Dear patients, have you noticed your body becoming unpredictable lately, feeling hot one moment and cold the next, tossing and turning at night while breaking into cold sweats, or feeling inexplicably sorrowful with severe mood swings during the day? While it might sound like dry medical knowledge, the Donguibogam viewed a woman's body with an exceptionally delicate and warm perspective. It noted that around the age of 49, a woman's fundamental vitality, kidney essence, and the energy symbolizing it, tiangui, gradually become depleted, much like a spring slowly drying up.
This kidney essence represents the yin aspect of our body, meaning the energy that keeps us moist, calm, and grounded. When this yin qi becomes deficient, the relative yang energy, the hot, active force, surges excessively. It is much like keeping a fire burning under a pot that lacks water; the remaining liquid boils over or scorches. This is precisely why hot flashes occur, leaving the face flushed and causing sleepless nights drenched in sweat.
Furthermore, the Donguibogam explains that during the climacteric, the energy in essential meridians such as the conception vessel and thoroughfare vessel weakens. These meridians serve as pathways deeply involved in female reproductive function and hormonal balance. When these passages wither, the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body becomes sluggish. Consequently, the body feels as heavy as lead, chronic fatigue sets in, and psychological instability along with depression can take hold. Rather than a mere surface change, the Donguibogam recognized hundreds of years ago that this transformation stems from the deep roots of the body. It emphasizes that this period is a natural transition for women, and by caring well for both body and mind, one can navigate it with wisdom.
