TCM Circadian Clock

[Sunya]

Does anyone here follow the Chinese medicine circadian clock model? Have you found this to be accurate according to your experience?

 

I think it's pretty interesting, but what I'm curious about is if the model is universal or relative. It would be universal if somebody woke up at noon, went to bed at 3am, would have issues because they would be eating late, not giving the liver/gb their 'rest time' and other problems. But, if it's relative than the clock shifts to the person's schedule. So if somebody gets up at noon, then that would be 8am on the TCM clock and so on.

 

What do you guys think? Is the clock absolute?

Edited January 29, 2011 by Sunya

[VCraigP]

Consider this...

 

No matter what time you eat, sleep, etc the Sun rises and sets. the seasons change.

 

The effect of the tides of energy coming from the ebb and flow of the daily rhythm are always there.

 

Craig

[sifusufi]

Neat!

 

I had been pondering this today as my best healing sleep occurs around 10AM on my back.

 

I had gone back to my TCM books last month to see any correspondences.

 

A while back I had read somewhere that any sleep prior to midnight will be better than post midnight

 

My wife and I had an opportunity to nap around 9-11 PM yesterday and again that sinking relaxing deep rest had occurred which got me thinking again about the 12 hour similarities.

 

Great topic for study as a fascination always makes for better study

[Non]

I do notice though.. even if I get the required amt of hrs if I go to sleep past 11pm I still feel tired after waking up.

 

Though if u don't it's best to do some qigong of the meridians during the time of the channel. 3-5am is good for breathing practices.

[Sunya]

I do notice though.. even if I get the required amt of hrs if I go to sleep past 11pm I still feel tired after waking up.

 

Though if u don't it's best to do some qigong of the meridians during the time of the channel. 3-5am is good for breathing practices.

 

Interesting, yeah I'm going to try to change my schedule to match the 'clock' and see if I feel changes. I've always been one to stay up late into the night and wake up after noon, unless I have to be up earlier.

[Easy]

This is a good question.

 

It has been my experience that the principle of the circadian clock is accurate, but I do not think it is absolute at least in the west, because a la western individualism, every body is different.

 

The accuracy of the principle is even proven by something as gross and unsubtle as heroic, allopathic medicine which shows that the time of death of those suffering from fatal diseases or conditions is clustered around four o'clock a.m.

 

Of all the modalities available I have found that for myself Chinese acupuncture and western herbalism work the best. The least effective is homeopathy except in one very interesting regard: In a homeopathic diagnostic questionnaire, I have found remarkable accuracy in those inquiries as to what time of day the symptoms are the most, what time they are the least, at what time the patient expresses a need for something (such as fresh air,or a darkened room), at what times they are desirous of hot liquids, or cool liquids, and so on. This is complicated by the elemental typology of the patient. For example, a Phosphorous type is going to show difference symptoms and different needs and rejections at different times than a fairly similar Lycocodium type who is suffering from the same problems. If the homeopathist knows what they are doing and can keep all those balls in the air, then the diagnosis is spot on whether or not the remedy is effective. I have seen a homeopathic diagnosis with a western (or in many cases Chinese) herbal treatment to be remarkably effective. (The only time I have experienced an effective homeopathic remedy for me was one against a Black Widow spider bite.)

 

In line with this also is the timing of the treatment. My wife who has been practicing Postural Integration body work for the past thirty years, just told me she does her best work at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m....Tuesdays. Good god...now she just told me what the Ayurvedic circadian clock might show for this and that and my eyes are glazing over.

[Immortal4life]

Here's an interesting article-

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/01/new-discovery-prehistoric-body-clock-in-humans-same-as-that-in-algae.html