by Jost Sauer
I first came across the concept of a 24-hour energy cycle as a student, and I was immediately fascinated. The idea was rooted in ancient Taoist philosophy: that chi — which is simultaneously energy, information, and consciousness — flows through the cosmos from the biggest planet to the smallest molecule, connecting everything in a powerful rhythmic movement.
The ancient Taoist sages mapped this out by observing the movement of the stars, the seasons, and the natural world. They discovered that chi courses through us in a 24-hour loop, spending two hours in each of our twelve major organs. And they worked out that there are certain things we can do at certain times to catch the cosmic momentum and increase our wellbeing, energy, and sense of purpose.
I didn’t just study this. I started living it. And right away I felt physical and emotional benefits. I then spent years researching, refining, and testing it, first on myself, then with thousands of clients, to see how to apply it to contemporary life. The result is what I now call the Chi Cycle lifestyle.
The Chi Cycle lifestyle is a system for organising your day in harmony with the natural flow of energy through your body. Rather than fighting against your body’s rhythms, which is what most people do these days, you work with them.
Here’s the basic overall structure: there is a yang (active) part of the day, which runs until lunchtime, and a yin (restorative) part, which runs until midnight. The key idea is to schedule productive, active things in the yang time, and wind-down activities in the yin time.
When you break it down further into 2-hour windows it looks something like this:
5am–7am — Get up, exercise, and do a chi practice. This allows a natural detox to occur and sets the energy for your whole day.
7am–9am — Eat a nutritious breakfast. This is when your digestive energy is at its peak.
9am–1pm — Be productive and work hard. This is your peak performance window — use it.
1pm–3pm — Sit down away from work for a nutritious lunch. The yin part of the day is beginning.
3pm–5pm — Do your less stressful tasks. After this, your energy naturally starts to wind down.
5pm–7pm — Switch off from work. No more work emails or texts. This is the best time for some fun physical activity to switch you out of work mode..
7pm–9pm — Eat a nutritious evening meal. Read, play music, watch something, do something creative, or connect with your partner, family or friends.
By 10pm — Be asleep. A natural rejuvenating, antiaging detox occurs from this point but only if you’re asleep.
It sounds simple. And it is. But that simplicity is deceptive, because what’s happening behind the scenes is that your chi or energy is flowing smoothly. Everything is working as it should, you are saving energy, increasing emotional stability and enjoying life more.
Most of us are living way off track though. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone: you wake tired, stumble out of bed to a coffee, skip breakfast or grab something processed that’s easy to eat. Then you don’t have the energy to be productive during the peak window, and it flies past.
By mid-afternoon, 3:30-itis hits. You feel like you’re missing something. You reach for coffee, sugar, or a snack. The day drags toward a close but you’re not actually tired, so you stay up late, sleep poorly, struggle to get up the next morning, and the cycle repeats.
Each day you spend like this means chi can’t flow as smoothly as it should and it increases a sense of disconnection and a more negative outlook on life. After years of this you can end up thinking that life sucks — but this just means it’s time to align.
I’ve been working with the Chi Cycle lifestyle with clients for many years now, and it can initially be a hard sell. People tell me they’re “not morning people” (not true), or they can’t make changes due to social expectations (be a rebel!), or any number of other objections.
But as soon as they adjust, the results speak for themselves:
All from aligning with the Chi Cycle.
Here’s what surprised me most. Some time after I started living the Chi Cycle, I noticed something unexpected — an increased perception of things beyond the physical. As if I was getting clear messages guiding me toward my purpose. The feeling got stronger over time.
Initially I thought it was just an added benefit of the lifestyle. But then, through studying the ancient Taoist texts, I discovered that finding your purpose — your “contract with Heaven” — is actually the fundamental reason the Chi Cycle exists. It’s not just a health system. It’s a bridge from the physical to the non-physical world.
The Taoists understood that the universe is a massive chi-matrix — a web of interconnectivity — and that following the Chi Cycle is the means by which we link into it. Once we do, our destiny becomes clear and the impossible becomes possible.
So the Chi Cycle takes care of everything: from the practical (“what should I do and when?”) to the profound (“what am I here for?”). And even though it’s ancient, it’s still the most effective system I’ve come across for creating genuine health, happiness, and a sense of meaning.
We’re living through a time of unprecedented change. AI, technology, and the pace of modern life are pulling us further from our bodies and deeper into the virtual. At the same time, many people are feeling a pull in the opposite direction — toward something more grounded, more real, more connected to who they actually are.
The Chi Cycle is the answer to both. It grounds you in your body’s natural intelligence while opening the door to something far greater. It’s not another thing to add to your overwhelmed schedule — it IS the schedule, reorganised around how your body and energy actually work.
I’ve been living and teaching this for over 35 years. I’ve written six internationally published books about it. And I’m now offering Chi Cycle Certification for practitioners, coaches, and educators who want to bring this system into their own work.
The Chi Cycle is the foundation. Everything else builds from here.
— Jost Sauer
FAQs
Q: What is the Chi Cycle? A: The Chi Cycle is a 24-hour day plan developed by Jost Sauer that organises your day around the natural flow of energy (chi) through your body. Each two-hour window is linked to a specific organ, emotion, and set of actions. Aligning with it improves energy, mood, sleep, and overall wellbeing.
Q: Who created the Chi Cycle? A: Jost Sauer developed the Chi Cycle lifestyle over 35+ years of personal practice, research, and hands-on work with thousands of clients. It draws on the ancient Taoist organ clock and the concept of chi — the natural energy that flows through your body, and everything in the universe, in a daily rhythm.
Q: How is the Chi Cycle different from circadian rhythm advice? A: Circadian rhythm science focuses mainly on sleep and light exposure. The Chi Cycle goes much further — it maps energy flow through twelve organs across 24 hours and connects the timing of eating, exercise, work, rest, and even relationships to specific energy windows. It also addresses the emotional and spiritual dimensions of a daily rhythm, not just the biological.
Q: Do I need any background in Taoism or energy work to follow the Chi Cycle? A: No. The Chi Cycle is fun, practical and accessible. You don’t need to understand the philosophy behind it to benefit from it — just follow the timing and you’ll feel the difference.
Q: What results do people experience from following the Chi Cycle? A: Common results include more energy, better sleep, reduced cravings, weight loss, clearer skin, improved focus, less stress, and an overall sense of feeling lighter and more positive. Many people report noticing changes within the first few days.
Q: Which book should I read to learn the Chi Cycle? A: The Perfect Day Plan is the lightest and most accessible introduction. Clock On to Health covers nearly 200 symptoms and how to correct them through lifestyle timing. Chi Health Cycle is the fully illustrated international edition — the most visual and hands-on guide.
Q: Can practitioners and coaches get certified in the Chi Cycle? A: Yes. Jost now offers Chi Cycle Certification for practitioners, coaches, and educators who want to use the system professionally. It’s delivered personally by Jost through 8 online modules. Visit the certification page for details
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Through his books, workshops, and coaching sessions, he motivates people to live with energy, purpose, and balance.
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