 Do you have Endometriosis and you’re looking for a natural solution to manage it? Endometriosis affects millions of women worldwide, bringing with it chronic pain, fatigue and emotional challenges. While Western medicine often focuses on managing symptoms through medications or surgery, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a holistic perspective, aiming to restore balance and promote long-term wellness. If you're living with endometriosis, this ancient system of healing could provide the inspiration and tools you need to care for yourself in a deeply nourishing way. The Chinese Medicine View of Endometriosis In TCM, endometriosis is often associated with stagnation of Qi (energy) and blood. When the flow of energy and blood stagnates, it can lead to pain, inflammation and the formation of masses or lesions, as seen in endometriosis. This stagnation may come from various imbalances, such as:
Holistic Self-Care Tips Here are some practical, everyday steps you can take to support your health and manage endometriosis:- 1. Nourish Your Body with Warm, Healing Foods Cold foods and beverages can exacerbate stagnation, so focus on warm, easily digestible meals like soups, stews, and cooked vegetables. Incorporate these foods into your diet:
Blood Sugar Levels, Hormones and Insulin Resistance If you have high blood sugar levels, this can cause an inflammatory response in the body. We know that endometriosis is an inflammatory disease which is driven by inflammatory chemicals such as PGE22, and so having chronically elevated blood sugar levels may potentially provide further fuel for endo growth. This is such a big subject to talk about here so to learn more about metabolic health and how high blood sugar can affect your symptoms, click on the link below.. endometriosisnews.com/2018/07/05/endometriosis-imbalance-blood-sugar/ 2. Move Gently but Consistently Physical activity helps keep energy and blood flowing smoothly. Practices like yoga, tai chi qigong are especially beneficial as they combine gentle movement with breathwork to release tension and promote circulation. Even a daily walk can make a difference in reducing pain and stiffness. 3. Support Emotional Balance Stress is a major contributor to liver Qi stagnation, which can intensify endometriosis symptoms. Mind-body practices such as meditation, journaling or receiving shiatsu can help calm the mind and restore emotional harmony. Consider taking five minutes each day to practice deep belly breathing: inhale for a count of four, hold for four, and exhale for six. This simple exercise can help regulate your nervous system and ease tension. 4. Prioritise Rest and Sleep The body repairs itself during rest, making quality sleep an important part of healing. Create a calming evening routine, make sure it's cosy and restful, dim the lights, avoid screens and sip on a soothing herbal tea like chamomile or lavender. The Role of Shiatsu Shiatsu can help with managing endometriosis by targeting specific meridian points, it can:
Finding Balance in a Modern World Healing from endometriosis is not just about treating the physical body, it’s about embracing a lifestyle that supports your overall well-being. By incorporating these principles into your daily routine, you can create a foundation of balance, resilience and self-care. Remember, every small step you take - whether it’s sipping a warm tea, taking a mindful walk, or scheduling your shiatsu session, brings you closer to feeling whole and empowered in your journey. Your health is your greatest treasure. Treat it with love, care and patience. Have Questions? Let’s Connect If you’re curious about how Chinese medicine could support you, contact Sarah or drop your questions in the comments below. Together, we can explore a path to healing that honours your unique journey. Sarah is passionate about helping women regain control over their lives and experience reduced pain and discomfort. If you are struggling or in pain, book your Shiatsu session with Sarah today. "Running water is never stagnant and a door hinge never gets worm eaten. This is what motion is all about... If the body does not move then the Jing will not flow. And if the Jing does not flow the Qi stagnates." Lu Shi
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 Understanding Chinese Medicine: Spring is the time of year that our Liver energy begins to rise up and expand outwards. We start to feel more active, motivated and energetic and might even feel the need to give the house a spring clean! But, for those with imbalances in our Liver energy, this can be the time of year where Liver symptoms rise up! If Liver energy rises or we have too much energy in our heads then Migraine headaches, Vertigo, Dizziness, Nausea, Mood swings and PMS symptoms can all get worse. You may also notice yourself feeling a little more short tempered than usual or having sudden bursts of anger.
