Thank you Kathleen Thorne RN, LMT, April, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

My goal is to get you familiar enough with the Ayurvedic principles so you can make your own decisions as you navigate healthy menopause. You will know when to seek out a practitioner, when to seek out an MD and when you can adjust on your own.

Celebrating our one year anniversary🎉 50% off yearly subscriptions.

Fall Reset start Monday October 24 for paid supporters of Art of Menopausing

You don’t have to join the reset live or even start on Monday, it’s all recorded.

Introduction to the Fall 2025 Menopause Reset Program

An introductory session dedicated to explaining ‘The Art of Menopause Reset’ planned for Fall 2025.

The session begins with a prayer to Ganesha to remove obstacles, followed by an explanation of why resets and cleanses are essential, especially given the environmental and climate challenges.

There is an outline for a year-long plan for 2026, focused on small, manageable health practices based on Ayurvedic principles, aimed at reducing modern stressors and improving gut health.

The session explains basic Ayurvedic concepts, particularly Vata Dosha, and offers guidelines for a gentle, seven-day reset involving diet changes and mindfulness exercises.

00:00 Introduction and Purpose of the Live Session

00:16 Opening Prayer and Its Significance

02:27 Reasons for the Fall Reset

02:56 Challenges of Modern Life and Climate

05:35 Vision for 2026: Small Experiences for Well-being

09:31 Introduction to Ayurveda and Its Principles

10:23 Understanding Doshas and Their Impact 1

3:21 Guidelines Daily Practices for the Reset

16:43 Guidelines for Eating and Lifestyle

25:48 Next Steps

Hope you will join us.

Peace

Ps. If you are already a paying subscriber you will be receiving an additional email with zoom details, meal plan and guidelines to set yourself up for a successful reset.

Celebrating our one year anniversary🎉 50% off yearly subscriptions.

Fall Reset start Monday October 24 for paid supporters of Art of Menopausing

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of ‘Art and Heart of Menopause,’ hosts Chitra and Clarissa delve into the issue of acne, particularly in relation to menopause.

We discuss how acne is perceived and treated differently in Western medicine compared to Eastern traditions like Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine.

Exploring root causes such as diet, digestion, and emotional stress and explain various holistic remedies, including specific herbs, facial masks, and dietary adjustments.

We emphasize the importance of early detection of imbalances to prevent acne and other menopausal symptoms.

This episode is an exploration of natural ways to manage acne during menopause, offering practical advice for overall health and well-being.

00:00 Introduction and Today’s Topic: Acne

00:55 The Role of Skin in Eastern and Western Medicine

02:19 Personal Experiences with Skin Conditions

04:30 Introducing the Hosts 06:34 Understanding Menopause and Its Symptoms

08:26 Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine Perspectives on Acne

17:30 Facial Mapping and Diagnostic Techniques

27:20 Diet and Lifestyle Factors in Acne

36:48 Yogurt and Sour Fruit: A Digestive Dilemma

37:47 Irregular Sleep and Suppression of Urges

39:46 Environmental Toxins and Emotional Stress

2:51 Pathogenesis of Acne in Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine

49:08 Natural Remedies and Dietary Recommendations

54:04 Herbal Treatments for Acne

01:00:22 Practical Tips for Skincare and Lifestyle

01:10:11 Concluding Thoughts

Thanks for watching Art and Heart of Menopause. Conversations women should be having in midlife and beyond.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

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Navigating Menopausal Skin: Holistic Insights from Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda In this episode of ‘Art and Heart of Menopause,’ hosts Clarissa, a Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chitra, an Ayurvedic doctor, explore the intersection of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda in managing menopausal skin changes.

Join Clarissa (Chinese Medicine Practitioner) and Dr. Chitra (Ayurvedic Doctor) as they explore holistic approaches to skin health during perimenopause and menopause. This episode dives deep into how Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda view skin changes during midlife, offering natural alternatives to conventional anti-aging treatments. Learn why your skin is the body's largest organ and how it reflects your internal health, from digestion to bone tissue. The hosts discuss practical daily rituals including oil massage, dry brushing, lymphatic stimulation, and the importance of gentle steaming practices.

