Greatest functionality Clock opposite

Lung channel Just as it is in Western 3-5 PM the body is starting to

手太阴肺经 medicine, the chief job of the wind down and the Lung’s
3 to 5 a.m. lungs is respiration and this is energy is weakest, so it’s not
when they are physically the the best time to try and set that
strongest. Technically, it’s PR. Also, the Lung help fight
thought to be the best time to off colds and flus to keep us
exercise and set that personal healthy. Because the Lung’s
record (PR)- if you’re in good energy is weakest at this time,
health. don’t overdo it at the gym,
especially if you’re feeling a bit
In TCM, the Lung channel
under the weather!
corresponds to emotional grief
and worry, which weakens the
body and its immune system.
Hand taiyin lung channel
metal element So if you’re going through a
black color difficult time, stay in bed,
nourish your Lung meridian
pranayama, meditation and just rest.
exercise, yoga
Not surprisingly, this is the 5-7 PM is the time of the
手阳明大肠经
Hand yangming large intestine ideal time for ideal bowel Kidney and due to its
channel, metal element, white
five to seven a.m.
bowel movement
spinal sequence
movements (BM) and when physiological functions, it’s
most folks have their first best to have a light dinner.
elimination. Build in time to
Interesting to note that 5-7 AM
your schedule to promote a
is the best time to let go of
BM, and let nature take its
physical (and emotional)
course.
byproducts, and 5-7 PM is an
If you tend toward constipation, optimal time to take in and
try drinking a pint of warm to gently nourish one’s self.
hot water the very first thing in
the morning. The heat causes a
vasodilation and the hydration
helps get things moving.
Remember this ancient Chinese
saying: If there’s no water in
the river the boat can’t float!

We love breakfast—it’s 7-9 PM the qi of the Stomach is

definitely a highlight of the day at its weakest- so hopefully
—so we love that in Chinese you’ve already had dinner. If
medicine it means we get to eat you do eat, keep it light and
a tasty, nutritious meal, because easily digestible (e.g. soup).
digestion is at its best! Heavy or late meals can
negatively impact important
Perhaps this is where the idea
things like sleep.
of breakfast being the most
important meal of the day came
from?!
足阳明胃经
Foot yangming stomach
channel, seven to nine a.m.
earth element
yellow color

breakfast, coffee
During the Spleen time the
足太阴脾经,
Foot taiyin spleen channel, nine assimilation of nutrients into
to eleven a.m. the body (via digestion) builds
energy/qi and blood. A healthy
Spleen is crucial for optimal
physical energy to carry you
through the day.
Interestingly, this is when most
9-11 PM Energy for the day is
at its lowest so you should be
tired and going to bed. If you’re
at the gym, you’re crazy. You’re
doing more harm than good,
long term. If your Spleen is
weak already then that cycle of
repetitive thoughts may be

earth element, yellow
assimilation, study?
手少阴心经,
Hand shaoyin heart channel,
eleven a.m. to one p.m.
lunch without stress
手太阳小肠经,
Hand taiyang small intestine
channel,
folks eagerly sip away at their
coffee to fuel their energy. But
this tells us that maybe your
natural energy source is weak
or fatigued.
The heart is known as the “king
of organs” in TCM because,
just like in Western physiology,
it is an important and complex
organ. This should be the time
when the Heart is working
optimally, pumping blood
throughout the body.
The Heart is also intimately
connected with one’s shen or
“spirit”. This includes mental-
emotional health and wellbeing,
the glow one gives off, as well
as quick thinking and clear
speaking.
This is a good time to eat lunch.
Food is medicine and eating
appropriately helps keep us
emotionally grounded and
physically energized (qi and
blood). Both contribute to a
healthy TCM Heart.
The Small Intestine is where
digestion of food and
absorption of nutrients is
completed from earlier meals in
the day. Weakness in this organ
can lead to painful urination or
loose stools.
more apparent now.
11PM- 1AM The pumping
action of the Heart is less
exuberant as the blood prepares
to move to the Liver. Thinking
is less clear and mental-
emotional issues that can
interfere with sleep may be
more apparent (e.g. anxiety).
Oh, and if you haven’t put your
phone down to go to bed then
drop it like it’s hot and hit the
rack.
1-3AM Needless to say this is
not the best time to eat (not to
say we haven’t been guilty of
“needing” some late night
grounding). It’s estimated that it
takes 6-8 hours for food to
move through your stomach
and small intestine, so that puts
 a good meal time between 5-7
PM (hmm, interesting. See
Kidney below). Also, the liver
is hard at work detoxing the
body and a lot of qi and blood
is pulled inward.

one to three p.m.

yellow color

short siesta
Just as in Western physiology, 3-5 AM The Kidneys and
足太阳膀胱经,
Foot taiyang urinary bladder the Kidneys send byproducts Bladder are closely connected
channel, water element, black from their filtration to the in TCM. Weakness in either of
Bladder to excrete. Drinking these organs may find you
water leading up to and during waking to urinate at night or
this time can help facilitate and having weaker streams or more
maximize the Bladder’s prevalent dribbling, likely
functions when it is worsened at this time.
energetically strongest.
As noted above, this is the time
of the Lung. It’s associated with
immunity, healthy skin, and
Drink water
breath.
small siesta
three to five p.m.
WHITE color
Everything comes back to the 5-7 AM If your Kidneys are
足少阴肾经, water,
precious Kidneys in Chinese deficient in TCM then you may
black medicine. They are crucial in have trouble getting out of bed
Western physiology, but in at this time.
TCM they are integral for many
functions. The Kidney energy
promotes the development of
blood, healthy respiration, sex
drive, bone development and
repair, aging and more. As
mentioned, because of its
nourishing qualities and to help
the Small Intestine this is
Foot shaoyin kidney channel, thought to be the best time for a
 light dinner.
five to seven p.m.
Bonus: Light walking or
stretching routine during this
time can help with circulation
which helps the Kidneys filter
more blood (and helps the
Spleen/Stomach digest if done
after your light meal!)

