World menopause day
Lifestyle Medicine and the Wisdom of TCM
October 18 is World Menopause Day, a day where we open the discussion about a stage of life that every woman will experience. 2025’s theme is Lifestyle Medicine, which focuses on the daily choices woman can make to transform how we feel during perimenopause and menopause. At Seven Points Wellness we see this a the perfect match for the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
In TCM we see health as the result of holistic balance: specifically a balance between yin and yang but also a balance on how we move, rest, eat, manage stress, and nurture our relationships. When these elements are balanced it supports our hormones and wellbeing. In TCM, menopause is understood as a Yin-deficient state. Yin represents the cooling, moistening, and nourishing aspect of the body. As women approach menopause, Yin naturally declines. This can lead to signs of excess heat or dryness such as hot flushes, night sweats, irritability, and sleep disturbances. Understanding menopause in this way helps guide treatment and lifestyle choices that aim to replenish Yin and gently calm the body’s natural transitions.
In TCM, menopause is not seen as an ending. It is known as the “Second Spring”, a new season of life where our energy turns inward, inviting us to replenish and care for ourselves more deeply. This is such a powerful way of looking at this stage of life but I recognise that when you are experiencing hot flushes, poor sleep, anxiety, exhaustion or any of the other many symptoms that present in perimenopause and menopause it is hard to connect with that idea of renewal.
This is where a combination of lifestyle medicine and TCM therapies can make all the difference.
The International Menopause Society have written a paper outlining the role of lifestyle medicine in menopausal health. You can read it here.
Below, we share the key pillars of lifestyle medicine through a TCM lens, with practical tips and guidance from our team at SPW.
🌙 Prioritise Sleep
Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can disturb sleep, leaving you feeling flat, anxious, or foggy. Yet good sleep is one of the most powerful tools for regulating mood, balancing weight, supporting brain health, and restoring Yin.
SPW TCM Support:
Create a bedtime routine: dim the lights an hour before bed and stay off your device, keep your bedroom cool and dark, avoid caffeine late in the day, and try gentle breathing or meditation before sleep. A predictable routine helps calm the Shen, the TCM term for mind and spirit.
Acupuncture can be highly effective in settling the nervous system and improving sleep quality. At SPW we can support your acupuncture session by showing you simple acupressure techniques to your evening routine to help you drift off more easily.
Chinese herbal medicine or supplements including magnesium can be prescribed to aid with sleep.
🍎 Nourish with Food
Nutrition is central to hormone health, mood, and energy. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet rich in seasonal whole foods supports steady blood sugar, preserves muscle mass, and replenishes Yin.
Aim to eat 25 grams of fibre daily, keep added sugars under 25 grams, and include plenty of quality protein (approximately 1gram per kilo of body weight) to maintain energy and muscle strength.
Limit alcohol and drugs.
SPW TCM Support:
Incorporate foods that nourish Yin into your everyday meals, these include pears, apples, leafy greens, sweet potato, tofu, black sesame, seaweed, goji berries and walnuts.
Warming foods including broths and soups, porridges and slow cooked meats and vegetables, help to nourish the digestive system and calm excess heat.
Limiting caffeine, alcohol, and very hot, spicy, or fried foods can help to reduce hot flushes and improve sleep.
If you are deficient in nutrients or struggle to incorporate whole foods into your diet, Kim at SPW can help tailor a supplement plan based on blood tests results and your signs and symptoms. This may include, calcium and vitamin D for bone health, omega 3s for inflammation, magnesium for sleep, or creatine to maintain strength and cognition and reduce brain fog.
You may benefit from a referral to a nutritionalist or dietician.
🏃♀️ Move with Intention
Regular movement improves circulation, protects bone density, balances mood, and supports a healthy weight during menopause. Include weight-bearing exercise such as brisk walking, resistance or strength training to support bones and muscles, and gentler movement like yoga, Qi Gong, or Tai Chi to harmonise Qi and ease stress.
Exercise can help with longer term issues post menopause including increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
SPW TCM Support:
Short, regular sessions of mindful movement are ideal.
Try to incorporate gentle movement such as yoga, Qi Gong or Tai Chi stretches into a morning or evening routine to support the smooth flow of Qi and harmonise the body.
You may benefit from referral to an exercise physiologist or personal trainer to tailor an exercise program to your specific needs especially in the case of osteopenia or osteoporosis.
If aches or stiffness, or frozen shoulder make exercise harder, acupuncture and TCM massage therapies such as tui na, gua sha, and cupping can ease muscle or joint tightness, improve circulation, and help your body recover comfortably so you can stay active.
🧘♀️ Stress Less, Breathe More
Stress can heighten hot flushes, disrupt sleep, and stir up anxiety and place you in a state of fight or flight, affecting the TCM Liver and Heart organs.
Adding in small, restorative rituals each day can help with stress management. Warm foot soaks before bed, slow breathing practices, journalling, spending time in nature, and exposure to morning sunlight all encourage the body to move out of stress mode and into rest and repair.
SPW TCM Support:
Acupuncture is one of the most effective ways to regulate the stress response. Acupuncture can calm the nervous system, reduce tension, and improve sleep. Acupressure points can be used at home to support you further.
Doris’s tuina massage and gentle gua sha also work alongside acupuncture to release muscle tightness and support emotional balance.
Incorporating Qi gong or Tai Chi exercises can support the flow of Qi and a be a great way to reset and wind down at the end of a stressful day.
🤝 Nurture Social Connections
Feeling supported by others has a profound impact on both our mental and physical health. Women who maintain strong social ties often experience less stress and better overall wellbeing during menopause. Try to prioritise meaningful contact; a walk with a friend, joining a yoga class, or attending a menopause support group can provide both emotional comfort and practical encouragement.
SPW TCM Support:
In TCM, joy and connection nourish the Heart and Shen, helping to keep mood more stable. Acupuncture that supports Heart Yin and Blood, paired with personalised herbs, may also help you feel calmer and more connected to the people around you.
💞 Tend to Relationships Including the One with Yourself
Hormonal changes, physical changes to our genitourinary system like dryness or incontinence, disrupted sleep, and mood shifts can strain relationships, and impact on physical intimacy. Honest communication, compassion for yourself, and seeking support when needed all help maintain healthy relationships. This stage of life invites you to set boundaries, ask for help, and truly prioritise your own wellbeing. That self-care often benefits those closest to you.
SPW TCM Support:
Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and massage can help you feel more balanced physically and emotionally, this often improves energy, intimacy, and connection with your partner and family.
Referral to a menoapuse specialist /a urogynecologist can help to address issues that might impact intimacy and affect your relationship with your partner.
Referral to a psychologist may be beneficial to talk through feelings and reactions to situations.
The Second Spring
Menopause is not an ending, in TCM it is the Second Spring, a new season to nurture your body, replenish Yin, and honour your wellbeing. Lifestyle medicine, sleep, nutrition, movement, stress management, connection, and self-compassion is the foundation to making menopause more manageable. At Seven Points Wellness we can build on those foundations with acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, massage, nutrition and tailored supplement support to help you feel like you truly are in your Second Spring.
This World Menopause Day, stop to ask yourself: What can I do everyday to feel supported and well? The answer might be booking an acupuncture session, cooking a nourishing meal, taking a quiet walk in nature, meeting a friend or starting an exercise program.
With the right care, this can be a season of renewal, strength, and vitality.
👉 Book your appointment today and say yes to yourself this World Menopause Day.
