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The Perfect Day: Meridian Clock Living

5/11/2018

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In life we will find ourselves drawn and pulled towards certain people, places, events and lifestyles. 
 
One such lifestyle and tradition I have been heavily drawn to is Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). At a time when I was in transition, moving away from my young partying ways to a cleaner and healthier way of life and just beginning my journey with yoga, I came across these two books which really resonated for me…
 
Higher and Higher& The Perfect Day Planby Jost Sauer.
 
Acupuncture and TCM are based on the Meridian Theory. Meridians are the energetic pathways throughout the body, similarly to the physical nervous system, that carry the life force or Chi energy to different organs. In yoga, we would refer to it as Prana moving along the nadis. 
 
These two books introduced me to the Meridian Clock where every 2 hours the Chi moves to a different organ of the body and if we are to do particular activities during these times we can support the health of the organ and the flow of Chi around the body.

Recently when I began to suffer from a bout of insomnia and kept waking at around 3am - 430am regularly, I knew something was out of balance and if I could get back in time with the Meridian clock as much as possible that I could restore my good night's sleep patterns which happened within a few days of adjusting my routine.

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So to give you a little taste of what a day living in tune with the Meridian clock might look like, here are the times and organs, as well as a few suggestions (and quotes) of what to focus on during those two hours as taken from The Perfect Day Plan book by Jost Sauer, which you can refer to if you are intrigued to know more.
 
3am – 5am: Lungs. The Meridian clock is said to begin here as this is the first organ we use when we take our first breath of life. At this time it is said the soul is returning from the dream state where we may have been during sleep. It is a yin time, and insomnia at this time could suggest we are yin deficient. If not yin deficient, we can utilise this time to connect with the soul, interpret our dreams, meditate or practice yoga. But for most, this time is probably best used for sleep.
 
5am – 7am: Large Intestine. This is the time when “we can cut out what we no longer want, vanquish our inner demons and win the battles that will help change our lives.”  A perfect time to sit on the loo for a regular bowel movement and letting go of the old ;) After which we can then replace the old with the new, through meditation, yoga, qigong and/or weight-bearing exercise.
 
7am – 9am: Stomach. The perfect time to sit for 10 minutes and eat something nourishing and warming. “Our taste for life comes from our stomach, so by eating the right breakfast with the right attitude we will naturally want to sample everything life has to offer.”
 
9am – 11am: Spleen. At this time, the spleen gives you full support for action and it is the best time to concentrate and memorise information. Hence, its the perfect time to put your head down and plough into your work and studies.
 
11am - 1pm: Heart. The best time to express yourself is when the chi is in your heart, a time all about purpose and joy as we have access to the soul. Spend some time doing what you love or thinking about what you want, journaling, setting spiritual goals, speaking with people about whats closest to your heart or who you are. If at work, work smarter not harder as the energy moves from yang in spleen time to yin in heart time. 
 
1pm – 3pm: Small Intestine. Slow down a little. Have lunch and a siesta if you can. Make lunch something warm and celebratory to nourish your blood, Chi and organs. “Our small intestine is paired with our heart, and it too plays a role in ‘editing’ how we present to the world. Physically, it is responsible for separating the pure and impure and sending the latter to the large intestine for excretion… The small intestine gives us mental clarity and wisdom.”
 
3pm – 5pm: Bladder. 330itis could be a sign we are not in the flow of our Chi. At this time we want to “put cruise control on, go with the flow and feel the power.” Do work that is enjoyable and not hard, such as the easier tasks of the day in a non-urgent manner.
 
5pm – 7pm: Kidney. Time to switch off, if we can or “keep reminding yourself that this is kidney time, a time when everything is fine, everything is good, everything is perfect. Time spent well here can ensure a good night’s sleep. A great time to acknowledge our skills and strength, share a laugh and have a massage or sex ;) …. All allow us to make the switch from yang to yin. “By 7pm you need to have consciously handed over the quarrels and stresses of the day to the motherly embrace of your kidneys. Otherwise you will be taking the stresses to bed.” Exercise is not a recommended way to switch off in the way your kidneys need. 
 
7pm – 9pm: Pericardium. This is the membrane around the heart. It is said to be the line of defence that protect the heart. This focus on protection and safety makes it the perfect time to feel at home, get creative (read a book, listen to music etc), be yourself and have a light dinner. Getting changed is a great way to be yourself after a day at work. 
 
9pm – 11pm: Triple Burner or San Jiao. This is a mysterious organ, with much debate as to whether it is an organ or a function? Either way it is important to the chi cycle. This is the time for sleep, or at least preparing for it and allowing yourself to drift away. 
 
11pm – 1am: Gall Bladder. “Being asleep between 11pm and 3am, the four hours of the wood element, is crucial for health and happiness…. If we are asleep during gall bladder time we can actually access the universe’s problem-solving service.” Lack of sleep at this time is a sure sign of being out of alignment with the chi cycle and an important sign that building yin is necessary. 
 
1am – 3am: Liver. Restoration time. The time of most yin when we too should be yin and sleeping. “While we sleep our blood returns to the liver to be cleansed and revitalised.”
 
