Hi timespacette,
I found an excellent article that refers to this subject. Here are some excerpts:
"The circadian rhythm of illness has been emphasized for thousands of
years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), using this knowledge to
schedule therapies such as acupuncture during appropriate hours of the
day. This paper reviews the time periods (two hour segments) that
apply to each organ system according to TCM (lungs, large intestine,
stomach, heart, kidneys and liver)..."
(...)
"Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) works on the premise that the
human body has various forms of energy, or "Qi" (pronounced "chee"),
which flow through a series of well-defined tracts on the limbs, trunk
and face. These routes are called "meridians", which in turn
correspond to internal organs responsible for the vital functions of
the body. Any imbalance in Qi--whether it be excess, deficiency or
improper flow--will lead to disease..."
(...)
"...One of the classic and most important works written on TCM is "The
Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine", thought to have been written by
the emperor Huang Di, who reigned during the middle of the third
millenium BCE (Ni, 1995). In this discourse, he explains that Qi takes
its course through the 12 organ meridians over a period of 24 hours,
spending two hours at maximal levels in each organ (referred to as the
"twelve branches" theory) (Mao, 1993). In general, when treating a
patient in accordance with this biorhythm, the best time to treat an
excess of energy is at or shortly before the time of greatest meridian
activity, while the best time to treat depleted energy is following
the peak (Manaka and Urquhart, 1972)..."
Two-Hour Peak Periods of the Twelve Organs in
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Time Period Time Branch Organ
03:00-05:00 Yin Lungs
05:00-07:00 Mao Large Intestine
07:00-09:00 Chen Stomach
09:00-11:00 Si Spleen
11:00-13:00 Wu Heart
13:00-15:00 Wei Small Intestine
15:00-17:00 Shen Bladder
17:00-19:00 You Kidneys
19:00-21:00 Xu Pericardium
21:00-23:00 Hai TripleWarmer
23:00-01:00 Zi Gallbladder
01:00-03:00 Chou Liver
For a detailed account of each time period, please read the entire
document found here:
Find Articles: Chronotherapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HKP/is_2000_Summer-Fall/ai_69540134
Here is an excerpt referring to how emotions play a part in illness
and health. However, I suggest you read the article in its entirety.
The Storm of Emotions
"Chinese medicine recognizes that emotions play a part in both illness
and health. To the ancient Chinese 4000 years ago, it was clear that
certain mental or emotional states produced physiological effects that
contributed to illness. As stated in the classic Nei Ching, a central
classic of Chinese medicine, illness may be caused by six pernicious
influences: wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire, as well as
the seven emotions: joy, anger, sadness, grief, pensiveness, fear, and
fright, in excess or deficiency. The differences between sadness and
grief, fear and fright, appear to be of degree; sometimes these pairs
are combined as one emotion. It is only when the emotion is excessive
or deficient over a long period of time, or when it is suddenly and
powerfully invoked, that it can disrupt normal flow of energy and
bodily substances.
The seven emotions are thought to correlate with the five Yin organs:
joy with heart, anger with the liver, sadness and grief with the
lungs, pensiveness and over thinking with the spleen, and fear or
fright with the kidneys. The two organs considered most susceptible to
emotional disturbance are the heart and the liver..."
Spirit of Change: Why Ancient Chinese Medicine Works Today
http://www.spiritofchange.org/fa010205a.shtml
On sleeping before midnight, here's an excerpt of an article by
Jennifer Moffit, a Licensed Acupuncturist with a Masters of Science in
Traditional Oriental Medicine. Again, I suggest you read the complete
article.
"...Remember that we described yin as cooling, night, inert, and in
TCM theory, sleep is described as falling into "the envelope of yin,"
which is at its peak before midnight. The most beneficial sleep is, in
fact, that which is achieved before midnight, with every hour before
worth 2 of the hours afterwards. Whether that is literally the case
remains to be seen, but it is generally harder for the body to slip
into that "cool mantle of yin" after 12 AM."
The Pulse - Back to Basics: Sleep
http://www.pulsemed.org/back-to-basics-sleep.htm
More can be read here:
Hoita Kokoro Centre: Introduction to Yin and Yang
http://www.kokorocentre.com/node/view/2?pollresults%5B76%5D=1
Search criteria:
"chinese medicine" "meridian fields"
"traditional chinese medicine" OR TCM "* hour" liver
"chinese medicine" "2 OR two hours" qi
"chinese medicine" "2 OR two hours" anger
"chinese medicine" hour sleep "before midnight" "after midnight"
I hope the information provided is helpful. If you have any questions
regarding my answer please don't hesitate to ask before rating.
Best regards,
Rainbow |
