I understand how debilitating period pain can be, having struggled myself with cramps and breast tenderness for much of my cycle. When my symptoms first began, my grandmother’s advice was to take a small shot of brandy to “warm the stomach.” While it offered a little temporary relief, it was never a long-term solution.
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Cramps, mood swings, breast tenderness, and energy dips may be more than just an inconvenience — they can be your body’s way of signalling that something is out of balance. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), period pain is not viewed as something to simply endure or ignore, but as an important message from the body that deserves attention and care.

UNDERSTANDING QI AND BLOOD IN TCM
Qi - The invisible force
Think of Qi as your body’s electric current. It powers everything – digestion, movement, even thoughts. If Qi stops flowing? Pain shows up.
Blood - The physical foundation
Blood nourishes and cools the body. If it’s weak or stagnant, things don’t move right. You feel tired, cold, dizzy – and yes, cramps may appear.
Pain = Blockage – Why movement matters
In TCM, pain equals blockage. If Qi or Blood can’t move, you hurt. If you want relief, you need to get things flowing again.

COMMON TCM PATTERNS BEHIND MENSTRUAL PAIN
Liver Qi Stagnation – The PMS culprit
Symptoms: bloating, mood swings, breast tenderness, irritability
This is by far the most common cause of menstrual discomfort. Stress is often the trigger.
Blood Stagnation – The sharp pain
You’ll know it by: stabbing pain, clots in menstrual blood, dark color
This pattern often develops after long-term Qi stagnation.
Qi and Blood deficiency – The tired period
Light flow, fatigue, dizziness, pale skin? That’s your body telling you it’s running on empty.
Cold in the Uterus – The Hidden Chill
Cramping that gets better with warmth, cold feet, and pale menstrual blood point to Cold in the Uterus – especially common in people who drink too many iced drinks!

WHY TCM VIEWS MENSTRUATION AS A HEALTH BAROMETER
In TCM, your period is more than just a monthly event — it’s a reflection of your whole-body balance.

• A regular, pain-free cycle = healthy Qi and Blood
• Clots, mood swings, and exhaustion = imbalance
  That’s why treatment in TCM is always holistic. Fix the root, not just the symptom.

SHIATSU AND ENERGY HEALING REBALANCES YOUR ENERGY
It’s about finding the flow in your body and restoring balance where it’s stuck. By targeting key meridians, shiatsu can reduce inflammation, ease tension, and help your body feel more in sync. 

Two points you absolutely need to know:

1. Tai Chong (LV3) – located on the top of your foot, between your big toe and second toe. This is a powerhouse point for easing tension, calming the mind, and supporting liver health. It’s amazing for stress, PMS, or any kind of stagnation in your body. Just a little stimulation here can help energy flow smoothly and reduce pain.
2. Sanyinjiao (SP6) – found on the inside of your leg, about four finger-widths above the inner ankle. This point is magical because it connects three important meridians: spleen, liver, and kidney. It’s a go-to for menstrual support, digestion, and even better sleep. 

DIET TIPS – EAT TO HEAL
Yes, food is medicine.

• Eat warm, cooked foods (especially during your period)
• Avoid icy drinks and raw salads
• Nourish Blood with dark leafy greens, beets, black sesame, dates, and bone broth

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MOVE YOUR QI – THE POWER OF MOVEMENT AND EMOTION
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Liver plays an important role in keeping Qi — the body’s vital energy — flowing smoothly. When this flow becomes restricted, it is known as Liver Qi Stagnation.

Emotions and physical health are closely connected in TCM. Stress, frustration, resentment, anxiety or long periods of emotional tension are believed to disrupt the natural movement of Liver Qi. When Qi becomes stagnant, it may contribute to symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, breast tenderness, digestive discomfort, headaches, and painful or irregular periods.

Rather than seeing emotions as separate from physical symptoms, TCM views them as part of the same picture. Supporting the smooth flow of Liver Qi may help restore a greater sense of emotional and physical balance.

Exercise like light walking, Tai Chi, or Qigong keeps your energy from getting stuck — physically and emotionally.

