Learn what to do (and what NOT to do) during period week to foster female health and wellbeing.
Have you ever dropped your cell phone in the water? Yikes! As soon as you pull it out of the water, what should you do? Check if it’s working? No way. Turn it OFF. This protects the circuitry. Water only damages your cell phone when electricity is running through it.
Like a cell phone dropped in water, period problems come from not protecting your circuitry when the fluid moves through it. We are talking about the circuitry of your body and mind.
The Chinese knew that even the strongest and most highly functioning women have delicate circuitry that is vulnerable when not cared for properly! They devised six practices I will share with you here, for proper care during the week of your period. These six practices will go along way to help keep your body and mind running smoothly. The Chinese knew the balance of a woman’s wellbeing—and her future health—depends on it!
Your body is electric!
Your body conducts electricity. But too much of a good thing is not a good thing! That’s why you have been taught since childhood not to play with electricity. High voltage will go right through you, because your body conducts it. We can measure the low levels of electricity running through your body easily. We use an EKG (ECG) for the heart, an EEG for the brain, and a lie detector machine for the mindbody connection.
This electricity flows through channels
In Chinese medicine, they map out how the electricity moves through the body. It is mainly through circuitry they call channels (or meridians).
There are 5 main channels that control your period, along with blood, like a control panel. In Chinese medicine, these controls are known as the Blood, and the Ren, Chong, Liver, Kidney, and Spleen Channels. Sometimes the Heart channel plays a significant role, also.
What damages the flow?
In your cell phone, the electrical flow gets damaged when it runs through water. The water acts like a pathogen. In a woman’s body, the flow of her period (and her healthy functioning circuitry of the bodymind) is damaged by 5 different pathogens. Not by water, but by what the Chinese call Cold, Sweat, Counterflow, and the 5 Internal Pathogens: Anger, Fear, Worry, Grief, and Over-excitement.
Undoing “The Curse” of the monthly flow
You don’t have to hop on birth control or wait for menopause! To alleviate “the curse,” the Chinese had certain practices to protect against these pathogens. This protection keeps women feeling great during their periods—and healthy throughout their reproductive life.
I will detail these practices here for you. But first, a very significant clue to how these work is revealed in translation. The Chinese don’t refer to periods “the curse.” In fact, they call it something quite the opposite! Allow me to explain . . .
Having heavenly monthly cycles
We might call a menstrual cycle “the curse,” but not the Chinese. They have a different view of where periods come from, and how they should pass. Suffering (or medication) is not a culturally acceptable part of the process.
What we call a period, the Chinese call Tian Gui, or “Heavenly Waters.” Wow. Let’s break that down.
“Heavenly” refers to the sky or the divine, the sacred place where babies came from. “Waters” refers to the form taken when the sky or heavens above descends down to earth, like rain from clouds.
The ancient Chinese didn’t consider menstrual blood to be like any other blood in the body. It was special. When it stopped flowing, babies were formed. No other congealing blood could do that.
Because the menstrual cycle was a sacred event of a woman’s body opening at the cervix to let heaven’s rain pour down, it was a time to protect her. These traditions protected a woman’s energy, mood, reproductive health, blood flow, and fertility. In essence, you could call it her circuitry.
Can anyone do this?
This is not just for Chinese women, of course. All women can practice these habits, from their first period to their last. If you have normal periods, you should practice these habits to maintain health and prevent health imbalances. If you have problems with your cycles, you really need to follow these guidelines strictly the week of your period, and see about getting some acupuncture and Chinese herbs for three months to correct your period problems.
Are you ready for these? Let’s go!
6 Ancient Chinese Medicine Practices for the Week of Your Period
Rule #1: No Exertion
No exertion, no overexercise, no heavy lifting. Got it? You can exercise half as much as you normally do, no more. Period week is a time for rest! No moving furniture. Why? The Spleen Qi (the function of the Spleen Channel)is responsible for holding blood in the vessels, preventing heavy bleeding, holding everything up and in, digestion, and the transportation and transformation of fluids in the body. During your period, it needs to prioritize its job on regulating blood flow.
When you strain it with exertion, holding heavy weights up and in, holding your body up and in with exercise, straining your core---sometimes just being on your feet all day---you are using up a lot of Spleen Qi. It gets compromised. It has less energy to do its other jobs. As a result, you may end up with heavy periods, bloating, diarrhea with onset of period, and post-period migraines and muscle cramps from the loss of blood. You may become more prone to a weakened cervix in pregnancy, or vaginal prolapse in your later years.
