This episode started with a hat pick.

I wrote down three TCM patterns, folded them up, and pulled one at random. What came out — menopause.

This one was also inspired by a question from Noriko, who asked specifically about insomnia during menopause. So today we're breaking down menopause through a TCM lens — what's actually happening in the body, why the symptoms feel the way they do, and why not every woman goes through it the same way.

Because in TCM, menopause isn't just one pattern.

We go through all of them — Kidney Yin deficiency, Kidney Yang deficiency, both deficient together, Liver Qi stagnation over Kidney deficiency, and Heart-Kidney disharmony. Each one presents differently. Each one has a different tongue and pulse picture. Each one leads to a different treatment approach.

This is what makes TCM so clinically rich. We don't treat a diagnosis on paper. We treat the person in front of us.

This Friday's Quick Win newsletter includes the full acupuncture point breakdown for every pattern discussed in this episode. Sign up for free at studyacuwithme.com/quickwin