In one of my previous blogs, I talked about Sex and the Number 42 – about how every 7 years a strong hormonal change takes place in the body to kick-start the reproduction ability of the body. At 7 we lose our baby teeth, at 14 we enter puberty at 21 we are in prime baby making stage, at 35 our estrogen can begin to decline and at 42 we enter perimenopause and 49……….. here comes menopause. These are general figures used in Chinese Medicine to indicate the changes in our hormonal body but this idea that, as women, our reproduction ability and energy comes to a halt as we hit menopause is a fallacy. Our body is constantly reproducing. We make plasma cells daily; colon cells refresh after four days; we make a whole new skin every 2-3 weeks; white blood cells take more than a year to regenerate, and it takes an average of 10 years to grow an entirely new skeleton. The energy that it takes to make reproduction happen is called Jing in Chinese Medicine. It’s the energy that we are born with, our DNA if you like, that we inherit from our ancestors, no matter what we eat or drink we cannot build upon this energy, it is our constitution.
However, we can deplete this energy through overwork and pushing ourselves past our physical limits; By over emotional situations especially fear and anger and by overstimulating foods such as caffeine, sugar, and drugs (prescription or recreational). How we have treated out physical and emotional body will show up every 7 years at the times of hormonal change. You may find longterm constitutional illnesses such as eczema, hayfever and arthritis clear up at these pivotal points on our timeline. I personally “grew out” of acute hayfever at 35 which had begun at 7. I used my understanding of Chinese Medicine to make changes in diet and lifestyle coming up to this transitional time. I am 50 this year and am very aware of supporting my Jing so that transition into menopause requires no medication or sweat filled, insomniac nights.
The Jing is considered one of 3 treasures in Chinese Medicine and it is stored in our Kidneys so it is vital that we keep these energetic organs healthy. Jing determines the management, storage, and usage of chi/energy. As I mentioned earlier the Jing moves in 7-year cycles, we cannot add to it but we can support it with good foods such as Eggs, Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen, Seaweeds, Almonds, Blue Green Algae, Aduki Beans, Bone Broth and Goji Berries. With good practices such as Qi Gong, Yoga, Tai Chi, we can use breath and body to harness feelings and become emotionally flexible.
To learn more about Jing and how to nurture and nourish it why not join us for a wonderful weekend 23-25 March 2018, Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow. It’s time, as women, that we understand completely the control we can have over our bodies and our health
Wise Women Retreat – Feminine Health for Vibrant Energy
Teaching, experiencing, encouraging and nurturing the feminine energy within us, the Conscious Cooking Classes and Tai Chi/ Qi Gong sessions can effortlessly improve sexual health, bringing a balance between passionate fire and flowing water.
Using food, exercise and potent acupressure points we will keep the meridian channels open and flowing. We will experience and share how to prevent leaking our precious Jing and how to nurture and support it so that we prevent accelerated aging.
In a simple weekend, understand the clear connection between our emotions, the food we choose and how that directly affects our health.
I will show you how to prepare fantastically easy dishes that will add to your culinary skills – this is ancient wisdom at work in a modern kitchen.
Joanne Faulkner
