A Guide to Using Chinese Medicine for Women’s Health- Part One-Foundation of Wholeness

Hello and welcome! I am glad you are here to join in this very important conversation and topic.

"Women’s health" is our focus for the coming weeks ahead and will aim to offer support and perspective for specific issues that affect women specifically like fertility, PMS, menstrual challenges, menopause, breast and uterine health as well as emotional balance.

**Please read the following offerings about Women's Health with a sense of connection to your own self and experience. NO ONE can truly know your body better than you can or tell you how to care for it. We are all a blend of masculine and feminine (yin and yang) and this discussion is meant to be inclusive of how you experience those qualities within yourself along a spectrum. Please honor yourself and what you need right now.

I will do my best to share an overview and some tools from an Integral and Chinese Medicine lense. There are many simple, effective solutions and tools for relief that can help you learn to honor the nature of Yin and Blood and how it is operating at this stage of your life.

And really... let's face it, everything we go through in life can affect our health.

So let's dive right in and see what we can do to support ourselves better.

As they say, theres no better time than the present!

Yin/Yang Theory: The nature of Women is Yin

The symbol of and foundational teachings of yin/yang theory offers us a great frame work here to better understand the nature of woman and how to stay in balance. (Please read the previous blog if you need a refresher).

In general, women are considered more Yin in nature (think estrogen, progesterone), nurturing, soft etc...

Yet we also have the support of, and still need the balance of yang and qi for strength, action and fortitude (think testosterone and energy).

The beautiful thing to me really from this model is that we see that both sides have both!! (yang within yin and yin within yang); and that is where things are always interconnected AND interrelated; where there is the potential for true harmony and balance within us all.

Simply put, if we have too much or too little of either yin or yang, we wont feel our best in some way.

Added elements like family stress, trauma and exhaustion definitely contribute to imbalances in our sense of self and ability to feel our best. These factors can affect general health and especially hormone and endocrine balance (yin/yang) in plenty of ways. These are complex issues and they can be difficult to manage.

And yet...

You are a whole person!

And still have a "whole" self, even if parts of the yin/yang system are feeling out of sync or manifesting in your body as symptoms right now.

When we deny parts of our experience it generally does not equal healing. we really don't "get over it" from a body view and this can impact our health. When we start to focus on our whole self, on a group of needs so to speak, we can gain access to and see more solutions than we may have seen previously.

When it comes to hormones, balance and the subject of women's health, the integral approach is most helpful. I have seen more women heal through connection- in all the ways it can happen- than any other "method". Connection with self is primary.

So lets definitely drop the idea that there is a magic cure or pill- this is simply not true! WE are all complex and deserve to respect ourselves as such, approaching our pain and confusion with a sense of curiosity and kindness whenever possible.

There is no way to truly feel better or heal from a place of separation and trying to deny how you feel.

The "issues are in our tissues" as they say..... and the way out is through. Things do not happen overnight or in isolation and definitely do not resolve overnight or without our participation. We all need tools and places of support in some form and ideally on a daily basis.

Essentially, your body has noticed... Your heart has noticed...Your cells are noticing!! And the body remembers a lot more than our intellectual minds.

How we approach ourselves and where we are starting from in our "wholing" or "healing" process can make all the difference.

Healing ourselves using the Yin/Yang theory can provide a framework to help with teaching us about the nature of RELATIONSHIP and how to come back into harmony.

Self check in:

How is your relationship with yourself right now?

Are there parts of you that are asking for your time and attention? Are you listening and caring for those parts?

Is there something that you can do today, something simple that feels supportive?

Even a supportive or kind thought or a hug to yourself can make a big difference today....you are doing a great job! or oops! what I meant to say was... or I am learning how to.... This can help free up your Qi and nourish the yin to help you start feeling better ;)

Body as a garden- A Chinese Medicine approach

Think about a garden... If the soil is deficient and there hasn't been any rain for a while, will those plants thrive?

And what if those conditions went on for longer?

What would you expect from the plant?

Would you expect it to live and produce fruit at this point?

I hope not!

Can you see how they are all connected?

It probably would be hard or nearly impossible for those plants to live, let alone thrive and grow bigger....

And yet, when it comes to your own "body as a garden"- are you missing any components?

Does it make sense that your body would thrive without enough rest, care or attention?

Does that seems realistic?

The human body is no different from a garden and our health is just like a plant- best when cared for! We all require a BALANCE of several different components such as: nutrients, sunlight, water, a safe environment etc... in order to be healthy and stay that way.

In a more "western" approach to medicine we look more at parts and pieces or a reductionistic view. This approach is great for emergencies and severe cases for sure.

But maybe less good perhaps for learning how to practice day to day maintenance of health? And less good for understanding how all the "parts" of us fit and affect each other at times.

Focusing on ourselves as parts and pieces separate from our whole experience and each other creates more of a sense of separation. If there is a disconnect between our minds and our bodies, it will make it harder to heal, especially over time.

Step one for us in women's health is to reclaim an approach to healing as one of wholeness. We must each in our own way, learn to accept that we will go through cycles in life and that this IS correct!

It doesn't have to be overwhelming. Start by exploring this idea, this understanding with Yin/Yang theory that you are already a whole-your thoughts, feelings, diet, relationships and lifestyle directly contribute to and impact your health. Then pick one area to begin supporting yourself better. Let the stronger parts of you nurture parts that may feel tired or scared and just start. The first step can be elusive but thats all it takes. And just keep doing that and listening and trying again.

Just like in the garden analogy, we want to fertilize, water AND have fresh air and sunlight- if we just water or have sunlight alone, it would not be adequate for healthy growth or healing. And we want to do this EVERY day!

In Conclusion

Women benefit from supporting the Yin Qi and need a wide variety of nourishing foods, herbs and emotional support to stay healthy.

These needs may change seasonally and because of specific conditions and are influence primarily by the health of the Yin Qi and Blood.

The qualities of Yin are unique from Yang and can benefit from a more inclusive approach to healing (ie addressing emotions and body together or a mind/body connection).

The subject of "Women's Health" includes emotions as being valid and important; practicing self compassion as a true form of therapy.

Creating healthy diet and lifestyle shifts can gradually train your hormones, emotions and immune system to respond in healthy ways.

And NOW is a great time to start... :)

We are here with you, cheering you on and supporting your journey toward remembering that you are wholeness, one step at a time.

Stay Tuned as we continue this series with more on Women's Health and the Organs in Part 2.

Please share your thoughts below- we love to hear from you!