Qi represents Yang, while blood represents Yin. Qi symbolizes masculinity, and blood symbolizes femininity; both are indispensable. However, today we will focus solely on blood. This is because blood has a more direct impact on women, influencing their complexion, skin tone, hair quality, and overall femininity, all of which are closely related to blood!
1. Blood deficiency leads to many troubles and illnesses!
When women have sufficient blood, even after middle age, they can still have a radiant complexion and exude femininity in their movements. However, with blood deficiency, they may resemble a sickly beauty like Lin Daiyu! Therefore, for women to achieve health and beauty, it is essential to have adequate blood. If blood is deficient, it can lead to minor troubles or serious illnesses:
1Blood deficiency causes acne
Blood is essential for the body’s metabolism. When women have insufficient blood, their metabolism slows down, leading to the accumulation of waste and toxins in the body that cannot be expelled in time. With an excess of toxins, skin issues like acne can easily arise.
2Blood deficiency leads to weight gain
People with blood deficiency may not only be thin but can also gain weight. When the body’s blood and energy are insufficient, the food consumed is not adequately metabolized, leading to the retention of phlegm and fat within the body. Over time, this accumulation increases, causing weight gain.
3Blood deficiency causes a sallow complexion
It is often said that men have rough skin, but when women are blood deficient, their liver function weakens, and bilirubin cannot be metabolized in time, leading to a yellowish complexion and rough skin. For women to improve their skin, they must first nourish their blood.
4Blood deficiency causes menstrual irregularities
Blood is the internal sun of the body, continuously supplying energy and warmth, sustaining our life. Those with blood deficiency do not receive adequate warmth, leading to cold and dampness in the body, stagnation of Qi and blood, which in turn affects the menstrual cycle.
5Blood deficiency leads to breast diseases
Long-term blood deficiency can slow down blood circulation, leading to blood stasis. This stasis can accumulate in the body, causing blockages, especially in the breasts, where Qi and blood converge. When blood stasis accumulates here, it may trigger conditions like breast hyperplasia and nodules.
2. Relying on food to nourish blood is a foolish method!
Nourishing blood is a significant challenge for modern women. Many women go to great lengths to find various blood-nourishing products, foods, and medicines, willing to try anything available.
However, relying solely on food to nourish blood is the most foolish method. Constantly worrying about what to eat not only wastes energy but also yields minimal results because the effort is misdirected.
In reality, most women with blood deficiency have pale complexions and dry hair not because of poor diet; our daily meals can fully meet the body’s blood production needs. The true underlying cause of blood deficiency lies in insufficient transformation and transportation.
Transformation and transportation refer to the functioning of the organs, including the digestive absorption of the spleen, stomach, and intestines, as well as the storage and circulation of blood by the liver and spleen. This is the deeper reason for women’s blood deficiency. Thus, there is a saying: good digestion is more important than good food.
Insufficient transformation and transportation lead to blocked meridians, resulting in an accumulation of impurities that cannot be expelled, filling the body with waste and toxins. No matter how good or abundant the food is, it cannot nourish the body!
3. There are free methods to nourish blood!
Life is movement; movement involves the organs, while activity involves the limbs. We may find it challenging to control organ movement, but we can at least ensure our limbs move regularly, which helps to smooth the flow of Qi and blood throughout the body and relieve blockages.
However, movement also requires technique. Sometimes, running ten thousand steps may not be as effective as simply moving your fingers. Here are a few movements that are particularly effective for nourishing blood:
1. After waking up each day, rub your hands together to warm them, then massage your face, behind your ears, and your abdomen for 10 minutes. Repeat this in the evening to induce slight sweating. This practice activates the meridians and blood flow, relaxes the body and mind, and improves sleep. Just 20 minutes of this is more effective than running for two hours!
2. Lean forward, rise onto your toes, and then return to the ground. Repeat this toe-raising exercise to promote blood flow to the farthest parts of the body, enhancing circulation in the lower limbs.
3. Gently tap and massage the head. The head has many meridian points; regularly massaging with your fingers or gently tapping with a soft fist can help open the head’s meridians and invigorate Qi and blood.
4. Foot baths to unblock the blood supply base for women!
In spring, foot baths open Yang and prevent prolapse; in summer, they eliminate dampness and heat; in autumn, they cleanse the intestines and moisten the lungs; in winter, they warm the lower dantian. Regardless of the season, foot baths are highly beneficial.
It is said that “as people age, their legs age first.” The feet are the foundation of women’s Yin blood, where the kidney, spleen, and liver meridians converge. The kidneys generate blood, the liver stores blood, and the spleen governs blood. Regular foot baths activate these three meridians, helping to unblock the body’s primary Qi and blood supply.
Foot bath timing:In the evening, when Qi and blood are stored, hot water foot baths are most suitable, nourishing Yin blood. After soaking, sleep is usually more restful. This practice helps alleviate symptoms of blood deficiency, blood stasis, cold hands and feet, dull tongue, facial spots, tightness in the heart, and feelings of oppression.
Foot bath ingredients:Add safflower to the water to invigorate blood and resolve stasis, salt to relieve fatigue and aid sleep, vinegar to prevent athlete’s foot and promote blood circulation, dried ginger to warm the middle and dispel cold, Sichuan pepper to eliminate odor and dampness, and white peony, motherwort, and angelica to smooth the blood vessels, regulate menstruation, relieve pain, and improve cold hands and feet.
5. Moxibustion at four key points to activate blood circulation!
The third method for nourishing blood is moxibustion. Moxibustion can both tonify Qi and invigorate blood. When combined with the body’s natural blood-activating acupoints, it effectively clears blood stasis, cold accumulation, and blockages, ensuring smooth blood flow.
Moreover, moxibustion opens the meridians, strengthens Qi, enhances organ function, and accelerates metabolism, allowing the body to expel accumulated waste, phlegm, and toxins, creating space for blood nourishment. When we then supplement with dietary blood nourishment, the results are significantly enhanced!
Finally, here are four key blood-activating acupoints for moxibustion:
1Fengchi (Wind Pool) Point
This point on the head activates blood circulation. Gently tapping or moxibusting this point promotes blood flow to the head, enhancing hearing, vision, and calming the mind.
2Shanzhong (Chest Center) Point
This point is located at the golden section of the torso, where the Qi of the organs converges. Moxibustion at Shanzhong can dilate blood vessels and regulate heart and lung function.
3Shenque (Spirit Gate) Point
This abdominal point is a key point of the Ren meridian, which is the body’s primary Yin meridian. Moxibustion at Shenque promotes the circulation and nourishment of Yin blood.
4Jia Gen (Nail Root) Point
This point on the leg is an extension of the “well point” and is where Yin and Yang, essence, Qi, and blood converge. Stimulating and pressing the Jia Gen point can smooth the meridians and promote the flow of Qi and blood.
Moxibustion method: Use a moxibustion box or moxa sticks for suspended moxibustion. For the head and face, moxibustion for 20 minutes; for the chest and abdomen, 30-40 minutes; for the back and limbs, 25 minutes. You can complete the moxibustion in one day and rest for 1-3 days. Adjust according to your comfort level; if you feel good and have no adverse reactions, you can gradually extend the time, progressing slowly without overheating!
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