A Chinese Medicine Perspective

This ancient medicine’s earliest text from the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor describes the stages of life for men and women. In each phase the energetic vital life force shifts, renews and changes. These are divided into 8 for men and 7 for women. For women the aging process is complete at 49, (7x7) men age more slowly completing their aging process at 64 (8x8). It may occur to you or become clearer that we are most definately living in a society built for men.

The text below shares the energetic view point of the menopausal transition.

“At 49 the conceptions vessel is depleted, the great penetrating vessel wanes and fertility is exhausted, menstruation ceases, the body becomes old and she can no longer have children”

The end of menstruation is a part of aging, a sign rather than a problem itself, one that is physically challenging and emotionally difficult. In a world that values women for their fertility and youthful looks, we need to find ways to grieve, surrender and accept the ending of both our ability to procreate and stay youthful for relevance. Your menopause transition will be a time of slowing down and heaps of utter kindness to your self as you navigate the aging process during this transition.

The Three Golden Opportunities

In Chinese Medicine there are viewpoints that wholly support a women’s hormonal experience. When I studied back in 2013 it was pointed out how the uterus is just as important as the brain, it along with marrow, bile and bones is known as one of the six Extraordinary Yang Organ. I was 33 when I first heard this, never before had I understood such reverence for the female anatomy before.

There are three life transitions that are linked to the menstrual renewal and release cycle, known as there Three Golden Opportunities, Menstruation, Postpartum and Menopause. We generally have a view in the modern world to carry on regardless and ignore or suppress these incredible phases of life. We suffer with debilitating symptoms at times and muddle on through with medication or hormones. Another reminder that a women’s experience does not meet the world she lives in.

What’s refreshing is how Chinese medicine places all phases of a woman’s menstrual life of great importance. Each stage is a golden opportunities to balance her whole heath in mind body and spirit..

Each month we have a small taste of entering the seasonal phase during a menstrual cycle, starting with Winter from day 1 - 7 then on to Spring from day 7 - 14, Summer from day 14 - 21 and finally Autumn day 21 - 28. This sets the scene for the Life Seasons we experience from our first period in Spring to Autumn of Perimenopause and the Winter of menopause and what Chinese Medicine calls the Second Spring from post menopause.

Entering Winter

Like many women, ignoring ourselves and our menstrual health is exceedingly common, putting the needs of others before ourselves leaves us frazzled, overworked and overstimulated. This extreme behaviour tends to be idolised in our modern society.

The lack of quiet restoration during the first week of a monthly cycle or the deep rest needed during the first month of postpartum can eventually lead to an overwhelm of symptoms during the perimenopause and the menopause itself.

This transition asks us to enter into winter, grieve the loss of the fertile abundance, accept our aging and slow down to receive restorative rest, to make good of our golden opportunity.

Second Spring

Spring always arrives after Winter, the power of release and restore during this transitions allows for the tendrils of new life and hope to emerge. The second chapter is one of liberation, often this is the first time for a women to let go of the responsibilities to others and allow for capturing her inner essence and mild eccentricity and the opportunity to move from procreation to creation.

Each woman has the opportunity to tap into the well of potent potential awakening latent creativity and getting in touch with a sense of spirituality, each adding depth to her vitality and health.