Discover the constitutional differences that determine your skin type and needs according to both medical traditions. From Vata's dry, thin skin prone to early aging, to Pitta's inflammatory rosacea and acne, to Kapha's thicker, oily complexion - understand your unique skin constitution for targeted care. The episode covers specific foods and herbs that support skin health, including goji berries, tremella snow fungus, turmeric pastes, and the golden rule: "if you can eat it, you can put it on your skin." Learn why harsh chemical peels and excessive cleansing damage your skin's protective microbiome.

Both practitioners emphasize that healthy skin requires consistent daily practices, not occasional treatments. From ancient Tibetan wisdom to modern skincare mistakes, this conversation bridges 10,000 years of traditional knowledge with practical applications for today's menopausal women. The hosts stress personalized medicine approaches over one-size-fits-all solutions, explaining why what works for your friend may not work for you. Next week's episode will focus on hair health during menopause - another external reflection of internal changes that affects how women navigate this life transition.

Key Quotes from the Episode

"I'm really passionate that women can be given the power and the knowledge to navigate what can seem a very overwhelming period of their lives. So much better to know that it isn't all just, uh, you are failing, take hormones, take meds, and that's the only route." - Clarissa

"The skin is always going to be a reflection of the digestive system... and the skin is going to show everything. It's going to show how you care for yourself. It shows whether or not you're exercising and breathing and hydrating all of these things." - Dr. Chitra

"If you can eat it, you can put it on the body, you know, so don't put anything on the body that you can't eat... These practices are not occasional. They are rituals. And there are... they don't have to be elaborate practices, but they can be rituals." - Dr. Chitra & Clarissa

Keywords: menopause skincare, perimenopause skin changes, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic skincare, natural anti-aging, rosacea menopause, dry skin menopause, holistic skincare, constitutional medicine, skin microbiome, facial gua sha, oil massage, lymphatic drainage

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

Weight & Healthy Living During Perimenopause & Menopause

Episode Overview

Join Ayurveda practitioner Dr. Chitra and Chinese medicine specialist Clarissa as they discuss the complex topic of weight management during perimenopause and menopause. The discussion explores how ancient wisdom from Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine offers practical solutions for understanding weight redistribution, healthy digestion, and maintaining balance during hormonal transitions. The hosts emphasize that weight gain during menopause. They talk about constitutional body types, digestive health, emotional processing, and the sacred role of adipose tissue in supporting women's health.

Key Topics & Practical Solutions

The episode covers essential strategies for healthy weight management including the importance of eating dinner before sunset, incorporating all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent) into daily meals, and using warming spices like cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom to support digestion. The hosts discuss why cold foods and drinks can impair digestion, leading to dampness and weight accumulation, and recommend warm, cooked foods over raw salads and smoothies. They also address the overemphasis on protein in modern diets, explaining how excess protein without adequate exercise converts to fat, and advocate for a balanced plate: 50% vegetables, 25% quality carbohydrates, and 25% protein.

Mindful Eating & Holistic Approach

Beyond dietary changes, the discussion emphasizes mindful eating practices such as tongue scraping to assess digestive health, eating with gratitude and full sensory awareness, and stopping at 80% fullness. The hosts stress that weight management during menopause requires addressing emotional health, stress management, adequate sleep, and appropriate movement. They encourage women to view their changing bodies with compassion, understanding that fat redistribution is a natural part of the menopausal transition that serves important protective and hormonal functions. The episode concludes with a call to make food sacred again—from mindful preparation to grateful consumption—as part of a holistic approach to health during life's transitions.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

Navigating Grief and Menopause: Insights from Traditional Medicine Episode 15 Art & Heart of Menopause

In this episode, Clarissa, a TCM practitioner, and Chitra, a doctor of Ayurveda, explore the complex landscape of grief that often accompanies perimenopause, menopause, and midlife transitions.

Marking the 9/11 anniversary, they discuss how grief manifests in both global and personal contexts.

They emphasize the importance of acknowledging grief and offer insights from traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda to manage it.

Topics include breath work, acupressure points, the significance of food and spices, and the role of ancient wisdom in modern life. They also highlight the need for compassion, support systems, and reflective practices like journaling and decluttering.

Episode Overview: Navigating the Hidden Grief of Menopause and Midlife Transitions

We discuss how grief manifests not just from external losses, but from internal changes - the subtle mourning for who we once were, dreams deferred, relationships evolved, and bodies transformed.

Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Challenges: TCM and Ayurvedic Approaches to Grief

Drawing from thousands of years of traditional healing knowledge, we explain how both Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda understand grief as a condition affecting breath, movement, and digestion. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, grief lives in the lungs and belongs to the metal element - the autumn of our lives - while Ayurveda sees it as a vata (air/space) imbalance that constantly shifts and changes.

We share practical tools including specific acupressure points (like the easily accessible web point between thumb and forefinger), breathing exercises such as bhastrika and bee breath, and dietary approaches using warming spices and white seasonal foods like pears and leeks.

The episode emphasizes how our culture lacks adequate space for processing this transitional grief, often dismissing women's experiences or expecting them to "get over it" quickly.

Practical Healing Tools: From Breath Work to Decluttering

The conversation provides actionable strategies for supporting yourself through grief, emphasizing that there's no single "right" way to process these emotions since they manifest differently for everyone.

00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgment of 9/11

00:26 Personal Reflections on Grief

02:54 Welcome to Art and Heart of Menopause

03:24 Meet the Hosts: Clarissa and Chitra

07:03 Understanding Grief in Midlife

10:50 Grief and Hormonal Changes

11:58 Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine Perspectives on Grief

17:05 Managing Grief: Practical Tips

22:09 Cultural Perspectives on Grief

30:55 Acupressure Points for Grief Relief

35:01 Balancing Prana and Chi

35:18 Calming vs. Stimulating Elements

36:14 Warm Oil Massage and Digestive Foods

37:05 Herbs for Grief

39:04 The Story of Ashoka Tree

42:12 Breathing Techniques for Healing

52:16 The Power of Decluttering

53:24 Seasonal and White Foods

01:03:27 Compassion and Grief

Fresh unconventional conversations from the world of Ayurveda and TCM. Discover ageless wisdom about natural perimenopause.

Join us for the next Art & Heart of Menopause live salon on Thursdays.

Thanks for listening to Art and Heart of Menopause. Feel free to share this audio Conversations women should be having.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

Embracing Aging: Wisdom and Wellness in Postmenopausal Life

In this discussion, hosts Clarissa Christensen and Chitra delve into the often-overlooked topic of post-menopause.

They explore how societal concepts around aging, such as 'aging gracefully,' can undervalue the profound wisdom and spiritual depth that comes with age.

Clarissa and Chitra draw on Chinese medicine and Ayurveda to advocate for nurturing the body's energy systems and microbiome. Stressing the importance of movement, diverse nutrition, and emotional self-acceptance.

The conversation also touches on the transition from outward-focused living to a more introspective existence, emphasizing the value of lifelong learning, service, and relational growth.

The hosts offer insights into how postmenopausal women can live fulfilling, dynamic, and meaningful lives by embracing these holistic principles.

We discuss why terms like "second puberty" infantilize women and diminish accumulated experience and wisdom. We advocate for viewing this life stage as a time of harvest and deep spiritual connection rather than decline.

"What woman would want to go back to being 16 or 20 or revert to that time? I prefer that we look at it from more of a harvesting perspective, a late summer perspective where things are in bloom. There's plenty of warmth and knowledge and all of that growing pain stuff is done. And now we can harvest the juiciness of life." - Dr. Chitra

The conversation delves into the physiological changes that occur after menopause, focusing on joint health, digestive wellness, and the crucial role of the microbiome in maintaining vitality. Clarissa explains how Chinese medicine emphasizes nurturing the spleen system for optimal energy extraction from food, while Chitra explores Ayurvedic concepts of taste, diversity, and preventing the "drying up" (Vata increase) that can lead to physical and mental stagnation. Both stress the importance of movement, diverse nutrition, and maintaining curiosity to support healthy aging at the cellular level.

"We are dropping the illusion of youth that's coming away and we are applying all this wisdom that we have gained and more that we will gain for ourselves, but also for the greater good. We are so, it's so different. It's not the service we had as a younger woman, there's something different about that." - Clarissa Christensen

Moving beyond the physical, the we explore the deeper spiritual and emotional aspects of post-menopause, introducing concepts of dharma (life purpose) and the natural evolution toward inner wisdom and service. We discuss how this life stage offers freedom from external expectations and the opportunity to develop authentic relationships with oneself and community.

This is a time of spiritual deepening, where women can embrace their role as wisdom keepers and guides, contributing meaningfully to society through their accumulated knowledge and inner strength.

