Menopause: Your “Second Spring”
“As Jing transforms, Shen grows brighter. The wise woman uses her Second Spring to nourish her spirit.”
Menopause isn’t an ending, it’s a shift into your second spring. A powerful time of transformation, reflection, and renewal. But sometimes the trek through perimenopause and menopause can feel anything but graceful. Fatigue, night sweats, brain fog, mood swings, and sleep disruptions can leave you feeling out of sync with your body.
While hormone levels can offer valuable insight into your body’s internal landscape, Traditional Chinese Medicine meets you where you are—viewing your signs and symptoms not as isolated issues, but as meaningful signals to work with.
A 3000-Year-Old System Meets Modern Medicine
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine have supported women through every stage of life for thousands of years. It’s a comprehensive system that includes lifestyle guidance, nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and more.
At its core, Chinese medicine is rooted in treating the whole person—addressing your total health, rather than isolated symptoms.
PERIMENOPAUSE -> MENOPAUSE: The fluctuation begins! Irregularities and subtle changes are usually the hallmark of perimenopause. This is the optimal time to have a regular acupuncture practice, but it’s never too late to start. Through both stages, you might notice one or more symptoms - everyone is unique, and some women do not have these at all!
Irregular periods. Increased PMS symptoms.
Fatigue. Night sweats. Hot flashes. Sleep disturbances. Mood changes.
Decreased libido. Dryness.
Weight gain/changes in metabolism. Brain fog.
Changes in hair and skin. Joint and/or muscle pain.
With our comprehensive approach to treating the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, you might try one or more of the following modalities, usually following your practitioner’s recommendations for your own constitution and experience.
ACUPUNCTURE: Regulation of Systems:
hormones/endocrine system (research supported)
autonomic nervous system regulation
cycle regulation
cortisol/cascade effect
mood/stress responses
improved sleep
digestion/metabolism
energy
mitigating pain, improving mobility
HERBAL MEDICINE: Creating Internal Healing —formulas are customized for you and prescribed by licensed herbalists, designed to shift symptoms at the root.
prescribed by a license practitioner with herbal specialty and years of study
sustainably sourced by generations of herbalists
formulated on your own unique symptoms & constitution
increases speed of resolution of symptoms
correlates with nutrition recommendations
assessed for compatibility with Rx - integrative approach
not needed into perpetuity; we aim for timely resolution
TCM-BASED NUTRITION: time-honored and research backed recommendations to support digestion (where we generate our vital Qi), promote energy, and help balance the body.
TCM provides manageable guideposts for how to eat to feel your best
learn how food is prepared to optimize transformation into energy
can be simple adjustments
meant to heal your digestion, not bandaid
tongue analysis tells the tale!
WHOLE BODY SUPPORT: We offer healing therapies like Cupping, Moxibustion, Craniosacral Massage, Lymphatic Massage, Red Light Therapy, Ear Seeding, and Fascia Tuning to further encourage circulation, detoxification, and relaxation.
COSMETIC ACUPUNCTURE AND FACIAL REJUVENATION: Your most youthful skin is achievable through the application of TCM for facial rejuvenation at The Road with Brooke. Her bespoke therapy includes acupuncture for the whole system, lymphatic and fascia work, facial sculpting massage to release tension, advanced skincare, red light therapy, microcurrent with biofeedback, and more.
Yin, Yang & The Kidneys: The TCM Lens
The way we describe our assessment can sound foreign at times! We often refer to organs as they relate to your status or overall constitution, but don’t fret if we say you have an ‘excess’ or ‘deficiency’ in your Kidneys or Liver for example, we are referring to the organs in terms of the TCM system, or even the meridians or channels that run through the body.
For instance, in Chinese medicine, menopause is linked to our Kidneys which govern growth, vitality, and aging. As this energy shifts, we look to harmonize Yin (cooling, calming, feminine) and Yang (warming, energizing). Kidney yin deficiency is the universal diagnosis for women in menopause, responsible for growth, maturation and aging. The REN channel reflects self love and nourishment while the DU reflects independence and libido.
While this doesn’t have to make sense (we’ve got you!), feel free to ask for clarification to your own satisfaction - most love learning something about themselves in terms of this thousands of years old medicine.
Treatment Through Chinese Medicine
So how do you get started working with an acupuncturist and herblist to help you navigate your health? It’s very straightforward - you book an initial appointment. This appointment includes and ‘assessment’ of your current health status and the symptoms you are experiencing. If you have never had acupuncture, you might find some intake questions seem unrelated, but with experience, you will see how everything can be connected.
After a series of questions and a bit of a deep dive and listening to your concerns, we make sure we are honed in on what is most important to you, and you receive your first treatment of acupuncture. (See below for the most frequently asked questions related to acupuncture!) This session might incorporate lying face down, for a few placements on your back, and you are then allowed to rest for a bit to let the needles start to tap into your own innate healing processes. You might even receive cupping if indicated or if you have ancillary issues like back pain or allergies (we will address varying symptoms a bit like peeling an onion - layer by layer, prioritizing what will heal and help you the most in one visit). Then face up, more needle placements, and another rest. This is often referred to as an ‘acu nap’ and patients find it incredibly restorative.