Rule #2: No Sweat
Avoid any fluid loss when bleeding. In Chinese medicine, Fluids are the mother of Blood. As your blood is lost, the fluids must fill in. If you lose both at the same time, you suffer symptoms that mimic heavy period Blood Deficiency patterns such as migraine, cramps, and anxiety. So conserve your fluids! This means no sweaty exercise (even if you are not overexerting). No hot yoga, no saunas, no steam room, no jacuzzi. (Hot baths are fine as long as your head doesn’t sweat.) No working outside in hot humid weather.
Rule #3: No Hanky-Panky
After hearing no sweat and no exertion, you may have wondered about sex. Well, here is the rule. No sexual arousal for the woman on her period, but it’s okay for her partner. [Wink!] As for going solo, you have to practice abstinence even from self-pleasuring. Sorry!
Why? Counterflow Qi. The energy that moves the period must go DOWN. Sexual arousal goes UP. When your body wants to flow down, but you generate sexual energy up, the Qi and Blood flow gets all tangled up and stuck. Once Qi flow gets stuck, it can contribute to painful periods, cramping, difficulty starting and stopping the cycle, and other gynecological problems.
Even worse than Counterflow Qi getting stuck, the Blood can get stuck. Qi commands the flow of blood. Imagine not just your Qi energy going up (as in sexual arousal), but your actual blood flowing up. It can happen if you have uterine contractions with an orgasm while on your period. The uterus can squeeze the blood out forcefully—not just down and out, but also up through the fallopian tubes and out into the pelvic cavity. This could later develop into blocked fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, or an autoimmune condition. Trust me, you don’t want to risk any of these!
Rule #4: No Cold
No cold. This is a big one, so focus in on this one. Cold obstructs flow, and puts things to a stop. Think of icing a sore spot. It stops pain, stops nerve signals, and stops inflammation by stopping blood flow. Too much cold with frostbite? It stops life. Now think about the opposite. How does your body naturally fight cold? You got it: movement and shivers. The body doesn’t want your flow obstructed. It must MOVE.
When you are on your period, the uterus is OPEN and Cold easily invades—-like a pathogen! To prevent Cold Invasion to the Uterus, here are the THREE PLACES cold gets in, and how to stop it.
No Cold Foods and Drink
There is a channel called the Chong Mai that links the stomach to the uterus. (And now you know why women get morning sickness in pregnancy!). When the uterus is open during the period, you must avoid eating cold foods and drink that will conduct the cold from the stomach to the open uterus. If you do eat cold food or drink, combine it with something warm or hot to neutralize it. You especially need to follow this rule if you have a weak Spleen. How do you know? You know your Spleen is weak if you bruise easily, have digestive problems, or worry too much! Cold is very hard on the Spleen Channel, which is responsible for Holding Blood in Vessels. When the Spleen is weak from Cold, it results in heavy period flow, and period flows that trickle for days instead of stop.
No Cold Feet
There is a channel called the Kidney Channel that connects the soles of your feet to the uterus. When the uterus is open during the period, you must avoid walking on cold floors or having cold feet. If you do, wear socks and slippers on your period! You especially need to follow this rule if your Kidney Yang is weak. How do you know? Well, the Kidney Channel is also responsible for moving Ming Men metabolic Fire and Warming the Uterus during pregnancy with sustained progesterone and HCG hormones. When it is weak, your metabolism is sluggish, your body feels cold, you experience urinary difficulties, or you may have PMS from low progestrone or estrogen dominance.
No Cold Seats
Cold easily moves from your seat to your uterus without any channels needed! It goes right into the Yin Orifices (the openings where you pee, poop, and bleed), through your pelvis, and into the uterus. When the uterus is open during your period, you must avoid sitting on cold metal chairs, bleachers, or benches. Also avoid sitting around in a cold wet bathing suit. If you must, bring a cushion, blanket, or warm towel to prevent the cold from traveling into your uterus. You especially need to follow this rule if your body temperature is cooler when you touch below your belly button than when you touch above it.
Rule #5: Special Foods
You already might consume special foods and drinks after a workout or when you are sick. You can do the same for your period. In China, women eat soups and porridge (called congee) to benefit the channels that support healthy menstrual cycles (the control panel mentioned earlier). Once again, those channels are the Chong Mai, Ren Mai, and Channels of the Spleen, Kidney, Liver, and sometimes Heart. Here is an easy recipe with a flavor a bit like Sweet and Sour Chicken, but in the form of an Egg Drop Soup. It only takes 5 minutes to make. You boil a cup of water with a tablespoon of sugar and three tablespoons of rice vinegar and/or lemon juice. It will taste like sweet and sour. Instead of chicken, you just whisk in two eggs. So it’s like sweet and sour egg drop soup. How funny is that? It’s no gourmet dish, but it tastes just fine. You can add a dash of salt or soy sauce if you have a weak Kidney channel or crave salt.
