There are four important stages of womanhood:

  1. Puberty (around 13-14 years old)
  2. Monthly periods (generally about 35 years long)
  3. Pregnancy and giving birth (even post-miscarriage and termination)
  4. Menopause (around 49 years old)

The main difference between men’s and women’s health is the cycle of blood in the body. In TCM the woman’s body is described as a ‘blood body’. The movement of Qi promotes blood circulation. Deficiency of Qi can causes depletion of blood or menorrhagia (excessive flow). So it makes sense that if our blood circulation is out of balance our health will be out of balance and we can suffer from:

  • PMT
  • Period pain
  • Mood swings
  • Depression
  • Post-natal depression
  • Low energy
  • Hot flushes
  • Bleeding problems (too little or too much)
  • Acne
  • Breast cancer
  • Help infertility

Tips:

Take care when you menstruate. Don’t be too tired, don’t drink cold drinks and don’t catch the cold temperatures. Don’t get too hot either, don’t drink too much alcohol and don’t do drugs. Avoid spicy food and don’t go to emotional extremes. Don’t have sex during your period. This will help you maintain your uterus. It also balances the hormones.

Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.

Written by Angela Zhu, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi instructor.

© Copyright Angela Zhu 2010