(Written in Autumn 2024)
Autumn is a season of harvest! But in the past, it was also the time when I was most likely to fall ill. As the yang energy declines and yin rises during this season—especially when late autumn suddenly brings a chill—I used to get hit with all kinds of discomfort. Fortunately, that was a few years ago. Things have improved a lot since then. Because during summer, I had already begun strengthening my yang energy and boosting my immunity.
Right around the start of autumn, I pulled out my moxibustion vest and began moxibustion therapy on my back. Even though I was drenched in sweat, I didn’t stop. Last month, my menstrual cycle finally returned to a regular 28 days, and it arrived so naturally that I barely noticed it. This month, I’m determined to maintain that cycle. Based on the timing, I should get my period around the 21st, so I intensified my moxibustion the week before to keep my body warm and promote blood circulation—especially since the weather had already started to turn cooler. Around the 20th, I began to feel some lower back pain, so I used a six-hole moxa box to treat the Baliao points both morning and night. When I was tired, I rested. Eventually, my period came on the 22nd. I had been a bit anxious when it didn’t arrive on the 21st, but I reminded myself not to stress—everything turned out fine.
Why am I so concerned about my menstrual cycle? Because for women, health and appearance are closely tied to menstruation. Those with early periods often suffer from anemia, blood deficiency, and irritability, and tend to look dry and dull. Late and scant periods can also be serious, leading to blood stasis that, over time, may cause fibroids or cysts. The body can become puffy, especially from qi deficiency. A normal menstrual cycle helps eliminate toxins from the body. After each period, the first week is for blood nourishment, the second for qi replenishment, and the third for promoting blood flow and removing stasis. This ensures fresh qi and blood are restored while the old, stagnant blood is metabolized out. When there’s no stasis or dryness, and metabolism functions normally, that’s true health.
My own health used to be cold and stagnant. It all started with delayed and scant menstruation. I didn’t know how to manage it back then, and over the years, more problems surfaced. For a long time, my focus was on digestive health. As long as I wasn’t getting diarrhea, I thought things were fine. My appetite improved, yes—but when my period wasn’t regular, the body had no proper way to eliminate metabolic waste, increasing the internal burden. So now, restoring hormonal balance is my goal.
Since internal cold was the root of my issues, I focused on warming the body and reinforcing yang energy. I’ve consistently applied moxibustion along the Du meridian. Starting this summer, I began to sweat more easily, and the bloating became much less frequent. I also developed a bit of an addiction to cupping and bloodletting to eliminate blood stasis—but I’m aware that relying on external methods isn’t the long-term solution. True healing is when the body can detox on its own. The best way to remove blood stasis is during menstruation. So this time, I avoided excessive bloodletting. Instead, I used Haci moxibustion on my chin and neck before my period and applied lymphatic detox cups to targeted areas.
I drank ginger tea every morning. It made me feel hot—uncomfortably hot, even—but that’s exactly what I wanted. Without sufficient internal warmth, the body simply can’t push out stasis. With the combination of ginger tea, brown sugar water, moxibustion, and cupping, my period flow was noticeably heavier this time! The nodules I’d felt in my lymphatic areas had also decreased significantly.
I’m really happy with the progress. I’ve taken this cycle seriously because I want to maintain a positive, healthy rhythm. Another thing: I finally broke free from the cycle of having my period at the beginning of the month. Holidays often fall on the first, and I’m usually traveling or back home then—tired, lacking rest, and unable to care for myself properly. It was never ideal. Now the timing has shifted, and that alone feels like a victory.