Menstrual Cycles, Perimenopause, and the Power of Letting Go
Navigating Perimenopause Through The Quiet Wisdom Of Autumn
This post is Part 5 of a 6-part Autumn Health series rooted in Chinese Medicine.
(We recommend starting with the Five Elements Series for deeper context if you haven't yet.)
The Spirit of Autumn: Breath, Harvest, and the Season of Letting Go
Menstrual Cycles, Perimenopause, and the Power of Letting Go (you are here)
Feeling It All: The Metal Element and the Corporeal Soul in Autumn (coming soon)
As autumn draws us inward, many begin to notice shifts in their menstrual cycles, especially during perimenopause. This post explores the changing rhythm of menstruation, the 7-year cycle, and how Traditional Chinese Medicine views this life transition not as a decline, but as a redirection of energy. With warmth, nourishment, and gentle daily care, this season of letting go becomes a powerful invitation to listen, adapt, and reconnect with ourselves.
The Rhythm of Menstrual Cycles and What Changes in Perimenopause
Autumn tends to bring us back into our bodies. With fewer distractions and the hush of shorter days, we start to notice the rhythms within us, especially the ones that are shifting. If you’re entering perimenopause, your menstrual cycle might start to feel less familiar. Some cycles arrive early, others late. Bleeding may be heavier or barely there at all. Emotional changes, sleep disruptions, or strange new sensations may tag along for the ride.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), menstruation is shaped by more than just the uterus. The Spleen helps generate Blood, the Liver stores and moves it, and the Kidneys provide the deep reserves that keep the cycle steady over time. When these systems are taxed by stress, overwork, emotional buildup, or the natural wear of time, it can show up in your cycle.
One way TCM explains this process is through the lens of 7- and 8-year cycles. Female bodies shift every 7 years, with noticeable changes often emerging around age 42 or 49. It’s not a sudden drop, but a gradual rebalancing.
Autumn, the season of the Metal element, is about boundary between self and world, between what we take in and what we release. Menstruation mirrors this. It’s a rhythm of holding and letting go, of metabolizing what the body has carried. When that rhythm changes, it’s worth paying attention.
Letting Go as a Traditional and Timeless Practice
Letting go isn’t a new idea. Across time and cultures, autumn has been seen as a season of release. Clearing away what’s done to make room for what’s next. In Chinese medicine, perimenopause isn’t a decline but a reorientation. The focus begins to shift from reproduction to spirit, creativity, and wisdom. But it takes energy to move through that shift.
It asks us to slow down. To simplify. To reflect inward and honour what the body is asking. What once felt tolerable may now feel like too much. What used to be easy might now feel like a strain. And the strategies that got us through our 20s or 30s might not hold up anymore. That’s not a failure. It’s adaptation and maturity.
What was once ignored may now rise to the surface. Old griefs, unprocessed emotions, or long-held tension can all ask to be seen. There’s no need to force them out, but it helps to make room.
This isn’t a time to fix or fight what’s happening. It’s a time to listen. To grieve what’s changing, and to begin to welcome what’s coming.
Practical Ways to Support Yourself Through This Transition
Adjusting your lifestyle can sound boring, or just like another item on the to-do list. But those small acts of daily care add up. At Tsumugi, we call it the daily mileage of healing. The little things you do regularly often matter more than the big things you do once in a while.
Start with listening. Maybe your body wants more sleep, quieter mornings, or fewer obligations. Moving your body doesn’t have to mean pushing through; gentle walks, stretching, or just lying down and breathing deeply can be enough.
Warmth is medicine. Keep your neck, shoulders, lower belly and low back covered. Warm, cooked meals nourish the digestive system, which becomes especially important as hormone levels shift.
Nourishment matters. Autumn is dry, and the Lungs don’t love dryness. As hormones decline, the body—especially the skin—can also feel parched. Think of hydration not just as water, but as warmth and juiciness: soups, stews, teas, congee. Nourishing foods moisten not just the body, but the spirit too.
Breath connects everything. Practices like Qi gong or focused breathing with gentle movement can support the nervous system, digestion, and emotional processing.
Emotional support counts. As you turn inward, things may come up. Let them. Make space to feel, reflect, and process. You don’t have to do it alone—but you also don’t have to rush through it.
Embracing the Future, Rooted in Tradition
Perimenopause isn’t an ending. It’s a turning and transitioning point. The 7-year cycle reminds us that life moves in rhythms, not straight lines. The body is shifting its energy inward, toward spirit, toward the next chapter.
Like the leaves falling quietly from the trees, it’s okay to let go. Your body knows how to do this. It always has. It just asks for a little more time, a little more care, and a little more listening.
Autumn invites us to release, but also to gather strength quietly for the winter ahead. Menstrual cycles and perimenopause teach us this balance between holding on and letting go. There’s wisdom here. There’s beauty. And there’s nothing broken.
Embrace your season with curiosity and care.
Other posts on the Autumn Health series:
The Spirit of Autumn: Breath, Harvest, and the Season of Letting Go
Menstrual Cycles, Perimenopause, and the Power of Letting Go (you are here)
Feeling It All: The Metal Element and the Corporeal Soul in Autumn (coming soon)