Replenishing Yin: Chinese Medicine Insights for Hormonal Balance
This week, I wanted to share a little about how hormonal changes, especially during perimenopause and menopause, are understood through Chinese medicine. It's a rich, expansive topic, and a regular part of my acupuncture practice. Chinese medicine has so much to offer women as they navigate this space (so please let me know if you'd like me to explore this further in future newsletters).
For today, I want to begin broadly, with the idea that our Yin energy naturally depletes as we age.
Yin and Yang: The Two Core Energies
In Chinese medicine, we speak about two foundational energies: Yin and Yang.
🌙 Yin is the calm, cooling, and nourishing force in the body. It supports a sense of groundedness, emotional steadiness, and moistens the body from the inside out.
☀️ Yang is warming, active, and energising. It helps you move through the day, but without enough Yin to anchor it, the Yang can become excessive, rising too strongly and creating imbalance.
What Contributes to Yin Deficiency?
Several factors can lead to a depletion of Yin energy, especially in the lead-up to and through menopause:
Hormonal changes
As we approach menopause, our ovaries produce less oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones, particularly oestrogen, are closely linked with Yin energy. A drop in these hormones can result in symptoms that reflect Yin depletion and unanchored Yang, including:
Dryness (skin, eyes, vaginal) & aching joints – due to a reduction in the moistening, lubricating qualities of Yin.
Hot flushes – a lack of Yin to ground and contain Yang, which causes heat to flare upward.
Night sweats – Yin is naturally at its lowest at the end of the day, allowing untethered Yang to rise. This is known as empty heat—heat due to deficiency, not true excess.
Irritability and anxiety – signs that Yang (heat, activity) is rising unchecked due to insufficient Yin (cool, calming energy), affecting the Heart and Liver systems.
The Busiest Chapter of Life
Our 40s and 50s are busy—caring for children or teenagers, supporting parents, managing careers, and keeping households running.
This relentless pace can leave little time for rest, proper nourishment, or deep sleep—all of which are essential for replenishing Yin.
Chronic stress keeps the nervous system in ‘fight or flight’ mode, which further depletes Yin over time and exacerbates the imbalance.
Kidney Yin
In Chinese medicine, the Kidneys are seen as the root of our vitality - like our body’s battery pack. They are the source of both Yin and Yang energy. As we age, it’s natural for our Kidney Yin to decline, but the rate at which it does depends on our lifestyle and the constitutional energy we were born with.
When Kidney Yin becomes deficient, we might feel:
Fatigued or depleted
Low in libido
Generally ‘worn out’
These sensations reflect the deeper Yin being drawn down through the demands of life.
Nourishing Your Yin Energy
The good news is that Yin can be gently supported and replenished. Here are a few ways to nourish your Yin:
Prioritise rest and sleep – I know I say this constantly, but to counter the pace of everyday life, creating space for deep, unhurried rest and stillness really is the medicine. Go to bed early, avoid overstimulation at night, and let your body repair.
Eat warm, moistening foods – Although the weather is warmer now, in order to nourish Yin, lean towards light soups, congee, and broths. Incorporate foods like black sesame, tofu, eggs, berries, pears, and seaweed.
Stay hydrated – Sip warm water or herbal teas (like chamomile or chrysanthemum) throughout the day.
Practice gentle movement – Yin yoga, Tai Chi, or slow walks in nature help soothe the nervous system and preserve energy.
Take time for quiet – Journaling, meditation, or simply moments of stillness each day help calm the Heart and conserve Yin. Even if it’s just three conscious breaths, these micro-moments make a difference.
Acupuncture – Treatments can help restore balance, support hormonal shifts, and deeply nourish your Yin over time.
If you're navigating hormonal changes or just feeling a little worn thin, there is support out there—you don’t have to push through it alone.
