, and betrayal. How do you usually feel most days between noon and 2:00 p.m.? Are you full of energy, active, usually in an upbeat mood, or do you tend to notice an unexplainable change frequently during this time period? In addition, if you have issues with eyesight, especially macular degeneration, heart function energy also may be playing a part if out of balance.
2:00 p.m. Small Intestine Function Energy: Deals with intuitive knowledge. Is this the time of day you tend to try to sort out thoughts or problems, or have difficulties with focus or concentration. The flow of this energy meridian travels to the brain so your thoughts may seem most clear or the opposite during this time frame. This is also a common time frame for not only digesting food but for digesting information, thoughts, intuitive feelings, and emotions.
4:00 p.m. Bladder Function Energy: Deals with flow (literally) in your life. Fluid release or retention through physical bladder function is a physiological process, but on an energetic level is part of how well do you “flow with life”. In addition to the retention or release of “moisture”, this energy flow affects hair color (graying). So consider your response to the ups and downs and flow of your life and whether or not you feel there may be an imbalance in Bladder energy flow.
6:00 p.m. Kidney Function Energy: Deals with feelings of safety, fear, and thoughts about your “destiny”. This is the energy meridian flow that impacts reproductive organ health, back pain (lack of support, financial worries) as well as also dealing with moisture (sinus issues, chronic runny nose). If you find you get very tired between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. but then revive soon after 8:00, there may be an imbalance in Kidney energy meridian.
8:00 p.m. Diaphragm Function Energy: Deals with the source of life. Do you have problems with snoring, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks? Well then there may be an imbalance in this energy flow. Energetically some physical heart ailments can be connected to disruptions or imbalances in Diaphragm energy meridians. This is a very powerful energy flow in that it contributes to a total harmonizing of the body.
10:00 p.m. Umbilicus Function Energy: Deals with physical vitality of the body. It affects balance, recharging, and cleanses and nourishes the body systems. It plays a role in detoxification. It is involved in our thoughts and feelings on all relationships, plays a part in emotional warmth as well as actual body temperature and metabolism. And interestingly in addition, is connected to joint health and ear health. So if you find yourself rigid with difficulty in movement, or if you feel you aren’t being heard, or don’t like what you are hearing, Umbilicus energy flow may need tending to.
12:00 a.m. Gallbladder Function Energy: Deals with harmony. Is there a need for forgiveness in your life? Do you need to forgive someone or be forgiven for something? Or does your head often feel “muddled” and do you have a history of headaches, migraines, tremors, neurodegenerative problems, and nerve issues such as tingling, numbness or sciatica? If your life feels out of harmony, or there is conflict, then Gallbladder energy meridian may be compromised.
2:00 a.m. Liver Function Energy: Deals with harmony also and blood essence. The Liver as a physical organ does so much for the body for filtering toxins, processing/converting hormones, aiding digestion, filtering blood, but as an “energy organ system” impacts eyesight, the lymphatic system, and has stronger connections to thyroid and physical lung health. Many people wake up during the night between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. when the Liver (physical organ) is doing most of its detoxing of poor diets, alcohol, chemicals, and sensitive foods. In addition there is detoxing of emotions and processing the feelings of “bad blood”. So if you aren’t resting and peacefully dreaming during this time of the night, then Liver energy flow may be compromised
If you find that you experience unusual fluctuations in energy during certain times of the day, that is abnormally low energy when compared to most, or abnormally excess energy when compared to most, there may be imbalances to correct. Also if you have specific health issues that defy diagnosis or treatments, again, you may wish to consider energy flow dysfunction as a cause.
You should be reminded that each “organ system” is not the same as the physical organs with which we may currently be familiar, for these energy meridians flow through the body and can feed into or be a surge from the previous energy flow of another organ system.
In conjunction with last month’s article on emotional connections to dis-ease, so too, excess and deficiencies in energy flow can also contribute to dis-ease. If certain times of the day find you abnormally energetic or abnormally lethargic for you, and in comparison to most around you, you may wish to investigate an energy imbalance cause contributing to your overall feelings of health and well-being.
If suspicious of an imbalance and you wish to address it, then I suggest you find a qualified practitioner in acupuncture or other energy discipline of your choice. A personal referral by someone you know to a qualified practitioner is best, but you can also do an online search for practitioners with good reviews from satisfied clients in your local communities.
Wishing you health, a balanced flow of energy, and living your best life.