Chinese Medicine Clock – Organ Horary Times

The Chinese Medicine Clock shows the times when, traditionally, the different organs are most active. It can be a pointer to an organ being ‘out of balance’.

By the way, if you live locally, we’ve got a morning three-hour introduction to this on Saturday February 22nd 2025: find out more and sign up for this here.

• The Chinese Clock (Saturday February 22nd 2025)

Each organ has a  two hour period every day when its energy is enhanced. That doesn’t mean it works better then! In fact it could produce more symptoms, not less!

And always consider the organ the Chinese medicine clock times of which are 12 hours away.

For example, the horary time for the Lungs is 0300-0500. But the Lungs have a relationship with the Bladder 1500 – 1700.

So when Lungs are ‘up’, Bladder is ‘down’. Sometimes you get a problem due at least in part to the organ 12 hours away. Ideally they should complement or support one another.

Sometimes the link between two organs gets blocked. Using their exit and entry points may clear the blockage.

Going Deeper into the Chinese medicine body clock

At the center of the clock-face is the body’s core, representing the Heart, which governs the entire system.

1. 1 am – 3 am: Liver – This time is associated with the Liver’s detoxification processes and the storage of blood.
2. 3 am – 5 am: Lungs – The Lungs are most active during these hours, influencing respiration and oxygenation of the blood.
3. 5 am – 7 am: Large Intestine – This is the optimal time for bowel movements and elimination, promoting detoxification.
4. 7 am – 9 am: Stomach – Digestion is at its peak during these hours, and it’s recommended to have a substantial breakfast.
5. 9 am – 11 am: Spleen/Pancreas – The Spleen and Pancreas govern digestion and nutrient absorption, aiding in energy production.
6. 11 am – 1 pm: Heart – The Heart’s energy is reinforced, promoting vitality and mental clarity. Lunchtime is ideal.
7. 1 pm – 3 pm: Small Intestine – This time focuses on further digestion and nutrient absorption, separating the pure from the impure.
8. 3 pm – 5 pm: Bladder – The Bladder’s energy peaks, aiding in the elimination of waste and toxins from the body.
9. 5 pm – 7 pm: Kidneys – This period supports the Kidneys’ filtration functions and hormone regulation, influencing vitality and aging.
10. 7 pm – 9 pm: Pericardium – The Pericardium governs emotional well-being and relationships, promoting relaxation and socializing.
11. 9 pm – 11 pm: Triple Burner – Also known as San Jiao or Triple Heater, this time focuses on regulating body temperature and metabolism.
12. 11 pm – 1 am: Gallbladder – The Gallbladder supports detoxification and the processing of fats, preparing the body for rest and rejuvenation.

How to Understand the Chinese Body Clock

Understanding the Chinese Medicine body clock can help individuals improve their activities, diet, and lifestyle to support the natural rhythms of the body and promote overall well-being.

For this, it helps to understand the functions of the zangfu organs in question.

A clear increase or reduction in function at a regular time of day may point your practitioner towards better diagnosis and treatment.

Element Points and their Chinese Medicine clock times

Some acupuncture traditions consider that treating an organ’s element point during the organ’s clock time makes the point more effective.

For example, your Lungs come under the Metal element or phase. So treating Lung 8, which is the Lung channel’s Metal point, would make it work more effectively if treated between 0300 and 0500. Of course, there hasn’t been a lot of research on this particular point in that regard because most acupuncturists are asleep then.

Find out more under Element Acupuncture Points.

Objections?

Well – there are a number! But research was done in Japan by Dr Yoshio Manaka on the Chinese medicine clock times and described in his book ‘Chasing the Dragon’s Tail‘. It’s a book for acupuncturists and quite advanced even for them, so don’t bother buying it unless you fancy your intellectual powers!  For example, it helps if you are good at mentally visualizing and manipulating 3D structures.

Another, and frequent, objection comes from countries where twice a year the clock times are altered to ‘save daylight’.

At these times, all the clock times alter by one hour which you would think would throw off the Chinese medicine clock times.

However, in my experience, our bodies adapt fairly quickly, but it does mean that for a few days the times become fuzzy. For more on this, at least for Britain, see time and date.com

Chinese Culture and ‘Astrological’ relationships

When you were born, (date, place and time) may reveal your ‘sensitive’ times. For example, if you are born in the late evening, a possible health complication may arise from the organ energies which are then in action: in this case your Three-Heater (Arm  Shao Yang) 2100-2300h or Gallbladder (Leg Shao Yang) 2300-0100h. Or possibly those at the opposite, 12 hours away, being Spleen (Leg Tai Yin) and Heart (Arm Shao Yin).

This is not the same as being born in the year of the ‘Rat’ or the ‘Rooster’. Here’s a link (there’s another below) to read more about Chinese astrology.

Sidereal and Tropical zodiac Astrology

Nor is it the same as insights from the Sidereal zodiac used, for instance, in Indian astrology, or the Tropical zodiac mostly used in Western astrology – see below for links. (If these distinctions mean nothing to you, well … you’re in good company! And, probably, most people are pretty sceptical of the whole thing, but Chinese astrology is still a major tradition in modern Chinese cultural life, and much the same applies, unofficially, in our cynical West!)

I have occasionally benefited from considering these issues for patients with difficult or very chronic conditions. Some people who believe in reincarnation view the ‘horoscope’ (the picture wheel of sun, moon and planet placements, like the one above) as revealing depths inherited and to be worked on in the current life: a pattern only at last able to emerge through that baby’s birth.

Sometimes these chart patterns suggest when things may happen or change unless upset by ‘force majeure’. Some patients benefit when they can see themselves as part of a bigger pattern in life, and horoscopes certainly can provide that. (This is quite different from the kind of ‘Sun-Sign’ astrology you often see in newspapers.)

There are lots of books explaining Chinese Astrology and Health but, as far as I know, only one book relating Western (Tropical Zodiac) Astrology and your health as per Chinese medicine: Western Astrology and Chinese medicine. (I wrote it.)

Other useful pages

• Acupuncture points
• Acupuncture channels
• 5 Element acupuncture theory
• Zang-fu organs – Chinese medicine’s energy physiology
• https://www.astro.com/
• https://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Chinese_Astrology
• https://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Indian_Astrology