“The more things we do right by one organ, the better our whole system works.”
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Spring Detox: 21 days to a healthier you

9/20/2016

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If you have been around these parts for a while, you would know I don't shy away from a good challenge, in fact I love them. My friend recently described me as a goal oriented person, and that would be spot on.
To be honest I struggle to get things done if there isn't an end goal or bigger picture attached to it.

Goals and challenges help me stay on track.
I love the accountability they give me and the sense of achievement at the end.

They say a good goal is a SMART one - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time-bound
(these words may differ depending on the resource you choose to read).

A good challenge fits into these criteria perfectly.

The TLS 21 day Challenge is one of these, a good one!

It sets the specific task to help one reduce weight, find their fit or tone up, whatever their desire may be.
It is measurable, via weight loss, photos and body composition measurements.
It is achievable as it's guidelines are based on medicine and science based research and understanding.
It is relevant as it pertains to anyone's goal of living and maintaining a healthy and vibrant life.
It is time-bound as it is set to be completed within 21days.

Funnily enough though, this was one challenge which was a different story for me.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that I didn't want to do it.

The difference for me with this challenge was I had a lot of resistance to starting.

The Issue...

...my mates wanted to start it in the middle of Winter! What tha???
​
It's not like I have weight to shift, or that I am eating unhealthily.
However, I knew some of my eating habits could use a shake up, especially as I am a self-confessed emotional eater and have a familyhistory of diabetes. I also wanted to cleanse my system, wake up my metabolism and besides yoga I knew I needed to move more. ... so the TLS challenge and program would be perfect to do just that.

I don't know about you, but for me Winter is carb season.
Hence, saying goodbye to carbs for 21 days felt like it would be a massive challenge. 

But, as is often the case...
WHAT WE RESIST THE MOST WE NEED THE MOST.

And as they say...
IF IT DOESN'T CHALLENGE YOU, IT DOESN'T CHANGE YOU!

So I gave in to the "peer pressure" as I knew it would be easier to do with group support than without it.

And I did it!
Not once, but twice even.

Yes, I loved it that much

In fact, I can't recommend it more highly enough!

Why I'm loving TLS so much ... 

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TLS stands for Transition Lifestyle System. 
Hence, like yoga it is a way of life, a lifestyle and not just some "diet".
It teaches you how to eat in a way that is sustainable long after the 21days are over.  


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21 days is not really that long, it's only 3 weeks if you think about it and, depending on what resources you read, its apparently the number of days/times it takes to create a new habit. It definitely provided a great starting point to get things moving in the right direction in terms of creating healthier habits in my day to day life.

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It was never about eating less, but more so about eating right.
With one of the four focuses of TLS being on low glycemic impact eating, though I missed my carbs at times, I found I was eating way more vegetables which I loved and had more energy as a result. 

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The fact that the program focuses on 4 components:
1) Low Glycemic Impact whole food eating
2) Improving body composition
3) Science based supplementation
4) Education
...created a very well planned system. A system that included a gentle cleanse for the body (and life) and the right nutrients to support your body on the journey through appropriate supplements and education.

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The guidelines were simple and easy to follow, you knew exactly what you were meant to be eating and when. It really does show you how to create better eating habits you can easily continue after the 21days is up.

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Something I didn't have at first but bought later and found really useful was the TLS Journal.
Knowing the reason why you need to eat or not eat certain foods or take particular supplements and when empowers you to keep making the right choices long term.

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Its for everybody, whether you're wanting to lose some weight, or like me wishing to create better eating habits, or for some it's to tone up and tighten, or cleanse or find more energy, this program helps to reset your metabolism and gets you moving in the right direction. I've seen the body shape of those who completed it with me change and though it wasn't my goal, I too lost a kilo or two. But what I loved most was the extra energy it gave me.

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There are 5 eating plan options to choose from to keep you on the right track after the 21days or to customise a longer plan for yourself. Whether you want to keep losing weight - quickly or steadily, or maintaining your healthy weight, and depending on where you are at or your commitment level. Just perfect for the non-committed and for the time poor. Plus the journal allows you to keep track of your daily progress for up to 12 weeks, even more time to cement those healthy new habits, which is exactly what I am doing with the Continued commitment program.

COULD YOU USE A SPRING CLEANSE OR DETOX?

If so, why not take the assessment, to see what plan will help you reach your Spring/Summer health goals, a great way to lead into the festive season and end 2016 on a high.

If you would like to take the challenge or discuss the plans,  email me if you have any questions or to order your TLS 21 day kit directly from me to receive free unlimited email support and coaching for the duration of your 21days challenge. Plus go in the draw to win one of two prizes, a bottle of Aloe Vera Juice (valued at $35) or the TLS Health Guide and Journal (valued at $24.25)

Wishing you boundless health and vitality,
Tx

PS: to be kept in the loop as I share more of my health and wellness tools and tips, sign up for free updates here.
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    Welcome!

    I'm Natasha Tay, a yoga teacher, life coach, reiki practitioner + circle facilitator. 
     
    I am also someone who has very often struggled silently with mental health issues and depression.
     

    But with all that's going on in the world I'm feeling the call to use this space to share my experience as well as the inspiration, practices and tools that are helping me cope in this great time of uncertainty.

    I hope that it may resonate with even one of you and help you in some way. 

    Please reach out if you feel called to and stay safe and well gorgeous souls x

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