In daily life, have you ever experienced these troubles?Sometimes, when the body is slightly bumped,bruises appear on the skin and take a long time to fade;the skin tone is dark, prone to spots, and dark circles are prominent,despite using many whitening skincare products with little effect;sometimes the body also feels pain for no reason.These are signals from a blood stasis constitution, which may seem trivial, but this constitution is very easily targeted by “tumors”. Why is that?In the “Treatise on Blood Disorders – Blood Stasis”, it is mentioned that “when blood stasis occurs between the meridians and organs, it forms masses”, where “masses” refers to tumors. If the body’s blood flow is stagnant, it is easy to produce blood stasis, forming a blood stasis constitution. Over time, this can lead to the occurrence of tumors, such as gastric cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, etc.As the saying goes, “9 out of 10 women have blood stasis”, because women are fundamentally based on blood, the blood stasis constitution is especially frightening for women, with numbers far exceeding those of men. It can even lead to some tumors unique to women, such as uterine fibroids, breast cancer, and uterine cancer. In addition, coronary heart disease, cerebral thrombosis, cerebral infarction, carotid artery plaques, insomnia, forgetfulness, and unexplained body pain are all related to blood stasis constitution. So do you know what causes blood stasis constitution?
/ Causes of Blood Stasis Constitution /
There are many factors that contribute to blood stasis constitution, including qi stagnation, cold congealing, phlegm obstruction, qi deficiency, external injury, etc. As long as it affects blood circulation, there is a possibility of forming blood stasis constitution.For example, depression can lead to qi stagnation, obstructing blood flow; being cold without proper warmth or excessive consumption of cold drinks can cause cold congealing and blood stasis; excessive intake of high-fat and high-calorie foods can lead to phlegm dampness obstructing the meridians, resulting in phlegm and blood stasis; aging and weakness can lead to qi deficiency, making it difficult to promote blood flow, causing blood stasis; lack of exercise can lead to poor circulation of qi and blood; or internal bleeding caused by external injury that cannot be dissipated or expelled in time, resulting in blood stasis.After understanding the causes of blood stasis constitution, you may be curious about the characteristics of this constitution and specific nurturing methods. Next, I will continue to introduce this so that everyone can have a more thorough understanding of blood stasis constitution.
/ Typical Characteristics of Blood Stasis Constitution/According to the “Shuowen Jiezi”, “stasis means accumulated blood”. Blood stasis, as the name suggests, is blood stagnation and accumulation. When blood circulation is obstructed, blood vessels are blocked, and the body is prone to form a blood stasis constitution.The typical characteristics of blood stasis constitution can be summarized with the four words: dark, spots, pain, forgetfulness.1. DarkThe skin lacks the nourishment and moisture of blood, leading to dark and dull complexion, lips that are pale or purplish, and dark circles around the eyes.
2. SpotsTraditional Chinese Medicine believes that “there are no spots without stasis”. When blood circulation is obstructed and the flow rate slows down, melanin in the skin cannot be metabolized normally, leading to stasis spots and pigmentation. Observing the tongue can also reveal dark tongue with stasis points or stasis spots, and prominent veins under the tongue.
3. PainTraditional Chinese Medicine states that “where there is no flow, there is pain”. When blood flow is obstructed, it can cause pain in certain parts of the body, such as headaches, chest pain, lower back pain, and menstrual pain in women, with pain often characterized as stabbing, fixed in location, and worsened by pressure.
4. ForgetfulnessDue to poor blood circulation, insufficient blood supply to the brain may lead to decreased memory, forgetfulness, and mental fatigue.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, blood stasis constitution is generally divided into five types:qi deficiency type, qi stagnation type, blood deficiency type, cold congealing type, and heat accumulation type. Next, I will provide specific nurturing methods for each type of constitution, so be sure to save them./ Nurturing Plans for 5 Types of Blood Stasis Constitution /1. Qi Deficiency Type Blood Stasis“Qi is the commander of blood.” If qi is insufficient, there is no strength to promote blood circulation, leading to obstruction of blood flow, and stasis occurs where it stops.The main manifestations are lack of movement, fatigue, reluctance to speak, preferring to sit rather than stand, and preferring to lie down rather than sit.For qi deficiency type blood stasis, daily care should focus on tonifying qi and nourishing original qi. Moxibustion can be used to promote the circulation of qi and blood, warm the meridians, and disperse blood stasis.[Moxibustion Points]: Guanyuan, Qihai, Zusanli.
