Nourishing Life Principles (Yangsheng Fa) to Re-establish the Jing-Qi-Shen Axis
Techniques for fertility enhancement and the impact of psychological trauma on the female reproductive life cycle.
Yangsheng (Nourishing Life) principles focus the practitioner’s orientation to patient care, from treating symptomatic expression to the re-establishment of the jing-qi-shen axis. With these principles, the patient gains a sensitivity of their own imbalance, and becomes more actively involved in their health care, developing the self-healer within.
This course will examine the first and second phases of the female reproductive life cycle paying special attention to disease manifestation at specific ages, techniques to turn back the reproductive clock, and how to facilitate menopausal transition. Case histories, herbal formulas, acupuncture, and special clinical techniques will be shared.
Most of the specific techniques of Yangsheng such as dietary considerations, qi gong, dao yin, special “longevity elixirs”, herbal medicine, the cultivation of ease and happiness, and many others are geared to encourage the flourishing of the jing-qi-shen axis and connecting heaven and earth.
A woman’s reproductive vigor can be described through the connection between the heart and kidney via the chong mai. During the first phase of the reproductive life cycle, from ages 21-34, qi and blood are abundant in the kidney, fertility is at its peak, and treatment revolves among other things, around encouraging the nourishment and circulation of the pelvic organ blood flow. During the second phase (ages 35-51) as qi begins to migrate upwards toward the heart, this is when symptoms of menopausal transition are clinically seen. Emphasis in this phase is placed on supporting and calming the Shen and harmonizing the Liver. A kidney-heart imbalance during either phase will lead to symptom expression, and depending on the particular patient goals we often find ourselves juggling between turning back the reproductive clock, pulling the energy down into the kidney, or facilitating the transition and allowing the energy to float up and reside in the heart.
Examination of the 7-year cycles of women shows certain disease processes manifest at specific ages. This is in part due to an emotional trauma preventing good influence between the heart and the kidneys. For example, ages 28 -32 should be the peak of heightened fertility, but interestingly, this is also the most typical time of onset of premature ovarian failure (POF). As she approaches her fullness of reproductive vigor, of being a woman, if she cannot hold that fullness, her body shuts down. Detailed discussions of Dysmenorrhea, POF, High FSH, Endometriosis and Uterine Fibroids along with several others will be addressed.