BONUS TCM FACTS ABOUT PERIOD PAIN

• Your period is a mirror of your health — the first thing TCM looks at for women
• Skip the ice cream during your cycle – Cold congeals Blood
• PMS = Liver Qi stuck – get your Qi flowing, self expression through creative arts helps
• Shiatsu is a wonderful stress reliever – it triggers your body’s own endorphins
• TCM treats the cause, not just the symptom – this is root-level healing
• Warmth heals – inside and out, physically and emotionally

CONCLUSION – WHAT IF PAIN ISN’T NORMAL AFTER ALL?
We’ve normalised menstrual pain so deeply that most women think suffering is just part of the package. But what if that’s not true? What if your body is speaking a language — and TCM is one of the few systems that still understands what your body is yearning for.

With the right diagnosis, lifestyle shifts and mindset, painful periods don’t have to be your story anymore. Your cycle is a natural rhythm — not a monthly punishment. It’s time to start listening to your body and giving it what it truly needs.

YOUR TREATMENT PROCESS FAQs
How long does it take to see results?
Some women feel relief in the first cycle, while others may need 2–3 months. TCM is not a quick fix — it’s deep, lasting healing.

What if I've tried everything and nothing helps?
It may be time to try a new approach. TCM views your body holistically — you may need to address digestion, stress, or emotional health alongside menstrual support.

If you would like to try Shiatsu and Energy Healing to help resolve your period pain and help release any unresolved emotional issues, I would love to hear from you. Please book your treatment or arrange a discovery call. 

In Chinese medicine, menopause is a natural life transition. It's caused by the gradual decline of Kidney Yin, the body's deep cooling, nourishing energy. Symptoms appear because Yin can no longer balance Yang.

The Kidney is seen as a system, not just the physical organ. It's considered the root of life, storing Jing (essence) the fundamental substance that governs growth, reproduction, and aging.

Understanding the role of the Kidneys

• Stores Jing (essence) - fuels growth, reproduction and vitality
• Governs bones, marrow and teeth
• Controls water metabolism, hydration, lubrication
• Supports reproductive hormones
• Balances Yin and Yang energies

Kidney Yin - Oestrogen

• Kidney Yin in Chinese Medicine represents cooling, nourishing, moistening and restorative energy.
• Oestrogen in western medicine, support reproductive function, bone density, skin and vaginal moisture, and cardiovascular health.

When Kidney Yin declines, oestrogen levels naturally drop - menopause symptoms appear.

Signs your Yin is low:

• Hot flashes and night sweats.
• Vaginal dryness and skin dryness.
• Insomnia and irritability.
• Joint aches, weak bones
• Mood swings and palpitations

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Our Emotions deplete our Kidney Yin
Emotional stress is one of the most significant causes of Kidney Yin Deficiency as a cause of menopausal syndrome, especially when the stress lasts for years before the start of the menopause. The Kidneys' functions can be greatly influenced by worry, anxiety and fear. The situation gets worse if you are working excessively without proper and sufficient rest. Also giving birth to children too close to each other also depletes Kidney Yin.

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:

• Cold invading the uterus: Often linked to lifestyle factors like exposure to cold or poor circulation.
• Liver Qi stagnation: Stress or emotional strain can disrupt the liver’s role in regulating Qi flow.
• Spleen Qi deficiency: Weak digestion may lead to dampness, which contributes to stagnation.

Rather than treating just the symptoms, Shiatsu and TCM aims to uncover and address the root cause of these imbalances, supporting your body’s natural healing abilities.

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:

• Ginger and cinnamon: Promote warmth and circulation.
• Dark leafy greens: Help build blood and support liver health.
• Turmeric: A natural anti-inflammatory to reduce pain.
• Goji berries and red dates: Tonify the blood and boost energy.

Avoid excessive raw, cold or processed foods and sugar as these may worsen Qi and blood stagnation. Avoid alcohol as this is causes dampness in the body.

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:

• Relieve pain by reducing inflammation and releasing endorphins.
• Improve circulation and reduce stagnation.
• Balance hormones to support reproductive health.

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.

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:-

• Stiff or tight muscles and tendons
• Joint pain (arthritis) due to stagnant Ki and inflexibility
• Migraines and headaches (due to energy rising up towards the head)
• Vertigo and tinnitus
• Menstrual problems: PMT, swollen breasts, flooding or no blood
• Eye disorders
• Intolerance to fatty foods

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.