Menopause, Nature, and the Wisdom of Transition
At Inner Wisdom Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, Dr. Jessica Gallegos-White weaves ancient wisdom, nature, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and modern medical understanding to support women transitioning into perimenopause and menopause.
Menopause is often discussed in terms of what is changing or ending—changing hormones, changing cycles, and the end of the reproductive years. But when we look to nature, we are offered another way of seeing this transition.
Humans are among a small number of mammals known to live for a significant period after reproduction ends. Orcas are one of them.
Among orcas, older post-reproductive females can play an especially important role within their family groups. Their decades of experience provide valuable ecological knowledge—where food has been found, how to navigate changing conditions, and where the pod may need to travel to find resources.
Research has even found that older females are more likely to lead their groups during periods of salmon scarcity, when that accumulated knowledge may matter most. Their reproductive years may have ended, but their usefulness has not. Their role has changed.
They become experienced guides for the generations coming behind them. There is something beautiful in looking at menopause through this lens.
Perhaps this stage of life does not need to be defined solely by declining hormones or reproductive capacity. It can also be understood as a transition into a different season—one in which experience, knowledge, leadership, creativity, and wisdom take on greater importance.
Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a surprisingly complementary perspective.
For more than two thousand years, Chinese medicine has described a woman's life as unfolding through a series of developmental stages. Rather than treating aging as an abrupt event, these teachings describe the body as moving through natural cycles of growth, reproductive maturity, transition, and transformation.
That does not mean menopause is always easy.
Hot flashes, disrupted sleep, changes in menstrual cycles, brain fog, mood changes, joint discomfort, vaginal and urinary changes, and other symptoms can significantly affect quality of life. A transition can be natural and still deserve care.
This is where ancient wisdom and modern medicine can meet: honoring menopause as a natural stage of life while supporting the very real symptoms a woman may experience along the way.
The Seven-year Stages in East Asian Medicine
Huang-di - The "Yellow Emperor", is a legendary ancestral ruler in Chinese tradition. Over time, stories linked him with the beginnings of Chinese civilization and credited him with advances in daily life and medicine. In the "Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic)", he appears as a questioner in conversations with advisers such as Qi Bo (岐伯), Shao Shi (少师) and Lei Gong (雷公) . The text was compiled long after the era traditionally associated with him.
In the Huangdi Neijing 黃帝內經 -The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, the opening chapter of the Suwen describes women’s growth, reproductive life, and aging through a series of seven-year stages. The passage describes menarche beginning at the second stage around 14 years of age, and a later shift in reproductive capacity around the seventh stage, age 49. These ages are part of a traditional framework for understanding life's changes rather than a fixed timetable for every woman or a modern medical definition of menopause.
Huangdi Neijing in an ancient Chinese medical text has been treated as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia.
The Phases in TCM
These ages are part of a traditional framework for understanding life’s changes, rather than a fixed timetable for every woman or a modern medical definition of menopause.
Each woman’s experience has its own rhythm.
Phase 1—3 Development & Foundation | Birth–21
A period of physical development, growth, maturation, and the strengthening of Kidney Jing and Qi. The body moves toward reproductive maturity and establishes its foundational vitality.
Phase 4—5 Peak Vitality & Flourishing | 21–35
Traditionally regarded as a period of strong vitality, physical maturation, fertility, and outward expression. Around 28, vitality is described as reaching a peak before the gradual transitions of aging begin.
Phase 6—7 Transition & Rebalancing | 35–49
A gradual shift from peak reproductive vitality toward a new stage of life. TCM describes this as a time when Kidney Jing and Qi begin to decline, with changes in energy, appearance, menstruation, and overall constitution becoming more noticeable.
Phase 7 and beyond — Transformation & Renewal | 49+
Traditionally associated with the end of the menstrual and reproductive cycle and the transition into a the "second spring". The phase of life where women's energy shifts away from reporduction to personal renewal and wisdom. Rather than viewing this solely as decline of kidney yin, yang, and jing, the emphasis Is placed on transformation, conservation of vitality, balance, and adapting to a new energetic stage.
