top of page
Search
Writer's pictureJahanara Monaf

Women: 7 year cycles


Women – 7 Year Cycles in Chinese medicine

The Concept of Jing


Jing is a concept that is unique to Chinese Medicine and is sometimes difficult to explain. Jing is considered to be one of the three treasures in Chinese Medicine. Jing, Qi, and Shen comprise the three treasures. Jing is defined as the source of our life, health, and longevity. Qi is like our life force – and the force that animates all living things. Shen is the spirit and is closely associated with the heart and “the mind” in Chinese Medicine. All three treasures must be balanced for us to be functioning at an optimum state of health and wellbeing.


The Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine is one of the oldest medical textbooks on earth and was written around 240 BCE. It is in this text that the cycles of women and men are discussed. Women grow and mature in seven-year cycles and men in eight-year cycles.

Cycles for Women in Chinese Medicine


Women – 7 Year Cycles


7 years old


A woman’s kidney energy becomes abundant, teeth change and hair grows strong.


Kidney is a special term in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It not only has the function of controlling the urinary system, but also has a very important role – control the developing, growing, and reproduction. In terms of reproduction, you can think Kidney as a “Small Kidney”- the ovaries or testis.


At the age of 7, a woman’s reproductive system starts to develop.


14 years old


Her menstruation appears as the Ren meridian (the sea of Yin) flows and the Qi and blood in the Chong meridian (the sea of blood) becomes abundant, she can have children.


At the age of 14, her menstruation appears and she is able to have a child. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the age of menarche is one important factor to help make a diagnosis. If menarche is later than 14 years old, it often indicates lower fertility energy.


21 years old


Her kidney energy is balanced, her adult teeth become completely developed and her body grows to full height.


A woman’s energy, especially fertility energy is full at the age of 21.


28 years old


Vital energy and blood are abundant, her bones and muscles are strong, her hair grows to full length and her body is in optimal condition.


At the age of 28, a women’s fertile energy reaches its peak. This is considered the best age for her to have children.


35 years old


Her peak condition declines gradually. Her energy in the yang ming meridian declines. Her face starts to wither and her hair starts to fall out.


From 35 year old, she starts to have wrinkles on her face, and her overall energy and fertility start to decline. She is still however, able to have children.


42 year old


The three Yang channels – Tai Yang, Yang Mind, Shao Yang – energy begins to decline. Her face wanes and her hair begins to turn white.


From the age of 42, her physical energy and fertility energy declines and it becomes more difficult to conceive.


49 years old


The Ren meridian (Conception Vessel) and Chong meridian vital energy declines, her menstruation dries up, her physique turns old and feeble and she is no longer able to conceive.


From the 7-year-life cycle, we can see that, according to Chinese Medicine, a good age for a woman to have children is from 21 to 35, and the best age is around 28 years old when her energies are at their “peak”.


These cycles are still relevant in diagnosing and treating women’s health issues in the context of Chinese Medicine. These stages are of course just a guideline, but they are immensely helpful in understanding – in a general way – how men and women move through their lives and what strengths, needs and imbalances they may face in different stages. Chinese Medicine is incredibly complex and has a vast body of knowledge that has been collected over thousands of years, and this is why it is still able to treat the health problems that people in our modern world face.Do like our page if you want to keep your medical knowledge updated and share our article if you think it’s useful.

14 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers that influence the way our cells and organs function. Our body is made up of several different types of...

Oranges and chlorophyll

Did you know that oranges have very high content of chlorophyll? In hot countries, as it never gets cold, the outside of the orange...

Σχόλια


bottom of page