Hi Emilie,
I would love videos with the range of motion tests that are taught in the modules and immersions. For example, for the shoulder testing: extension, flexion, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, external rotation, labrum, bicep tendon, etc. The same would be helpful for the hips, spine, extremities, etc.

Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Joy

Hi Emilie,
Your questions bring to life one of the key aspects of Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine recognizes that everyone is a complex individual and as such we tend to have complex patterns of disharmony or imbalances even when we have the same Western medicine diagnosis. Based on the information that you have shared, yet without listening to your pulses and without asking what we refer to as the 10 questions which are key diagnostic tools in Chinese medicine, there appear to be six different patterns of disharmony or imbalances.

Two of the six main patterns of disharmony appear to be Spleen Qi deficiency and Kidney Yang deficiency. Some of the signs and symptoms of these two imbalances include: fatigue, lethargy, reduced metabolism, fogginess, underactive thyroid, and pranayama helps energy. In general to help with these patterns of disharmony, the treatment principles would include rest, sleep, and warm, cooked foods and fluids.

The other four imbalances appear to be be Kidney Yin deficiency (hard to sit still and potentially reduced sleep); Liver Blood deficiency (fogginess, 2 days menstrual cycle, and potentially reduced sleep); Liver Qi stagnation (fogginess between with movement); Jinye (means fluids) / Dampness (fogginess); and Heat (based on your tongue – I asked to see pictures of Emilie’s tongue which is another key diagnostic tool in Chinese medicine). In general to help with these patterns of disharmony, the treatment principles would include rest, sleep before 11pm, hydration, movement that creates more energy afterwards, and warm, cooked foods and fluids.

You may notice that there appear to be some patterns of disharmony that conflict each other; for examples, Kidney Yang and Yin deficiencies, and Spleen Qi deficiency and Liver Qi stagnation. This leads us to another beautiful aspect of Chinese medicine in that we can hold two principles that appear to be opposite at the same time. Yin and Yang are a great visual to explain this idea in more depth. Imagine a mountain. A mountain can have a sunny side and a shaded side at the same time. The sunny side of the mountain represents the yang. The shaded side of the mountain represents the yin. Both yin and yang are occurring at the same time on the mountain. This is just like an individual may have a reduced amount of yin and yang in the body at the same time. This is also a common scenario as yin and yang also balance out each other just like day balances night.

To explain the qi imbalances that appear to be in opposition and conflicting, imagine a river. First imagine a river that is well supplied with water. The river flows smoothly with the current. Then imagine that river in a drought. In a drought, a river tends to have a lower water table; this is similar to qi deficiency. Yet as the water table decreases there may be areas along the river that develop little jetties and pockets of water that are not moving with the current; this is similar to qi stagnation. Therefore, like yang deficiency may create yin deficiency and vice versa, qi deficiency may create qi stagnation and vice versa.

The reduced water table river visual also helps to demonstrate Liver Blood deficiency. In other words, the body may not have enough blood to have a full cycle, just as the river may not have enough water to move to the ocean. In Chinese medicine, the menstrual cycle may be considered normal if its length is 4-5 days long. Anything shorter may be a sign of Liver Blood deficiency.

Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Joy

Hi Emilie and Alice,
From a Chinese medicine perspective, hypothyroidism may include aspects of Kidney yang deficiency, and / or Spleen yang deficiency. In general when yang is deficient, the fire of the body may not be warming appropriately. Therefore, incorporating cooked foods and warm / room temperature fluids may be helpful. When we eat cold, raw, uncooked foods, or cold / iced fluids, these items may reduce or put out our digestive fire which is part of the yang of the body. Additionally, it is from our foods and fluids that the body produces qi, blood, yin and yang. Therefore, if the digestive fire is not warming appropriately, the body may feel more fatigued as it takes more energy to digest. Instead, cooked foods and warm / room temperature fluids are closer to our body temperature and technically pre-digested from cooking. Therefore, this may take less energy for the body to produce energy from our food.

In addition, while based on the OPQRST, it appears that exhaustion is still present after sleep, sleep and rest may be helpful areas with hypothyroidism. One’s qi is a manifestation of one’s yang. Therefore, to help build yang, one may also include building qi. One builds qi while resting and sleeping. Yet this sleep needs to be restorative. The quality of insomnia provides more information as to where these deficiencies are arising. For example, is it challenging for the individual to fall asleep, stay asleep, or both? Additionally, what times of day does the individual feel more exhausted? During the morning, afternoon, etc.?

When it comes to yoga, movement, and any actives including sex, there is a helpful equations that I like to teach my clients. If you feel more energized after an activity, then the body produced more qi as a result of that activity. Therefore, the intensity and duration of this activity appears appropriate. For example, some individuals feel more energized after exercise. This is due to a different imbalance in the body. Yet, if you feel more fatigued after an activity, then the body lost more qi as a result of that activity. Therefore, the intensity and duration of this activity appears inappropriate. As such, the intensity and / or duration may need to be reduced.

When it comes to recommending supplements, vitamins, minerals, etc. for a client that is on a prescription, I would recommend that they seek out a health professional that understands the interactions of prescriptions and these alternative items. Everyone is an individual therefore without a clear health history, diagnostic information, pattern of disharmony, etc. one supplement may be helpful for one individual and harmful for another. Along this same vein though, there are some foods that may exacerbate hypothyroidism and / or interact with thyroid medications. Some of these foods in addition to the most common goitrogenics may include: horseradish, and wasabi.

Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Joy