A Chinese Medicine Perspective

This ancient medicine’s earliest text from the Yellow Emperors Inner Cannon (475-221BC), 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 had I before heard such reverence for the female anatomy from any healthcare professional.

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 phases 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 Inner Life Seasons we experience every month from our first period in Life Spring all the way through to Life Winter of menopause. Finally after the surrender of Winter we enter the Second Spring.

Perimenopause : Life Autumn

We might begin to notice small shifts at first, changes to diet, energy, menstrual cycle. These might seem insidious, inconsistent perhaps, we might not even recognise the slow drip of our vital life force waning. There maybe a desire to withdraw, a sense of feeling lost or a sense of sorrow or constant irritation, these may arrive more frequently along with low energy, brain fog or a depression.

Perhaps you abruptly cut something out of your life altogether, a desperate need for immense change in relationships, career or life. This is also a time, I notice with many clients whose unresolved emotional challenges which have been swept under the carpet arrive with intensity. During perimenopause these wounds and traumas tend to come to forefront, asking for attention and resolution and for them to finally be released as they no longer serve you. As in Autumn, this is a time of culling and preparation for an ending to what you once knew so we are able to Surrender into the Life Winter of Menopause

However Life Autumn might be showing up for you, its a time of reflection, rest and grief as well as a new way to start honouring and valuing you, your body and life so we can surrender in Winter.

Menopause : Life 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.

During Life Winter - we are cocooning, ready for deep rest, maybe symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats or insomnia is present and moods are fluctuate a deeper connection to creativity or spirituality maybe really present in this liminal space. This is the time of slowing down, restorative rest, sleep where you can get it and a huge amount of tender kindness to give to yourself as you navigate the tensions of menopause in the modern world. We must go inward and become still, just like Winter in the natural world, for hibernation is essential for this transformation. All seeds of life need darkness before they can spring forth. The dark stillness is where all the potential sits, all life is possible from this phase, their is much richness from this space, so we are able to move with intention to our new life from fertility to creative and spiritual abundance as we emerge into the light of our Second Spring.

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 capture her inner essence and mild eccentricity in her emotional, creative or spiritual being. We move from procreation to creation, with more freedom and care for our bodies.

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.