The Menstrual Cycle as a Mirror of Balance: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective

By Eca Brady ✿ Healthy Herbs by Eca Brady

Marylebone · London · Women’s Health · Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine

Your Cycle: A Monthly Reflection of Inner Harmony

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a woman’s menstrual cycle is far more than a biological rhythm — it’s a reflection of the entire body’s balance.

Each month, your body expresses its internal harmony through the natural rhythm of Blood (Xue), energy (Qi), and emotion. When these move freely, your cycle feels smooth, regular, and effortless. When they stagnate or weaken, imbalance begins to whisper — in the form of pain, fatigue, mood changes, or irregular bleeding.

Just as nature cycles through seasons, so does the body — renewing, transforming, and resting in rhythm.

The Menstrual Cycle and the Flow of Qi and Blood

In TCM, the menstrual cycle depends on two key substances:

• Qi (vital energy): the dynamic force that moves and directs Blood.

• Blood (Xue): the nourishing substance that carries vitality and anchors the mind.

When Qi moves freely, Blood follows. When Qi becomes stagnant — often due to stress, overwork, or emotional strain — Blood flow is disrupted, leading to discomfort or irregularity.

Conversely, when Blood is deficient, there may be fatigue, dizziness, or light periods.

A healthy cycle reflects the harmonious dance of Qi and Blood — movement and nourishment, action and rest.

Yin and Yang: The Energies That Shape Each Phase

Your cycle mirrors the interplay of Yin and Yang, the two complementary forces that govern all life.

• Yin energy (cooling, nourishing, inward) dominates the first half of the cycle, when the body builds Blood and prepares the uterine lining.

• Yang energy (warming, active, outward) rises after ovulation, helping to transform, hold, and prepare for potential conception.

When Yin and Yang are balanced, the transition between phases feels natural — without PMS, pain, or emotional volatility.

The Five Elements and Menstrual Health

The Five Elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — offer another map for understanding menstrual health:

• Wood (Liver): moves Qi and governs emotion.

• Fire (Heart): connects emotional warmth and hormonal regulation.

• Earth (Spleen): nourishes Blood and supports digestion.

• Metal (Lungs): governs breath and boundaries.

• Water (Kidneys): stores essence (Jing), the foundation of fertility and hormones.

When these elements are in harmony, the cycle flows like the seasons — each phase nurturing the next.

When the Cycle Speaks

Irregular periods, PMS, pain, or emotional fluctuations are not random — they’re messages.

They tell us where Qi may be blocked or where Blood may be lacking.

Through careful observation — of colour, flow, timing, and symptoms — TCM practitioners can identify which system needs care and guide you back to balance.

At Healthy Herbs by Eca Brady, each menstrual pattern is viewed with compassion and curiosity, not judgment. Your body isn’t broken — it’s communicating.

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine for Cycle Balance

Acupuncture gently regulates the flow of Qi and Blood, easing tension, harmonising hormones, and reducing symptoms such as cramps, PMS, or fatigue.

Chinese herbal medicine further nourishes Yin, strengthens Blood, and supports the Liver, Spleen, and Kidneys — the key organs in menstrual health.

Together, they create space for the body to restore its natural rhythm — calm, regular, and pain-free.

A Gentle Invitation

Your cycle is your monthly teacher.

It reveals how well your body is nourished, how freely your emotions move, and how balanced your energy truly is.

By tuning in — rather than suppressing or ignoring — you can restore not only your reproductive health but your overall vitality.

✿

With warmth,

Eca Brady

Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner & Doula

Marylebone · London

References

1. Maciocia, G. Obstetrics and Gynecology in Chinese Medicine, 2nd Edition. Elsevier, 2011.

2. Betts, D. The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth. The Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2006.

3. Flaws, B. The Secret of Chinese Pulse Diagnosis and Menstrual Disorders. Blue Poppy Press, 2010.

4. British Acupuncture Council. Factsheet: Acupuncture and Menstrual Health, 2024.

5. World Health Organization (WHO). Traditional Medicine Strategy 2023–2032.