This amazing series of stretches helps maintain your overall health, stimulating the meridian lines that allow the flow of energy to your internal organs.
Eastern schools of medicine have studied and recognised the importance of the flow of energy in our bodies and practiced T’ai Chi and Chi Gung for centuries to facilitate flexibility, balance and good health in general.
It has only been relatively recently, in the latter half of the 20th century that research on our biological body clocks was undertaken in the West. It is now known that each of our cells has its own clock and at the same time different cells communicate with each other resulting in a synchronised electrical output. These signals affect our sleep patterns, body temperature, thirst and appetite and are controlled by our biological body clock.
Various factors impact on our body clock and how well it functions: stress, too much blue light from screens, illness, certain types of medication and trauma are just some of the factors that can disrupt our body clock which can lead to feeling a bit depleted or out of balance.
When energy becomes blocked it can lead to illness or pain. By practicing this short series of stretches every day you help to reestablish the balance and flow of energy to each of your internal organs, helping them to heal and function at their optimal level.
It’s a fascinating subject, each pair of organs has a time of day that they are at their peak, have a look at the list below and note if you have issues at certain times of the day, for example waking during the night, feeling tired mid afternoon etc. By going to the organ that precedes that time you can boost the energy of the next organ!
- 3am – 7am Lungs and Large Intestine, governing Respiration and Elimination. (Exercise to support these organs, 6 Directional Breathing and Pulling the Bow)
- 7am – 11am The Stomach, Spleen and Pancreas, governing the digestive, immune and lymphatic systems (Exercises: Squeezing the Ball, Heaven and Earth adding twists from the waist to the waist, looking down to lower hand)
- 11am – 3pm The Heart and Small Intestine, governing circulation and emotions (Exercises: Circling the Sun, Circling the Moon)
- 3pm – 7pm The Bladder and Kidneys, governing the skeletal and endocrine systems (Exercises: Scooping the Water, Waist twists, rubbing the kidneys, standing Cat/Cow)
- 7pm- 11pm The Pericardium and Triple Heater governing the connective tissue and fascia (Exercises: Wild Goose Spreads it’s Wings, Tortoise, Shoulder Hug Twists)
- 11 pm – 3am The Gallbladder and Liver governing muscles, joints and tendons. (Exercises: Side bends and Charging the fists)
- All of these exercises are demonstrated by Sue in the video below.
So let’s say that you wake up at 2am regularly, that’s the time that the liver is active, repairing and cleaning the blood. It may be that you need to think about your diet, the liver doesn’t like too many fatty foods or too much alcohol and you might try adjusting your diet along with the stretches for these organs (side bends) to see if it makes a difference.
Remember your health is your wealth!
By using the Body Clock you can re-balance the body’s rhythm and flow of energy. This slower version with the magnificent Sue Woodd is all you need to get you started! Check out the website wiseones.net for lots of other interesting videos and information on staying well.
Stay well 🙏🥰
Yoga with Liz 