Please contact me if you want recipes for congee made in crockpots.
Rule #6: Mindset
And here we come to the mental emotional piece of the equation. Yep! We saved the best for last!
At the beginning of this article, we discovered that your body is electric, and the flow through your reproductive circuitry can be damaged during your period by Cold, Sweat, Counterflow, and the 5 Internal Pathogens: Anger, Fear, Worry, Grief, and Over-excitement.
The week of your period is a time to avoid triggers that promote strong emotional feelings of anger, fear, worry, grief, and over-excitement. Don’t suppress emotions—but do avoid stirring them up.
If you find yourself MORE emotionally reactive during your period than usual, you will appreciate the rule of avoiding emotionally triggering moments when you are on your period.
So grab your favorite herbal chill pill from your acupuncturist, and tell the drama you are not available this week.
When should I do these practices?
Do these from Day 1 of your period flow, to the last day you bleed. It should only be 3-5 days. If it’s longer, talk to your acupuncturist about getting your flow under control, and practice, practice, practice!
And if I don't?
Women who do not care for their bodies and minds during their periods are much more prone to develop ob/gyn problems over time. They are more vulnerable to develop difficult periods, painful periods, painful sex, endometriosis, cysts, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, tumors, cancer, infertility, or morning sickness during pregnancy. These things take years to develop, so no rush . . . But know that taking care of yourself properly during the week of your period can really help your overall reproductive health.
A woman moved from China to the West and guess what happened?
Xiaolan Zhao is a Chinese medical doctor who never experienced period problems in her life, until she moved from China to Canada. She writes about it in her book Ancient Healing for Modern Women. While living in China, she followed the guidelines above, as did her mother and grandmother before her. Even her father made her special food for period week! However, when she moved to Canada, there was no culture supporting her healthy habits during her period week. With high stress from immigration, culture shock, and a demanding job, she experienced period problems for nearly a year until she realized the importance of Chinese habits. It was a real life lesson on how significant self care is during the week of your period—with the consequences being a radical loss of women’s health.
A swimmer's story
Women swimmers are a great example of what NOT to do the week of your period. Women swimmers spend a lot of time in cold water, sitting in cold wet swimsuits, doing sweaty conditioning workouts, overexerting exercise, and eating special foods for everything but their reproductive health. They do not change their routine just because they get their periods. I have treated three female swimmers in 10 years, and all three have had debilitating female health problems that took years to reverse naturally. But you don’t have to take my word for it. You can see it yourself if you look at pictures of swimmers who have had therapeutic cupping.
You can see the cupping marks left on swimmers are the most dark purple spots you will ever see on someone getting cupping treatment. This is because Cold Invasion, along with chlorine that causes Blood Stasis (reduced flow) has congealed the blood so much that they cannot have the healthy response to cupping—which is no marks left at all. You can imagine how it blocks their flow in the reproductive organs. The solution for women swimmers is to take a break from routine during period week, and to take countermeasures to drive out Cold Invasion.
Let’s summarize the main points
Your body flows with electricity, blood, and energy for wellness and function. Damage to the flow will harm your health, creating pain and disease.
Your period is a special monthly flow that requires special care to prevent the development of pain and disease. Westerners typically refer to this monthly flow as “the curse” while the Chinese call it “heavenly waters.” This is because westerners do not take care of their bodies during period week using ancient Chinese secrets to make it problem-free.
To keep the flow strong and moving downward, do not burn out your energy doing exhausting physical activity, sweating, or engaging in sexual arousal or orgasm. These create counterflow and low energy, which can damage the downward flow.
When your period comes, your uterus is open. It is vulnerable to invasions of Cold that lock up and damage the flow. These invasions come from food, drink, cold floors, and cold seats. Avoid these things.
Treat your body to period-friendly foods that can be incorporated into soups and crockpot dishes. Don’t eat cold foods or drink cold beverages during your period.
In Closing
Periods should not be harmful to your body any more than water to a cell phone. The real damage occurs when you are not doing the right thing at the right time. Whether it’s turning off your cell phone as soon as it gets wet, or changing your weekly routine as soon as you start your period, the power is in your hands to protect your circuitry.
I hope that practicing these ancient Chinese secrets during your period week can be really helpful to you—much like a waterproof OtterBox is to your cell phone!
Written with love
Amy Galvan, DOM, L'Ac, FABORM
