For thousands of years women have been using a variety of self-care secrets to manage or treat pain and other issues associated with menstruation, naturally regulate their cycle and promote pregnancy, and later heal from childbirth.
Here we reveal in succession, six self-care Traditional Chinese Medicine and East-Asian folk practices that may assist women in modern times.
These techniques might be thought to support the health of the ovaries and follicles, thicken and aid in smooth shedding of the endometrial lining, reduce pelvic and systemic inflammation, modulate immune function, and balance hormones for both menstrual cycle health and natural fertility.
We offer these empirical methods to broaden your knowledge and to stock your tool kit in living your life as a woman. We recognise their value in natural health, because of their time-tested and health-promoting reputation, traversing centuries through lineages of healers. We recognise also that some methods have not yet gained strong evidence, however, we welcome you to reach further into them if they resonate with you, and most importantly experience them for yourself at home.
Women’s Secret #5 is HERBAL FOOT SOAKING.
The low legs and ankles are abundant with powerful acupuncture points used by acupuncturists to regulate cycles, stop period pain, promote or reduce menstrual flow, and enhance fertility. It is thought that warming the feet by herbal foot soaking to be a valuable way to stimulate the functions of these points, encourage blood flow in the lower pelvic area, and warm the uterus (an important Chinese medicine concept for fertility and assisted fertility treatments). You can do this at home as a self-care treatment in a regular ongoing way, and also use it while undertaking fertility treatment in the acupuncture clinic.
How to soak your feet
Boil a couple of grated ginger nodes, a crushed cinnamon twig, a small handful of citrus peel (dried if you can), and maybe some mugwort if you have access, for 10 -15 minutes. Ensure the water temperature is between 38-40 degrees celsius and as you sit be ready to add more hot water (*be careful!) to the soak as it cools.
Prepare a spot to relax with your tootsies soaking (to above the ankle, and even better to mid-calf) for around 20 minutes, or longer if you love it!. This little practice done regularly has little research as yet, but is another ancient practice that has been ongoingly promoted for many health concerns for centuries. Lately, it has become an increasingly popular health practice.
Chinese medicine wisdom dictates that in optimal health the temperature of our head should be cool and our feet should be warm.
In the fertility clinic, women are often found to be imbalanced in this basic way.
Their bodies heating energy is found to be moving upward toward the head, against its correct direction, perhaps leading to stress, anxiety, headache, or difficulty sleeping.
Whereas coldness is found in the feet or lower body and has, for centuries, been thought to contribute to fertility or menstrual disorders.
Warming the feet through warm water foot soaking, and adding heat stimulating herbs is a great at-home self-care method to help balance this disrupted dichotomy.
It also feels great, is very calming, and is generally safe!
SAFETY: We are dealing with boiling water ladies, so leave the glass of wine for after the soak! Don’t perform foot soaks if you have metastatic cancer, have any conditions that are worse for increased circulation, and if you are bleeding heavily with your menstrual cycle as the heating of the body may increase the blood flow.
We wish you well in discovering this women’s secret further through your own trials and experiences. Check-in with us if you have any questions or concerns and don’t forget this is not a replacement for medical advice or treatment. It is a complementary therapy home practice, We hope you enjoy it and let your body tell you what is right for you.
Remember to always be safe!
For more women health secrets check out
- Secret #1 MOXIBUSTION
- Secret #2 MEDITATION
- Secret #3 SELF ABDOMINAL MASSAGE
- Secret #4 VAGINAL STEAM
- Secret #5 HERBAL FOOT SOAKS
- Secret #6 WOMENS EXERCISE
To get further help with a course of acupuncture treatment for your women’s health, natural fertility, or assisted fertility care, book online today.