"Dharma is your relationship within the world. It's the relationship to yourself. It's your purpose. But that doesn't mean it's your job. It doesn't mean that it's extraordinary. It means that you've established healthy relationships within self and with others. And that in and of itself is your purpose in this life." - Dr. Chitra

00:00 Introduction and Technical Issues

00:30 Changes in Media and Menopause

02:54 Introducing the Hosts

05:46 Personal Experiences with Aging

11:01 Movement and Physical Health

18:51 Cultural Perspectives on Aging

25:35 Philosophical Insights on Aging

38:12 Understanding Vata and Its Impact on the Body

40:04 The Role of the Spleen in Chinese Medicine

44:57 The Importance of Taste and the Microbiome

47:48 Cravings and the Sweet Taste in Aging

51:34 Diversity in Diet and Its Impact on Health

55:02 Exploring Dharma and Purpose in Life 57:15

The Journey of Post-Menopause and Inner Growth

01:04:59 Embracing Elderhood and Living Your Truth

Fresh unconventional conversations from the world of Ayurveda and TCM. Discover what’s really happening during perimenopause beyond hormones.

Join us for the next Art & Heart of Menopause live salon on Thursdays.

Thanks for listening to Art and Heart of Menopause. This post is public so feel free to share it. Conversations women should be having in midlife and beyond.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Overview: Breaking Down Premenstrual Syndrome

In this episode, Dr. Chitra (Ayurveda specialist) and Clarissa (Chinese Medicine practitioner) tackle the complex topic of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), exploring why this condition has become increasingly prevalent in modern times.

Re-imagine ayurveda and menopause. Art of Menopausing is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Art and Heart of Menopause: Understanding PMS Through Traditional Medicine

PMS affects potentially more than 50% of menstruating women, representing a significant portion of their monthly experience - sometimes up to half the month when combined with menstruation. They discuss how environmental factors, including microplastics, processed foods, hormonal disruptions from xenoestrogens, and chronic stress from modern lifestyle demands, contribute to the severity of contemporary PMS symptoms.

The conversation emphasizes that while Western medicine labels PMS as a "syndrome" (indicating unknown causes), both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine traditions offer clear frameworks for understanding and addressing the root causes of menstrual imbalances.

"The biggest takeaway is to bring discussions about PMS to the forefront. Not from necessarily a complaint place, but from an honoring place."

Traditional Medicine Solutions: Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine Approaches

We go into practical solutions from both medical traditions, focusing on addressing stagnation and deficiency patterns that underlie PMS symptoms. From the Chinese medicine perspective, PMS involves blood and chi stagnation combined with spleen deficiency, leading to symptoms like bloating, fatigue, breast tenderness, and emotional volatility.

Ayurvedic medicine views PMS through the lens of the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), with treatments tailored to individual constitution and specific symptom patterns. Both Clarissa and Chitra emphasize the sacred nature of menstruation, explaining how menstrual blood serves as emotional and physical detoxification.

Key therapeutic approaches include castor oil packs for warming and circulation, specific acupressure points for emotional release and pain relief, warming foods and soups instead of cold/raw foods, and gentle movement practices that support downward energy flow rather than inversions or intense exercise during menstruation.

Lifestyle Integration and Long-term Wellness Strategy

The discussion concludes with practical lifestyle modifications that women can implement immediately, emphasizing the connection between PMS management and smoother perimenopause transitions.

We recommend establishing consistent daily routines (dinacharya in Ayurveda) that include proper elimination, mindful eating with all six tastes, and moon cycle awareness practices. The importance of emotional expression and release during menstruation, viewing this time as sacred rather than inconvenient is stressed. Environmental toxin reduction, particularly avoiding synthetic feminine products and microplastics, plays a crucial role in hormonal balance.

The episode encourages women to track their symptoms and responses to treatments, building body awareness and self-sufficiency rather than delegating health decisions to others.

We must emphasize that while individual approaches vary based on constitution, the fundamental principles of supporting flow, reducing stagnation, and honoring the body's natural rhythms apply universally to all women seeking PMS relief.

To help understand your Ayurvedic Constitution Chitra offer’s a Women’s Doṣha Quiz. Which focuses on which doṣha is in need of support right now. It comes with a 15 min voice recording helping you focus your efforts in reducing PMS or perimenopausal symptoms. More information can be found here:

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Thanks for watching Art and Heart of Menopause. This post is public so feel free to share it. Conversations women should be having in midlife and beyond.