When Liver Qi gets “stuck” or blocked, we can feel stuck or blocked in many ways. This can manifest as emotional “stuckness”, inability to move forward, frustration and irritability. Other symptoms can manifest such as Joint Pain or Arthritis, Depression, Eye problems, tight muscles for example. Shiatsu moves the energy: If any of this sounds familiar, receiving a Shiatsu treatment has a profound effect on calming the nervous system, releasing stagnation and stuck emotions and reducing stress. By giving Shiatsu around the head, neck and feet moves the Liver Qi down away from the head with gentle stretches of the body to release any stagnation. In the meantime, these are some recommendations you can do yourself to help balance your Liver Qi. Express your creativity: Start activities like singing, painting, dancing, sport, gardening, writing, cooking, learning to play an instrument, any group activity or interest you have a passion for that makes you smile. All these help keep your Liver energy flowing as they are a form of self-expression and enjoyment. I've started learning to play the piano which I'm really enjoying. Move your body: Liver energy likes movement, if you have symptoms of Liver Qi stagnation this causes stiffness in the muscles and joints and problems with flexibility. Stretching exercises like yoga or practising a gentle form of moving meditation like Tai Chi or Qigong helps bring your focus back to your body and releases tension. Going out for regular walks or outdoor pursuits is one of the best ways to help your Liver. Rest and Sleep: Resting properly at night allows our Liver to do its job better - to keep our energy and blood flowing smoothly throughout the body. Diet recommendations: Eating dark green vegetables (kale, broccoli, spinach etc) are full of vitamins and minerals and nourish the Blood. It’s a good time to eat foods that are cooked more lightly and for less time. Reduce intake of coffee and hot, spicy foods as these can affect the Liver by stagnating Qi. Reduce intake of fatty or greasy foods if you find these hard to digest. What's your vision: Wood energy (Liver and Gallbladder) is about your vision, creativity, decision making and planning in life. First it is felt in the heart as your passion of what you want to create and once the choice has been made, Liver energy gives us the energy to carry it through. In other words we are setting in motion our creative self expression of what we want to manifest in our lives. Tip: Ask yourself what areas in your life you feel stuck and unhappy about and want to change, this is a great way to start to help you take your power back, move forward and feel happier. Manage stress: We are emotional beings and anger is felt in the Liver. Sometimes we feel unable to express ourselves fully which causes longstanding feelings of repressed anger, such as resentment, frustration and irritability. We do this either because we were taught at a young age that expressing yourself is bad or selfish and we should keep quiet or others know what’s best for us and make the decisions for us for example, all this is very disempowering but know you can change this, you have the power within you to make the changes. Shiatsu helps support you to make these changes. The opposite of repressing emotions is to have outbursts of anger, rage and shouting aimed at others, that's why people who are really angry go red in the face. It's another way of expressing underlying or unresolved frustration and sadness. Tip: Talking to a friend, journaling, and meditating are all ways to manage daily stresses so that they don’t build up and create bigger problems. Other factors affecting Liver: If our emotions haven’t been expressed or addressed, a common coping mechanism could be excessive alcohol consumption or taking recreational drugs as a way for some people to feel relief from emotional symptoms. It’s used as a way of numbing out our unhappiness of how we feel inside. The relief, however, is temporary. Instead of strengthening the body’s weaknesses so that the body learns to rebalance the energy on its own, these extreme substances cause further damage and leave the body feeling dependent on more of them to get the same feeling of relief. And remember, any extreme substance will set up further imbalance in the body, often covering up the original problem and leading eventually to more complicated physical and emotional health issues. If you relate to or have any of the symptoms listed above or a feeling stuck and struggling to find a way forward in life, book a Shiatsu treatment and get your Liver energy moving and restore your love for life.  Spring is a time for birth, new growth, regeneration and cleansing as in nature. In the Chinese Five Elements Spring is the season of the Wood element and the Liver organ system and Gall Bladder. When our Liver and Gall Bladder energy is flowing well within us we are able to make plans, organise, create, express and communicate our needs and be flexible to change in our lives. This movement is much like the branches of a tree - hence the association with Wood.
However, an imbalance in Wood energy can lead to outbursts of anger and feelings of frustration with ourselves or others that we think are holding us back which can lead to depression. A tendency to over-working, excessive responses or suppression of emotions and addictions are usually caused by a stagnation of Liver Ki. Other symptoms may include:-
Help to move your liver energy Movement and creativity is to be encouraged, finding an exercise that you enjoy like a yoga or dance class or join a sports team like football or badminton is a good outlet for letting go of stress or frustration. If you suffer with joint pain then Tai Chi Qigong is recommended as the movements are gentle and slow. Painting or any creative outlet will help express your individuality which is both relaxing and enjoyable to do. What to eat Eating fresh, new green vegetables will help support your body’s natural ability to cleanse and rebalance. Cut down on fatty foods, alcohol and coffee. Shiatsu can help relieve symptoms In a Shiatsu treatment, I can help you let go of the issues that are causing you to feel stuck which could be related to life choices and decisions, and my aim is to bring back balance and flow of your energy by relaxing and letting go of any emotional frustrations or pain in the body. If you would like to book a Shiatsu session to help balance your Liver and Gall Bladder meridians and put a healthier spring in your step, then contact me today. |
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