The menstrual cycle as a compass
Most of us were taught to think of our cycle as something to manage. Track it, suppress it, push through it. At best, something to be aware of. At worst, a monthly inconvenience that gets in the way of normal life.
But what if your cycle wasn't an obstacle, but a compass?
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the menstrual cycle is one of the most sophisticated expressions of a woman's overall health. Each phase has its own energetic character, its own needs, and its own wisdom. When you learn to read it, you stop fighting your body and start working with it.
The four phases and what they mean in TCM
TCM maps the cycle onto the interplay of Yin and Yang, Blood and Qi, and the rhythmic rise and fall of energy across the month. While western medicine focuses primarily on hormones, TCM looks at the energetic quality of each phase — what your body is doing, what it needs, and what it's trying to tell you.
Here's how it looks across a typical 28-day cycle:
Phase 1: Menstruation (days 1–5): releasing and renewing
In TCM, menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining — but also the release of the previous cycle. It's a time of downward movement, of letting go. Energetically, this is the most Yin moment of the month. Your body is turning inward. The demand on your resources is high. This is not the time to push.
What your body needs: Rest, warmth, gentle movement. Avoid cold food and drinks (which constrict blood flow), intense exercise, and high-stress situations if you can help it. This is a legitimate time to slow down — not a weakness.
What TCM watches for: Painful periods, heavy or scanty flow, clots, or extreme fatigue during menstruation are all signs that something in the system needs attention. Pain is not normal — it's information.
Phase 2: The follicular phase (days 6–13): building and rising
After menstruation, the body begins to rebuild. In TCM, this is the Blood and Yin building phase — quiet, steady, generative. Think of it like early spring: things are growing beneath the surface before they become visible.
Energy gradually returns. You may notice sharper focus, more motivation, a natural inclination to start things. This is one of the most productive phases of the month for many women.
What your body needs: Nourishing foods that support Blood and Yin: think leafy greens, legumes, eggs, bone broth. Steady sleep. This is a good time to begin new projects, have important conversations and make plans.
What TCM watches for: If energy doesn't return in this phase — if you still feel flat and depleted after your period ends — this often points to Blood or Yin deficiency. Something worth exploring.
Phase 3: Ovulation (around days 14–16): peak energy and expression
Ovulation is the Yang peak of the cycle. In TCM, this is the moment of maximum outward energy — when Qi is most abundant and you're most naturally in the world.
Many women feel their most social, confident and energetic around ovulation. Communication flows more easily. You may feel more drawn to connection, creativity and visibility.
What your body needs: This is when your body can handle more — more stimulation, more social engagement, more intense movement. But it's also a time to be aware of overdoing it. Burning through your peak energy without recovery sets the stage for the second half of the month to feel harder.
What TCM watches for: Ovulation pain (Mittelschmerz), spotting around ovulation or no clear energetic peak can all point to Qi stagnation or Blood deficiency. Acupuncture around this phase can be particularly effective for women trying to conceive.
Phase 4: The luteal phase (days 17–28): turning inward
This is the most misunderstood phase of the cycle. As Yang transitions back to Yin, energy naturally turns inward. You may feel less social, more reflective, more sensitive. For many women, this is when PMS symptoms appear.
In TCM, PMS is not inevitable but a sign of imbalance, usually involving Liver-Qi stagnation (that build-up of tension, irritability and frustration that seems to come from nowhere) or a deficiency of some kind.
What your body needs: This phase asks for more rest, less stimulation, more nourishing food and earlier nights. The tendency to push through the same schedule you had two weeks ago is one of the main reasons the second half of the cycle feels so hard.
What TCM watches for: Bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, irritability, insomnia, food cravings and anxiety in the days before your period are all signs that liver-Qi is stagnant or that Blood is deficient. These are very treatable with acupuncture and not something you simply have to live with.
The bigger picture: your cycle as a health report
One of the most valuable things TCM offers is this: your cycle is a monthly report on your overall health. The regularity, the flow, the symptoms (or absence of them), the energy across each phase — all of it is information.
Changes in your cycle often reflect changes in your broader health — in your stress levels, sleep, nutrition, emotional state. When the cycle is consistently painful, irregular or accompanied by significant PMS, it's rarely just a gynaecological issue. It's your whole system speaking.
This is why, in my Amsterdam practice, I always ask detailed questions about the cycle — even when someone comes in for something seemingly unrelated, like back pain or fatigue. The cycle tells me a lot about where the imbalances are.
How acupuncture supports the cycle
Acupuncture works by regulating the flow of Qi and Blood, calming the nervous system and supporting the organs most involved in reproductive health, primarily the Liver, Kidneys and Spleen in TCM terms.
Depending on where you are in your cycle and what's going on, treatment looks different at different phases. This is one of the reasons cycle-aware acupuncture can be so effective: we're not doing the same thing every session, we're working with the rhythm of your body.
A final thought
Your cycle is not the enemy. It's not something to suppress, push through or be embarrassed about. It's one of the most sophisticated self-monitoring systems your body has: a monthly invitation to pay attention.
Learning to read it is one of the most empowering things you can do for your health. And when something feels off, that's not weakness. That's your body asking for support.
Curious what your cycle might be telling you? I'd love to help you figure it out. Book an appointment at my practice in the centre of Amsterdam, or get in touch for a no-obligation introductory call.
