Some of you are familiar with an Instagram channel I began called Natural_Menopause focused solely on TCM’s support of Women through Perimenopause and Menopause. My goal is to help women become more informed of their choices and learn how their lifestyle directly impacts their health. I was hearing more and more women complain how there is SO little information on the topic.
As a society we are increasing Menopause awareness, however most of the information being disseminated is from a Western medicine point of view. While informative, it is not the full picture. My hope in sharing this information is to help women make informed decisions about their body and let go of some of the fear and anxiety surrounding this life event. My hope is they can strengthen their body from the inside and gain freedom from the sometimes debilitating symptoms that can accompany Menopause.
My teacher Grandmaster Nan Lu is an expert on the topic and has treated thousands of women, helping them successfully navigate Menopause without hormones. I encourage you all to read his book Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Woman’s Guide to a Hormone-Free Menopause. His wisdom and expertise in this area is highly valuable and I hope to share it with as many women as possible. A natural, hormone-free menopause is doable and no one should live with the crippling symptoms that women experience, including (but not limited to): hot flashes, anxiety, brain fog, joint pain, UTIs, vaginal dryness, acne, feeling generally “off” or not like themselves, digestive issues, osteoporosis or bone loss, memory loss, insomnia, sleep disturbances, heavy bleeding, irritability, anger, depression, nervousness, worry, diarrhea, bloating, weight gain, visceral abdominal fat, palpitations, heart problems, skin problems.
In Chinese Medicine, while we know these are commonly experienced symptoms they do not need to be part of your menopause journey. As Master Lu states in his book, “if a woman’s menstrual cycle has been regular and mostly without problems, she should not experience a difficult menopause, unless outside factors such as stress, poor diet, lack of rest, etc., unbalance her system.”
It’s important to know you can transform these symptoms and regain balance. Menopause does not need to be a life sentence. It does, however, require some effort and change from the woman to regain balance. Ideally her family, friends, and job will cooperate to support her as well during this time of transition.
Here are 7 tools women can use to reduce or eliminate some or all of these symptoms: lifestyle changes, shifting beliefs, a proper TCM diet, a regenerative fitness routine, Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Chinese Herbs. Your body's current level of imbalance and your own commitment will determine how quickly your body can readjust. Some symptoms may disappear immediately while others may take more time to heal. Even once the symptoms go away it’s important to continue on your new path and not go back to your old habits or the body will likely give you warning signs in the form of symptoms.
We all put our body-mind-spirit through a lot in today’s society. Can you count how many months or years you have been pushing yourself without giving your body a break? The body is always giving you messages. The symptoms you are experiencing are simply messages telling you that your body is out of balance and it is asking for help. I can teach you how to decode these messages and through incorporating some new routines in your life and adjusting your lifestyle, your body can begin to heal itself. We are all born with this innate healing ability! Have you noticed how a paper cut goes away on its own?
In this approach, we seek to strengthen from within and promote the body’s own healing ability rather than look outside ourselves for someone or something to “fix us” and then continue on with our hectic, stress-filled life. Unfortunately that is a commonly chosen path in today’s society because women think that is the only option.
Following a TCM protocol, most women I work with first notice: increased energy, better sleep, not waking at night to use the restroom, reduced hot flashes, better skin health, and more emotional balance. Over time deeper imbalances can be corrected.
If you have questions, feel free to reach out here.
© Marie Yuann 2024
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