Our bodies are born with an innate intelligence that controls our ability to self-heal. The self-healing process is fueled by Qi. If your Qi is strong and balanced and you take good care of yourself, your own energy system can regulate itself. However, in middle age, our bodies show the effects of years of stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits, and our Qi has diminished and become out of balance.
Perimenopause
When you are in perimenopause, your body’s Qi and the function of your organs are just beginning to decline. At this early stage it can be easy to tune your system. Acupuncture or herbs, alone or in combination, can provide rapid relief from symptoms. If this is the case, do not stop treatment too quickly. Even if the symptoms seem to have disappeared, the function of your organs still needs support. It is a good idea to continue treatment for a while so that you can be sure that you have addressed the cause of the problem. For example, if you are taking herbs, continue taking them even if you feel well. These herbs are designed to help your organs function better so you can heal yourself. Then you can gradually move from herbal therapy to self-healing with food, Qigong and meditation.
Menopause
If you are in the midst of menopause and experiencing many discomforts, you can now understand where they come from and why. I highly recommend the healing program that includes both classical Chinese herbs and acupuncture, and some form of energy practice, such as Qigong or Taiji. This will help unite your body, mind and spirit.
If you are reasonably healthy and the quality of your treatment is good, you should see an immediate improvement in hot flashes, night sweats and palpitations. If not, talk to your TCM practitioner to see if your treatment needs to be adjusted. Discuss whether your symptoms come and go during treatment, or whether they get worse. Even if you get relief from your symptoms quickly, healing the cause will take at least three to five months. The timing depends on your general health and the skill of your doctor.
If you are not very healthy, your treatment may last up to a year. You have to have patience. Once you’ve truly healed the core problem, you’ve made a successful transition and should be able to produce enough estrogen to keep your body healthy for the rest of your life.
Creating lifelong health
As you enter menopause, you now have your last great chance to become truly healthy for the rest of your life. Take responsibility for your own health and healing. It is not up to your doctor to cure you. If menopause symptoms return, take a look at your daily lifestyle. Usually this means that your daily habits are still not balanced enough to help you heal yourself thoroughly. I have been trying to find out why your own energy support system is not functioning properly. For example, it may be that you are not eating well, or that you are working too hard or too many hours. You may not have a peaceful heart, or you may be trying to cope with too much stress. All of these things can use too much Qi, right when you need to conserve it the most.
Master Lu’s secret formula
Once you feel better, you may find yourself returning to the lifestyle you had before the symptoms of menopause slowed you down. Soon you’ll be spending more Qi than you should. But without the resilience and healing ability of a younger body, you have to do things differently. So many patients wonder, “What should I eat? Should I join a gym or start an exercise program? How do I get more energy?”
You just have to follow this one secret formula: do nothing. That’s the best you can do. This is the best way to heal and live a long, healthy life. You are not lazy when you rest. You are not lazy if you do nothing. You are intelligent by conserving your Qi, the life force of your body.