Fresh unconventional conversations from the world of Ayurveda and TCM. Discover what’s really happening during perimenopause beyond hormones.

Join us for the next Art & Heart of Menopause live salon on Thursdays.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

Joint Pain in Menopause: Holistic Approaches to Relief

Episode Description

Join Clarissa, a Chinese medicine practitioner and mindfulness-based pain management expert, and Dr. Chitra, an Ayurvedic doctor, as they explore the often-overlooked topic of joint pain during perimenopause and menopause. This comprehensive discussion reveals why nearly half of women experience chronic pain during this transition and provides practical, holistic solutions from both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic perspectives. Learn about the root causes of joint pain beyond simple estrogen decline, including kidney yin deficiency, liver blood stagnation, and the Ayurvedic understanding of Vata imbalances.

Key Topics Covered

The hosts delve deep into pain management strategies that go far beyond conventional NSAIDs and opioid treatments. They discuss the importance of gentle movement practices like Qigong, proper body alignment, and the "motion is lotion" principle for joint health. The conversation covers specific herbal remedies including turmeric, ginger, Vitex, and the renowned Maha Narayana oil from Ayurveda, plus Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches like Gou Pi plasters. They emphasize the critical role of magnesium supplementation, explaining the differences between various forms (citrate, glycinate, malate) and their specific therapeutic applications for muscle relaxation and pain relief.

Practical Takeaways

Women experiencing joint pain are encouraged to track their symptoms through detailed pain journals, noting location, timing, quality (sharp, dull, moving), and triggers to better understand patterns. The hosts stress the importance of self-advocacy when working with healthcare providers, as women often face disbelief about their pain symptoms. Simple daily practices like morning joint stretches, self-hugging for nervous system regulation, and temperature therapy (hot/cold compresses based on inflammation type) can provide significant relief. The episode concludes with a reminder that pain is the body's communication system requesting attention, not something to simply mask, and that compassionate self-care is essential for healing chronic pain conditions during menopause.

Fresh unconventional conversations from the world of Ayurveda and TCM. Discover what’s really happening during perimenopause beyond hormones.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe

Alcohol and Coffee While Menopausing

Art and Heart of Menopause: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Beverages - Alcohol & Coffee During Menopause

Episode Summary

Join Dr. Chitra (Ayurvedic specialist) and Clarissa (Chinese Medicine practitioner) as they explore how alcohol and coffee affect women during perimenopause and menopause. Drawing from 5,000 years of Ayurvedic wisdom and Traditional Chinese Medicine, they reveal why context matters more than blanket restrictions when it comes to beverages during this life transition. Learn how your constitutional type, seasonal factors, and timing influence whether that glass of wine or morning coffee helps or hinders your menopausal journey.

Key Topics & Takeaways

The hosts debunk the all-or-nothing approach to alcohol and coffee consumption during menopause, emphasizing that both Ayurveda and TCM focus on individual constitution, timing, and moderation rather than complete elimination. For alcohol, they discuss how different types affect the three Ayurvedic doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and Chinese medicine's five elements differently - from wine being better for hot-natured Pitta types when consumed with sweet, cooling foods, to how beer can benefit chi and blood but may cause dampness in our over-fed modern context. Coffee emerges as a complex ally that provides essential bitter taste often missing from Western diets, supporting liver health while potentially depleting yin energy that menopausal women desperately need to preserve.

Practical Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life

Both practitioners emphasize the importance of mindful, sacred consumption rather than habitual dependency. They share specific modifications like adding cardamom to coffee to reduce acidity, choosing pomegranate or watermelon mixers for summer cocktails, and timing consumption based on seasonal heat and personal constitution. The episode addresses the social pressures women face around drinking, offering alternatives like herbal wines for cold constitutions and guidance on when these beverages can actually be therapeutically beneficial. Their message is clear: listen to your body, understand your constitution, and transform daily habits into conscious rituals that support rather than deplete your energy during this transformative life stage.

Hosts: Dr. Chitra (Art of Menopause Substack) & Clarissa (Heart of Menopause Substack) Topics: #Menopause #Perimenopause #Ayurveda #ChineseMedicine #WomensHealth #AlcoholAndMenopause #CoffeeAndMenopause #HolisticHealth #MindfulDrinking

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artofmenopausing.substack.com/subscribe