When is the time for Qi and blood to circulate?

Traditional Chinese medicine pays more attention to the circulation of Qi and blood in the human body, as well as the concept of Qigong. It believes that many diseases are caused by insufficient Qi and blood. The time for Qi and blood to circulate in each organ is different, and each organ has its own fixed time point. These time points must be followed to form a cycle as a whole. So, when do the qi and blood circulate in each organ? Let me introduce it to you now.

Traditional Chinese medicine divides a day into twelve hours and uses the twelve Earthly Branches to represent them, according to the theory of meridians and meridians. The Meridian Liuzhu theory is a major component of traditional Chinese medicine and is a timetable for studying the circulation of qi and blood in the human body. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that nature and humans are a unified whole, and that the cyclical changes in nature over the years, seasons, days, and times affect the corresponding cyclical changes in people's physiology and pathology, such as human pulse, spring string, summer flood, autumn hair, and winter stone.

People's medical conditions are mostly mild in the morning, severe at noon, and even more severe at night. These conditions are related to the circulation of Qi and blood in the human body, that is, at different times, Qi and blood flow to different meridians, which has a direct impact on the body's physiology and pathology, just like the biological clock effect proposed by modern science. The theory of meridians believes that the circulation of qi and blood in the human body circulates endlessly at a certain time, forming a large circulation channel, that is, the connection order of the twelve meridians is:

Among the twelve hours of the day, at which time does the human body's qi and blood flow to which meridian? Traditional Chinese medicine time medicine uses the twelve Earthly Branches as a reference to daily rhythms. Diurnal rhythm refers to the rise and fall of yin and yang in the human body during a day and night.

Zi time refers to 11:00-1:00 at night, also known as "ren time". This time is when Yang energy starts to grow and nourish all things, and human beings are the spirits of all things, so it is used as a name for human beings. The theory of the rise and fall of Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the Qi in the human body begins to originate from the hour of midnight every day. "Qi is generated after midnight and descends after noon" (Zhang Jiebin). At midnight, qi and blood flow into the gallbladder meridian. This is also the fundamental origin of the saying in "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine" that "all eleven organs depend on the gallbladder", which means that the functions of the internal organs depend on whether the gallbladder qi can be generated. People often have this experience in daily life. People usually feel sleepy at nine or ten o'clock in the evening, but they are energetic again at 11 o'clock. This is due to the growth of the gallbladder meridian. However, the power of Yang energy at midnight is still small. Therefore, in the twelve zodiac signs, "Zi" means "rat". Although the Yang energy at this time is as small as a rat, it is extremely active. Therefore, ensuring that you go to bed before 11 p.m. is to maintain this vitality through sleep. "Zi" represents November in the month, emphasizing the use of winter storage to maintain health.

Chou time refers to 1-3 am, when qi and blood flow into the liver meridian. The liver governs blood, therefore, ensuring adequate sleep at this time is to nourish the liver and gallbladder, and to nourish the blood. Compared with Qi, blood is Yin and is responsible for storage. Therefore, in the twelve zodiac signs, "丑" means "牛", which means that although the vitality is greater at this time, it cannot just rise without falling. Only with restraint and convergence can one achieve greater things. This is the beauty and depth of Chinese culture. Therefore, the character "丑" is composed of "又" (hand), and its three fingers are connected, indicating that one wants to do something but is unable to do anything due to the coldness. The traditional Chinese medicine saying “Liver is the general’s organ, from which strategies come” also expresses the same meaning. A general must not only be brave and good at fighting, but also have to think twice before taking action.

Yinshi refers to 3-5 am, when qi and blood flow into the lung meridian. In ancient China, the first month of the year begins with the year of the Tiger and the flow of the twelve meridians starts from the lung meridian, both of which represent a beginning. Whose beginning was it? It is the beginning of Yang energy and also the beginning of human beings. The Yin hour is also the time when various parts of the human body begin to move from stillness to movement. The demand for blood and qi in each part begins to increase. At this time, the lungs, as the "official of prime minister", must take on the responsibility of balancing the world (body). Once they fail to "spread" and "suppress" their duties, serious consequences will occur. For example, the increased demand for blood and qi in various parts of the body will increase the burden on the heart. This is why many heart patients die at three or four in the morning (Western medicine probably doesn't understand why they die at this time). A healthy person should be in a deep sleep state at this time, that is, completing the transformation of life from static to dynamic through deep sleep. However, weak people or the elderly may experience insomnia or wake up at this time. This is because the demand for blood in various parts of the body increases, and the amount of blood supplied to the brain decreases accordingly. In the words of traditional Chinese medicine, there is only "Xuanfa" but no "Sujiang", and life is naturally in danger.

The mnemonics for the time of qi and blood circulation in the human body are: "Lungs in Yin, stomach in Mao, spleen in Si, heart in Wu, Wei, bladder in Shen, You, kidneys in Pericardium in Wu, gallbladder in Hai, and liver in Chou".

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes following the will of heaven and moving according to the order of nature. If you go against the order, you will get sick. On the contrary, if you follow this order, you can prolong your life and stay healthy. Everyone knows that you shouldn't stay up late, because if you do, your liver, kidneys and other organs will not get enough rest, and your blood circulation will not be adequate, which will cause you to get sick over time.