Swipe left to see more2. Qi Stagnation Type Blood Stasis“It feels like there is a blockage in my chest, I can’t swallow or spit it out”, this is a typical case of qi stagnation.Qi stagnation refers to external pathogens blocking the body or emotional distress causing qi obstruction, affecting the normal flow of blood and causing blood stasis.Those with qi stagnation typically exhibit emotional abnormalities, either easily irritable or silently crying, often sighing, and showing little interest in anything, along with pain in the hypochondriac region or breasts.If you notice this situation, we should adopt methods to move qi, and regularly practice “Little Rooster Exercise”.[Little Rooster Exercise]: Bend both arms, raise them to the chest, with fists facing each other, like a bird spreading its wings. The elbow contact point is the Zhangmen point, which is a liver meridian point and a convergence point for the qi and blood of the five organs.
Image source: @Internet3. Blood Deficiency Type Blood StasisYou may wonder why blood deficiency can also lead to stasis? Isn’t blood deficiency just having less blood? It is important to know that blood stasis can not only occur due to poor circulation but also because the reduction in blood flow leads tothe inability to clear waste from the blood vessels, resulting in blood stasis.Those with blood deficiency typically present with pale complexion, dizziness, and insomnia, while women often show signs of reduced menstrual flow and pale lips during menstruation.Here, moxibustion is recommended for nurturing, as it can not only invigorate blood and disperse stasis, nourish and tonify blood, but also promote smooth blood circulation.[Moxibustion Points]: Xuehai, Sanyinjiao.In addition, to alleviate stasis caused by blood deficiency, consuming Five Red Soup is also a good choice.Five Red Soup
[Ingredients]: A small handful of red beans, 10 grams of brown sugar, 8 pitted red dates, 15 grams of goji berries, 30 grams of red-skinned peanuts, 10 grams of hawthorn.
[Method]: Soak the peanuts and red beans for 2 hours in advance, wash the other ingredients and put them in a pot, boil for 30 minutes, then add goji berries and brown sugar and boil for another 10 minutes.
[Effects]: Nourishes blood and improves complexion.
4. Cold Congealing Type Blood Stasis“Blood flows when warm, congeals when cold”. When exposed to cold pathogens or for those who are inherently cold and yin, it can lead to damage to yang qi, resulting in poor blood circulation and blood stasis; on the other hand, it can cause blood vessels to constrict, exacerbating blood stasis. Those with internal cold typically fear the cold, have cold limbs, and prefer to drink warm water.In daily life, using ginger and mugwort foot baths can help to warm the meridians, disperse cold, invigorate blood and open the collaterals, and promote blood circulation, thereby relieving blood stasis caused by cold congealing.[Specific Method]: Control the foot bath time to be within 15 minutes, with a goal of sweating slightly. At the same time, simple massage can be combined, such as pressing the Xuehai point, recommended for at least 3 minutes.
5. Heat Accumulation Type Blood Stasis“Blood is like a boat, and body fluids are like water. When the water is abundant, the boat can move forward.” This means that the blood in the human body is like a small boat, and body fluids are like the water below the boat. If heat pathogens dry up the body fluids, the blood cannot flow far and stays in certain areas, leading to blood stasis.External heat pathogens, such as wind-heat colds, manifest as dry and sore throats; internal heat caused by yin deficiency manifests as excessive sweating at night and inner restlessness. These are signals from the body—”the water is about to dry up, drink more water!”Those with internal heat can try gua sha therapy to clear heat and drain fire, thereby regulating blood circulation and helping the body restore yin-yang balance.[Gua Sha Points]: Hegu, Taichong, Quchi, Xuehai, Sanyinjiao.
Swipe left to see morePlease remember, to regulate blood stasis constitution, the key is to invigorate blood and disperse stasis, and unblock the blood vessels. It is also important to start from individual constitution characteristics and choose appropriate methods such as gua sha, moxibustion, and dietetics for regulation. Let’s start now, pay attention to body signals, actively regulate blood stasis, and enjoy a healthy and beautiful life.Family Gua Sha Teaching
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