A Brief Detour: The Yellow Emperor’s legendary Wife-Leizu 嫘祖
Leizu 嫘祖-the Yellow Emperor’s legendary Empress and wife, discovered sericulture and invented the silk loom, in the 27th century BC. She is celebrated for teaching silk cultivation and weaving, representing women’s vital contributions to Chinese civilization.
Her connection to health is indirect: silk & silkworm-derived materials later found roles in traditional medicine and, today, in research on wound healing.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: Silkworm-derived materials became part of Chinese medicinal practice. One example is Jiang Can (僵蚕), a specially prepared dried silkworm traditionally used for conditions described as “wind,” spasms, and convulsions.
Modern Medicine: Silk proteins are being studied for wound dressings and tissue repair. That provides a modern health connection to the silk-making tradition associated with her, rather than evidence of her own medical work.
Leizu’s story offers a glimpse of women’s contributions to Chinese civilization.
Understanding the Kidney Network through TCM
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Kidney network is associated with Jing 精, often translated as “Essence”. Jing is a traditional concept used to discuss development, reproduction, and vitality across the lifespan.
As a woman moves through Perimenopause and Menopause, Dr. Jessica may consider how Kidney Jing, Yin, Yang, Qi, and Blood relate to individual patterns of symptoms. The “Kidney” in this context refers to a traditional functional network; it does not mean that menopausal symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, joint pain, brain fog and poor sleep are caused by kidney disease.
From this perspective, the transition is not something to “fix.” It is a stage to support with care tailored to the person experiencing it.
What does Western medicine say?
Western medicine describes perimenopause as the transition leading up to menopause. Hormone levels can fluctuate during this time, and experiences vary widely. Menopause is reached after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period.
Some people have few symptoms; others experience changes that affect sleep, comfort, mood, or daily life. You do not have to dismiss those symptoms simply because the transition is natural.
Dr. Jessica at Inner Wisdom Acupuncture can help you assess concerning changes and discuss treatment options available.
Supporting your next chapter
At Inner Wisdom Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, we take time to understand your symptoms, health history, and goals. We use Acupuncture and individualized TCM care to support you through the transitions of perimenopause and menopause, with attention to the whole person.
Jessica Gallegos-White, LAc. is a board certified doctor of acupuncture and herbal medicine. She will discuss herbs supplements, vitamin or homeopathic injections all available in the clinic when they’re appropriate for you.
This stage of life is not about becoming who you used to be. It is an opportunity to listen to what your body needs now, and move forward with the support you need.
Navigating through transitions of perimenopause or menopause? We’re here to listen and help support.
*To get started, call us at 360-443-6508 to book a consultation today.
References
Scheid V. Traditional Chinese medicine—What are we investigating? Discusses the seven-year stages for women described in the Huangdi Neijing.
Avis et al. (2016). Acupuncture in Menopause (AIM) study. In a trial of 209 women, those offered acupuncture reported fewer hot flashes and improvements in some quality-of-life measures compared with a waitlist group.
Yang et al. (2025). Acupuncture for perimenopausal insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. This review found potential benefits for sleep, while describing the overall evidence as low to moderate quality.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth. Summarizes research on acupuncture and other complementary approaches.
China National Silk Museum. The Origin and Development of Silk. Describes Leizu’s legendary role in teaching silk production and her cultural legacy.
https://www.chinasilkmuseum.com/gwgk/info_4.aspx?itemid=26485&lcid=628
Hu et al. Traditional Uses, Origins, Chemistry and Pharmacology of Bombyx batryticatus: A Review (2017). Reviews the history and traditional medicinal uses of silkworm preparations in Chinese medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29053625/
Hasatsri et al. Randomized Clinical Trial of the Innovative Bilayered Wound Dressing Made of Silk and Gelatin (2015). Examines the safety and effectiveness of silk-based dressings for skin-graft wounds.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4499634/
Huangdi Neijing, Suwen, Chapter 1 — “Shanggu Tianzhen Lun.” https://ctext.org/huangdi-neijing/shang-gu-tian-zhen-lun/zh
