The terms "endometriosis", "cysts", "fibroids", "tumours" and "blocked tubes" all explain the actual physical end results of not flowing/blocked/stuck energy (qi) that have congealed into something that can now be investigated/seen/felt. (stuck blood). If we leave the medical model, and use the acupuncture one, we may make different sense of this, or any situation. If we use a line to represent the forms energy can take through to solid density, more of a picture emerges as to how the "stuck blood" actually got to be there. (see below).

The intention would be to return the energy to a state where it is flowing as designed to. In so doing, any distortions to life-flow can be restored to the original design. This is more likely to achieve a permanent result in the physical body. To explore the less tangible side of the equation, we need to investigate why the energy disturbances were there, leading on to the physical blockage.

Solid manifestations take shape over a long time span. Prior their formation, the disordered energy disturbances may have been felt by the woman as changes in normal menstrual flow - emotional, mood and physical variations from what she has been accustomed to. The final presenting solid masses may come in a variety of shapes, sizes and degrees of severity. They will be named appropriately, depending on their location and physical shape. They may be removed, as though that then solves the problem.

The point being missed in the current medical and naturopathic models is that something is blocking normal circulation and production of qi and blood. This then creates changes that are being noticed as deviations from menstrual health. Temporary answers, as 'quick fixes' can be manufactured. Surgical procedures may be only short-term solutions, as the body's energy disturbances recreate the structures that were supposedly 'fixed'.

Using the gross markers of chemical residues in the bloodstream as a guide, the trusting woman may allow those using the medical (or naturopathic) model to play with her natural life flows and rhythms. She may not realise that the slight wobbles and distortions that would alert an aware therapist to other internal imbalances are being swept aside in the system of medicine that is focused always on the right hand side of any scenario. Thus the body is made to switch to 'auto-pilot', until the decision to 'let nature take over', possibly to assume pregnancy will follow. Which it very often doesn't, as it can't switch itself back into a normal pattern, it never had.

A NORMAL PERIOD

Normal menstruation is a function of a well-adjusted set of acupuncture meridians that oversee the levels of qi and blood in the entire meridian and organ system. Normal qi (energy) and blood production and circulation create a healthy cycle. It comes and goes unannounced. It is not a disease process. It is not a curse. It is not supposed to be intrusive or life altering. Every 28/9 days, a show of fresh red, clean blood should herald its arrival. Starting slowly, building to a steady flow, not clotted, gushing, stopping and starting, changing colour or texture. It should happen with no attendant mood swings, headaches, bowel changes, fluid retention, breast soreness, abdominal, back, thigh, leg discomfort or pain,

Just bleeding that is turned on and off. Cleanly. No dribbling, brown, lumps and floods. No pimples, no massive weight and life changes. Just regular, uneventful bleeding, over four to five days, without hassle.

A VARIATION ON THE THEME OF 'NORMAL'

To have a troublesome cycle means that the normal production and circulation of qi and blood has been interrupted. For an acupuncturist, the menstrual history gives a reliable account, like a report card, of how all other systems are functioning. It may be that from the first cycle there were problems - this alerts the searcher of the need to explore the entire life to date, to undo all the blockages to all life's flows and rhythms. Something has stopped total healthy production and flow of blood and qi, which will have long-term effects if not rebalanced.

If this is not corrected when it is first evident, (often in teenage years), it is highly unlikely that years of contra -ceptive usage, and the resultant emotional responses to the mood and body changes, will magically resolve the original condition. Anything that has reset the original blueprint and modified the 'normal' experienced by the woman, needs to be readjusted. In gross form, the chemical overriding of the body's schedule will appear to stabilise the cycle. On auto pilot, the period experienced will be probably shorter, regular and less painful. At least initially. What the pill does to the energy that actually runs the hormones that tell the physical tissues and organs what to do is ignored in this system of physical manipulation of the grosser inner markers.

As though no pain, overbleeding, or other "problems" means that the imbalances have been resolved. The woman is now covered against unwanted pregnancy, is relatively painfree, and life appears to be simpler. If one type of pill does cause 'side effects', others may be trialled. Life usually settles down, and many years may pass. All the while, she may continue doing the very things that may have created the original need to be on the pill. As she has turned the early warning system off, the body takes a long time to get to a critical point, where attention is turned again upon the neglected energy splinters that have been festering quietly.

FURTHER DOWN THE YEARS . . . .

For some, the changes to normal that were noticed as difficult periods still go on inside her, unchecked. The flow of blood, qi and body fluids to the appropriate areas was already compromised, leading to the problems that the pill is supposedly a solution for. Over time, the pill may create other imbalances, as the liver energy is further blocked from its normal role of keeping everything freely flowing. Eventually, the inability of the reproductive area to function efficiently may show, if pregnancy occurs, as the tendency to conceive and miscarry, bleed throughout pregnancy, or experience premature labour, pregnancy complications, stillbirths, difficult labours, inability to breast feed and even stay sane after the birth . . .

