Is the Modern Day Lifestyle Friendly to Women’s Reproductive Health
by Michelle Oravitz, AP, L.Ac, FABORM
One of the core concepts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the concept of the Yin and Yang. The Yin and Yang are two polar opposite qualities that work together in order to support all of life. The Yin is represented as dark, cool, inert, moist, stable, dense, and feminine while the Yang is represented as light, hot, active, dry, moving, expansive, and male. The sperm and egg are a wonderful depiction of the yin and yang, which contain a bit of both within one another. The sperm is extremely active and fast moving, yet it is enveloped and protected by a moist, yin fluid. The egg is stable and travels very slowly, while containing hundreds of thousands of mitochondria which are loaded and prepared to exert a lot of yang energy upon fertilization. This shows that both Yin and Yang are not only necessary for the whole, but they each contain a bit of each other and need to in order to work in harmony.
By nature, women tend to embody more Yin qualities, while men embody more Yang qualities, but both still hold a combination of Yin and Yang qualities. The body needs both complementary forces of the Yin and Yang in order to thrive. Conventional medicine acknowledges this as well, but refers to it as homeostasis. We can see that nature embodies those same balances through day and night where nature needs both in order to thrive. We can also witness in nature that it has cycle changes and pulses of opposing elements that oscillate in order to support the whole. Examples are waves receding and moving forward, heartbeats, trees moving from blooming to receding and back again in reflection to the seasons, which also pulse shift throughout the year.
In our current modern times, we have a predominantly Yang state due to constant motion, information, noise, distraction, and demands. This can cause our body’s yin qualities to burn out, contributing to lack of sleep, depletion of energy stores, irritability, and possibly further symptoms such as reproductive disharmony which can lead to irregular cycles and fertility challenges. These symptoms are a way for our bodies to signal to us that they are seeking balance - specifically Yin and Yang balance.
What I often see at my work:
I often see women who are very successful in the workplace because they have put a lot of effort into “doing”. While their achievements are incredibly impressive, they share that even prior to trying to conceive they have at times experienced anxiety, irregular cycles, insomnia, hair loss, and a general feeling of being disconnected from their emotions due to a need to put on a strong face at work. Women also have rhythms that are different from those of men’s 24 hour cycle. Women shift and change throughout their monthly cycles. TCM views the nature of the cycle phases to be similar to those of seasons, and they shift with Yin and Yang qualities. This can impact how a woman feels and what her body needs throughout the phases of her cycle.
I remember my personal journey when working at a corporate job in NYC and having to navigate irregular cycles and extremely painful periods. I would have to just shut down my body’s cry, pop painkillers, and move on. But is this the way our bodies were meant to adapt? After my own discovery of TCM and how its philosophy is not to ignore the body’s natural processes, but to address them, I realize that our symptoms often arise from our conditioned response to ignore our bodies. I’ll say it again - our bodies communicate symptoms to us in order to get our attention that something in our actions or environment needs to change. If we ignore those symptoms, they will persist and if unaddressed, they may turn to a chronic condition.
Let’s Be Honest, We Can’t Always Change Our World…
While we can’t always change many things in our lives, we can find ways to be proactive so that we can counter many elements that may throw our bodies out of alignment. Women in particular can learn more about the phases of their cycles and how to enter a more Yin state if they are feeling burnt out by an active and Yang lifestyle. When they become aware of that, they can work on ways outside of work to counteract some of the stressors that come their way. Here are a few ways to incorporate a self care routine that supports women’s cycles:
Begin charting your cycle so that you can understand how your cycle influences your productivity vs rest phases. Keep in my the following:
During your menses, the body goes into a more yin phase and needs more rest and nourishment. Eating warm foods like bone broth and stews while refraining from being too active outside of necessary obligations is very important during this time and can set the stage for the body’s recovery and coming ovulation.
After menses and into the follicular phase, women start a “building” phase where it is a great time to start new projects. The mind reflects the body, which is working to replenish the blood that was lost and begins to build its reserves to the main event - ovulation. During this time, the body does well with nourishing foods like healthy fats, proteins, and cooked greens.
Ovulation phase is when women have the most energy and feel their best. This phase is the star of the show when it comes to women’s cycles and it is a great time to schedule meetings or take part in presentations as confidence rises and they feel naturally radiant. During this time, support your body with proteins, nuts and seeds, and orange foods such as yams.
Luteal phase is the phase after ovulation when the body moves toward completion of the cycle (if the woman doesn’t become pregnant) and it is a great time to finish projects and begin to slow down as the body prepares for its menstrual shedding. Women tend to crave carbs during this time because their bodies need to support their energy prior to menstruation. It is best to eat lots of proteins and complex carbs during this time.
Listen to your body when it comes to exercising and don’t over do it on days when you feel exceptionally worn out. If your body is depleted, exercise can have an adverse impact on your reproductive health. At times, doing exercises such as restorative or yin yoga can be more beneficial if you find that you still need to move and stretch.
Have an evening routine where you wind down from your day like showering, diffusing calming essential oils, wearing blue blocking glasses / dimming the lights a few hours before sleeping. This ensures that the most yin time of the 24 hour cycle, night, is able to be most nourishing with a deep restorative sleep.
Consider adding a meditation practice. Meditation provides a type of rest that is different from sleep and allows you the opportunity to connect with your inner wisdom - intuition. This is because it increases your awareness of interoception or body sensation, which helps you tune in more deeply to your body’s cues to support a maintenance of its balance.
Do breathing exercises. Breathing exercises can impact your mental state immediately and can shift you from a Yang state to a more Yin state, and vice versa depending on what your looking for. A rule of thumb: for a more Yin state, exhale longer than your inhale. For a more Yang state, inhale longer than your exhale.
Conclusion:
As mentioned before, while we can’t always change our circumstances, we can still empower ourselves when we recognize how our bodies are feeling and counteract any outside imbalances with a self care routine. Becoming more aware of our monthly rhythms and cycles, and honoring to the best of our abilities the different phases, can make a tremendous impact on how our bodies respond. As long as we are aware and listen to our body’s communication with us, we are able to take back our power and support our cycles.
Michelle Oravitz, AP, L.Ac, FABORM is a licensed acupuncturist, fertility coach, and founder of The Wholesome Lotus. After healing her own menstrual challenges through Traditional Chinese Medicine, Michelle dedicated her life to helping women reconnect with their cycles, restore balance, and awaken their innate reproductive vitality. She is the author of The Way of Fertility and host of The Wholesome Fertility Podcast, where she shares ancient wisdom and expert insights for the modern fertility journey.