Have you ever woken up in the morning to feel like you’ve somehow aged overnight?! It’s the most common comment I get – “one day I woke up and suddenly I had more aches and pains, and then I looked in the mirror to find several new wrinkles.” What happened?
You likely just went through an aging cycle! In the Nei Jing, a book written several thousand years ago about the concepts of Chinese medicine, it explains that every 7 years a female goes through a transition (8 years for men), give or take.
In our youth, Yin and Yang gradually build up and we become stronger and stronger, and eventually becoming our strongest and most fertile in our 20s. Around age 35 Yang gradually begins to decline, showing the first signs of aging – a declining digestion and beginnings of wrinkles and loss of firmness. At age 42 Yin starts it’s decline showing symptoms of anxiety, dryness, and insomnia.
Sometime between 48 and 56 the Yin will take a huge hit when menopause begins. This major decline of Yin brings hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, and dryness. For some, these symptoms are short lived, but others still deal with them for years and even decades!
The key to longevity and feeling great at every stage is maintaining a healthy balance of Yin and Yang. Be kind to your Yang in your 30s by eating well and exercising. And in your 40s and 50s be sure to get plenty of rest, hydration, and reduce stress! Specifically for nourishing our Yin it’s important to reduce coffee and sugar. If you can’t live without the caffeine then try switching to green tea, it has a cooling effect on the body so it won’t increase hot flashes as much as coffee does.
Acupuncture and herbs work wonders for reducing the symptoms of aging; especially hot flashes, insomnia, and anxiety!
For more information on balancing your Yin and Yang Contact Us today and schedule your first acupuncture appointment!
[…] you’ve read my article on Aging Cycles then you know a little about how I view and treat menopause. The symptoms of menopause come from […]