All supposedly hitting 'unlucky' women at random. If we had the framework to work from, we could observe the early warning symptoms as signposts, all there to teach the appropriate responses, IF we as a society did not allow a system of medicine to override the wisdom of the body. IF we actually heard the early distress calls. If we saw the deviations from normal as warnings, rather than 'problems' to be shut up/down.

Vague imbalances to inner flow may be noticed, yet the pay off - contraception and relatively easy periods may lull the woman into continuing living unnaturally. At some point, either the symptoms of pain, maybe with the 'period', or during sex, of bleeding out of sequence, or of incredible PMT may cause her to re-evaluate the sense in being under hormonal control. Maybe the time is deemed to be right to have babies. And maybe none happen.

ONCE THE PILL IS STOPPED

The pill's main energy consequence is that it causes "stuck blood". Possibly the horrendous periods of adolescence return. Maybe they were then no problem, and are now. Maybe there is now no ovulation - maybe the pituitary system has shut down, gone on holiday, launched into 'silly' mode, forgotten how to do it, so used to being directed. The woman by now is probably feeling unwell. Even ill. Stressed.

SELF HEALING

The sensible thing to do is to stop and return the body to the balance it should have had originally. To stop all thoughts of trying to get pregnant, of trying to force a normal cycle through use of further hormones, and of settling down to treating the body with respect. Of allowing the self-healing that the body is designed.

By stopping the treadmill, and reprioritizing your life for you. Perhaps by exploring what created the imbalances in the early child hood years. Of returning to the owner's manual to gracefully return to the blueprint. This may mean exploring the physically, emotionally or sexually abusive life that you have pretended is behind you. It may be, in chronological years, yet will be still as fresh as ever, underneath all the personality masking. Undoing this denial of the repressed and blocked flow on all levels will be one of the major factors in the resolution of the resultant menstrual/sexual and reproductive 'problems'.

Often people completely discount the traumas and shocks, the disappointments, grief and resentments they have carried, as though they are irrelevant to the physical hormonal imbalances. These emotional energy blockages are usually the very root of the meridian energy disturbance to normal flow that in turn creates the changes for the organs, qi and blood to follow. All are simply attempting to operate within the distorted energy flows. To ignore why the flow is different, and try to stop the results of this distortion, especially when the anger, rage, hatred and other unfinished business is just simmering under the surface, is at best, counterproductive.

EASY OPTIONS

Using common sense, we can see that some modern additions to our busy lifestyles take us away from the wisdom and women's knowings of the past. They have helped create some aspects to the 'problems' we seem to take as being normal these days.

Wearing tampons reverses the normal menstrual down ward flow. Sexual intercourse when bleeding, forces blood and qi upwards when the natural flow at this time is down and out, rather than up and in. Not dieting, or restricting nourishment at least immediately before, during and after bleeding when the body has a reproductive agenda, monthly preparing a nest, would allow the body to go about its business with much less stress than all currently provide for themselves. Not paying attention to adequate nutrition, and not resting when the body is trying to get your attention, though heavy flow, pain and other symptoms threaten to sideline you, ensures that the body will be worse off next time.

Menstrual blood is excess blood. If your body does not recognise your extra stores, or if you do not have them, especially if you are attempting to create the body beautiful, pillaging from wherever it may occur. This plunders the inner capital that would normally be tapped into in your declining years - thus ensuring a troubled menopause, and the more likelihood of further hormonal interventions. The body is quite capable of undoing all naturally created deviations from normal. IF the causative factors are discovered, rather than hidden away. IF the energy imbalances are corrected rather than ignored. IF the essential reason it was all set in motion is unveiled, and healed.

SEEING THE "PROBLEM" AS THE SOLUTION TO SOMETHING ELSE.

This may take the courage to let go of the easy options presented by handing responsibility for 'fixing' over to therapists. It is the driver, not the car that is recreating the conditions for the continued presence of the energy imbalances. What is pain? A blockage to flow.

What is a "body"? The physical vehicle through which many different energy fields, centres, grids, meridians and graduations of light and energy bodies are grounded into dense form. If we can only accept/see the physical as all there is. If 'the problem' is beyond the realm of the physical, and is only being expressing through it, tinkering with the site, rather than the actual cause of the 'problem' will only compound both the symptom picture, and the eventual complexity of the ball of wool to be untangled.

Period pain/menstrual/menopausal disturbances (10) are temporarily eased by taking a pill (8). Eventually the creating forces - blockages found in (5), (6), (7) - burst through the artificial cycle, setting up a myriad of related gynaecological or other system dysfunction. The originating messengers - the constitutional factors (2), (3), (4), have not been attended to, and are still battling on, under difficulty- hence impacting directly down the chain of command, and being also, additionally, being independently affected by the imbalances wrought through having artificial cycle imposed.