This organ is one of the more 7-9 AM Interestingly, Western

手厥阴心包经,
Hand Jueyin pericardium heart
protector channel
chanting, prayer
seven to nine p.m.
手少阳三焦经,
Hand shaoyang sanjiao triple
energizer channel,
nine to eleven p.m.
chakra meditation
massage
relaxation
esoteric sides of the medicine.
Its functions reflect both the
physiological and the mental-
emotional including: protector
of the Heart and mind; blood
circulation to the Heart; in
charge of our relationships to
others; and connects to the
Ming Men (Gate of Vitality).
Modern interpretations combine
the circulating and emotional
connections of the Pericardium
to mean that it is the best time
to have sex and conceive.
The San Jiao (aka Triple
Burner) does not correspond to
a single organ in Western
anatomy and physiology. Its
actions mainly include qi:
specifically the movement of
Source qi and the
entering/exiting &
ascending/descending of qi in
the organs, and the movement
of water by controlling the
water passages and the
excretion of fluids so it is often
viewed as having a largely
regulatory effect or role in the
body.
It’s suggested to go to sleep
during this time because 1.) It
studies show that you are more
likely to have a heart attack in
the morning and three times
more likely to have one at 9AM
compared to 11PM. Interesting
because this is the time the
Pericardium, which functions to
protect the Heart and provide
blood circulation, is weakest.
Conceivably you are also more
susceptible to pathogenic
factors, such as heat, and
emotional upsets affecting your
Heart and/or mind/spirit.
9-11 PM The San Jiao is the
opposite time of the Spleen,
when it is suggested you
perform your most taxing work.
We recognize the most taxing
part of a day is often work,
sitting at a desk or computer, so
it’s suggested you take breaks
during the San Jiao’s weak time
to move and stretch a bit to help
its relatively weaker ability to
do things like regulate and
distribute fluids properly.
 kicks off the regulatory and
repair functions of the body that
take place at night, and 2.) You
want to get enough sleep before
your body starts to “wake up”
(as mentioned) during the Lung
time.

Regarded as the “Curious 11PM -1 AM This is the time of

足少阳胆经, wood
Foot shaoyang gallbladder Organ” because it retains the Heart and thought to be a
channel, 11pm to 1 am characteristics of both the yin good time to eat lunch. While a
organs and yang organs. It has a few ounces of red meat can
close relationship with the help ground and build blood,
Liver and is in charge of keep an eye on the fats (overly
important functions such as fatty, oily or greasy foods). The
storing and excreting bile, Gall Bladder energy is weakest
controlling the sinews, controls so bile release may not be as
decisiveness (decisions, strong. Also, it’s probably no
courage) and has an influence coincidence if you find yourself
on the quality and length of having trouble deciding where
sleep. It’s thought that as part of to go or what to eat at this time.
its functions that it pulls blood The Gall Bladder controls
from the sinews to send to the decisiveness after all and is at
Liver for detoxification, and if its energetic weakest!
the GB is weak then this
function is not fully completed
eleven p.m. to one a.m. resulting in various aches and
pains in the morning.
Also regarded as a “pivot”
because of its function with bile
but is also reflected in its
interval which is during the
transition from one day to the
next and from yin time into
yang.

The Liver has a lot of important 1-3 AM The Liver is known as

足厥阴肝经, wood
Foot jueyin liver channel, functions chief of which are the
storing and cleansing of blood
and ensuring the smooth flow
of qi. This is an important time
to be sleeping so that your body
can repair and recover, but the
Liver, and thus your sleep, are
the General because it is
thought to be in charge of
things like assessing situations
and the conception of plans.
Thus, quick and efficient
planning can be more difficult
during this time. As well, we
 easily affected by things like
stress, anger, resentment,
frustration and drinking too
much alcohol during the day or
too late at night.
are more prone to the effects of
stress as the Liver’s function of
smoothing qi in the body is
relatively weaker.

one a.m. to three a.m.

手太阴肺经, lung channel, three to five a.m.

手阳明大肠经, large intestine channel, five to seven a.m.
足阳明胃经, spleen channel, seven to nine a.m.
足太阴脾经, stomach channel, nine to eleven a.m.
手少阴心经, heart channel, eleven a.m. to one p.m.
手太阳小肠经, small intestine channel, one to three p.m.
足太阳膀胱经, urinary bladder channel, three to five p.m.
足少阴肾经, kidney channel, five to seven p.m.
手厥阴心包经, pericardium heart protector channel, seven to nine p.m.
手少阳三焦经, sanjiao triple energizer channel, nine to eleven p.m.
足少阳胆经, gallbladder channel, eleven p.m. to one a.m.
足厥阴肝经, liver channel, one a.m. to three a.m.

Wood 足少阳胆经, gallbladder

channel, eleven p.m. to
one a.m.
足厥阴肝经, liver
channel, one a.m. to
three a.m.
fire
earth
metal
water