Hello my friend Reader,
Do you ever wake up to shocking news, run around like a bear is chasing you, then sit down at noon and realize nothing was actually chasing you?
It really wasn’t that bad.
There is no bear. There never was.
You are safe, and this will sort itself out.
Do you feel like, unless you are running around at high speed, you aren’t being productive?
And the more anxiety you have around how much you're running around, the tighter your shoulders, jaw and chest get.
Your body doesn’t know the difference between urgent rushing and a real emergency. To your nervous system, a full inbox and a bear in the kitchen are the same event.
It braces the same way. Shoulders, jaw locked, breath stuck high in the chest.
In Chinese Medicine, that bracing and tension live in the liver. The liver's job is to keep everything moving, blood, breath, emotion all of it flowing smoothly.
When you spend the day in bear mode, that flow tightens like a traffic jam.
And here is the part that matters in perimenopause, the liver is also keeping all of your hormones circulating evenly.
So the tension you feel in your body and the mood swings, tender breasts and irritability before your period aren't separate problems.
I know that you are probably thinking, but I don't have time to relax. Well I am not telling you to relax. I am telling you to talk to your body and send it messages.
Here is how
Find the center of your breastbone, level with your nipples, right in the middle of the chest. In Chinese medicine, this is Ren 17, and it is where the chest opens, and the breath drops back down where it belongs.
Rest three fingers there. Press gently, or make small, slow circles. And while your hand is there, say it out loud or in your head:
I am safe. There is no bear.
Repeat it often.
Especially in the moments when you feel the rush coming on. Waiting for the kettle. Sitting in traffic. Standing in line at the grocery store.
Your body will get the message. You'll feel your shoulders come down first. Then the jaw. Then the breath. The tension lets go because it finally has a reason to.
All in good health,
Jeanettexoxo
P.S. Tight jaw, tight chest, short fuse before your period. A Reset Call is where we change this pattern in your body. Book Here