Acupressure and Lifestyle Tips During Your Period, days 1- 5
In Traditional Chinese Medicine the menstrual cycle is broken down into four phases. In this post I will be giving you my top Acupressure point and lifestyle suggestions for Phase 1 of your menstrual cycle.
The four phases of your menstrual cycle are:
- Phase 1 days 1- 5 The Foundation Phase (Your Period )
- Phase 2 days 6- 13 The Building Phase ( Follicular Phase)
- Phase 3 days 13-17 Transition Phase (Ovulation Phase)
- Phase 4 days 18- menstruation Supporting Phase (Luteal Phase)
Acupressure and lifestyle suggestions are made depending on the phase you are curently in. Every phase of your menstrual cycle is important as they all contribute to the health of the next phase and the health of your overall menstrual cycle. Traditional Chinese medicine uses different treatment protocols and lifestyle suggestions during each phase of your menstrual cycle.
During days 1- 5, Phase 1 of your menstrual cycle, with day 1 being the first day of full bleeding, this is the Foundation Phase. During this time it is important to move blood, shed your endometrium lining and prepare for your next cycle. If you are trying to conceive this is the foundation or building blocks for the cycle ahead.
During your Period Lifestyle Tips
During your period it is important to take some extra time for some self care. This is the time for gentle exercise, naps, walks in nature, journalling and self reflection. It is also important to keep your body warm, wearing socks or slippers on your feet and keeping your back and tummy warm. Food should be warm in temperature avoiding raw fruits, vegetables, salads and cold drinks so as to not introduce cold into your body. Cold is stagnating and congealing which can contribute to pain, clots and a “cold uterus” which is not a good place to house a baby. During the Foundation phase the goal is to move qi and blood in order to shed the lining and prepare for the next cycle.
Acupressure During Your Period
Acupressure is often recommended, firm pressure on specific acupuncture points on the body, to be used at home in between treatments. My favourite Acupressure point during Phase 1 is Spleen 6. This point is located four fingers up from the inner ankle rolling off the bone. This point is the meeting point of the spleen , liver and kidney meridians which are all important for hormonal health and fertility. This point helps to improve energy and blood flow to the pelvis, ovaries and uterus which make it a fantastic point for relieving period pain and cramps. Firm pressure is recommended on this point on both legs, for 5 minutes a day during your menstrual cycle.
Picture of Spleen 6 point location
I love getting my patients to use Acupressure at home to support their treatments and help to rebalance and restore the health of their menstrual cycle. In as little as ten minutes a day your cycle, hormonal health and fertility can improve. If you are interested in learning more about my online Acupressure Guides for fertility and period health see this link. Acupressure Guides for Fertility and Period Health
if you suffer from period pain I also recommend castor oil packs to help move blood and qi ,see the link for my castor oil pack guide here.How to use a castor oil pack at home for better periods
If you would like to learn more about what is a healthy menstrual cycle please see my blog post on Do I have a healthy period?