While you’re resting, your acupuncturist is preparing a plan customized to you and your needs, along with a customized herbal formula. At The Desert Canary, we mostly work with powdered herbs for high absorption and ability to blend as needed. You usually receive a one to two week supply, and we re-evaluate to update your herbs based on your progress on your next visit.
Needles are then removed, and in many instances, you will receive ear seeds from your provider. These are powerful influencers of your health and wellbeing in your ear for days to come - you can massage these beads throughout the day to receive relief from various symptoms. They are left in for a few days, and the positions are switched as needed over the course of your treatment.
Once your treatment is over, we’ll let you know a proper cadence to manage your health and make sure you are reaching your milestones for improvement. When you are feeling your best, we migrate your schedule to ‘maintenance’ and see you to fine tune as it suits you, often monthly. Some love how they feel and come more often ongoing to stay on top of feeling their best. Others feel great and off they go, only popping in if something new arises.
How Often and When Will I See Results?
Normally acupuncture is provided weekly for a few weeks while we build on improvements - we monitor to make sure you don’t backslide as you feel positive shifts like sleeping better, less hot flashes, less dryness, reduced anxiety, and so on.
It’s worth noting that originally, Chinese medicine was relied on to keep you healthy, not just treat an illness once it was already ensconced - you paid to stay well, if you fell under the weather, you didn’t pay. Understanding this mindset and historical perspective might help you also understand that this medicine might take a few sessions to recalibrate your health (or more depending on how chronic and complicated your issues are). It’s also worth noting - we do not want you to be married to your herbalist here - we expect you to see improvement within a certain timeline, and taper off of herbs.
A typical pattern might look like a month of weekly, then every other week, then monthly. This will vary based on the aforementioned severity of your particular symptoms - how chronic or acute, how superficial or deep, and so on.
PS, We’d also love to have you explore facial rejuvenation through Cosmetic Acupuncture, visit The Road to learn more!
We look forward to helping you thrive into your Second Spring! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Brooke or Mari, we offer complimentary consultations as well.
About The Founders
We encourage you to explore our practitioners on our website. Here is a bit more about founders Brooke Taylor and Dr. Mari Galle.
Brooke and Mari met during their studies for the four year graduate program for Chinese Medicine at AOMA here in Austin, Texas. They then took the required four medical boards, passed all licensing requirements, and maintain their yearly continuing education requirements, going above and beyond in their respective fields.
Brooke Taylor, LAc, founded The Road for all things acupuncture and facial rejuvenation in 2016 after spending many years in the skincare industry as an esthetician and global brand director for a skincare range. As her acupuncture practice grew, she needed trusted colleagues to refer patients for other issues ultimately affecting their outcomes, such as digestion, their cycle, and more. She partnered with her friend Mari to create The Desert Canary just upstairs from The Road, with the current team of experts in their fields.
Dr. Mari Galle, LAc, DACM cofounded The Desert Canary while also running her own private practice and establishing a non-profit focused on her specialty in the area of oncology - supporting patients through their cancer journey and recovery with services of acupuncture and health support. She also grew her family with a busy toddler in the mix, and applies her extensive knowledge in pre and post natal services.
You can find them both at the collective at 4130 Spicewood Springs Road daily.
FAQs
Is acupuncture painful? Acupuncture needles are very thin and do not create pain when inserted. Most notice some sensation, often described as ‘dense’ or tingling, sometimes they notice this can extend out or up/down beyond the position of the needles. The needles can cause temporary slight discomfort which usually fades in moments. They should not cause pain, and we adjust/remove if they for some reason do not agree with you.
How often do I need to receive a treatment? This varies, from twice a week, weekly, bi-monthly, monthly - it just depends on the nature of the issue we are addressing, how long it has been occurring (chronic issues take longer to resolve, acute can sometimes be sorted in one session).
Will this treatment interfere with my doctor’s treatment plan? We are skilled at working within your current protocols and medications. We can complement your treatments, and in some cases, help you not rely on medications with side effects. We do not give medical advice, nor contradict your physician’s advice.
Can I receive more than one type of treatment in one visit? Yes! Patients love to follow up their acupuncture with massage or a lymphatic session. Our patient coordinators will be happy to assist you.
Do you offer packages or series? We have various packages and memberships for those who would like to make a commitment to their health with us. You can explore on our website or work with our patient coordinator. We can also customize solutions for you.
Do you take insurance? While we do not take insurance, we can provide the forms you need to submit to your insurance. We do take most FSA and HSA.
Testimonials from The Desert Canary Patients
“This is the first night I slept through without waking soaked in sweat. Life-changing.” — A.C. with acupuncture and ear seeds
“I was having panic attacks. Nothing helped—until I tried acupuncture. It was the first thing that made me feel calm again.”
— Client using esoteric acupuncture, herbs, and tapping“I’ve been working with Raechel on my cycle, it is more regulated with less symptoms since I’ve been taking my herbs regularly. Super happy with this progress.” — C.P with acupuncture, herbs, lymphatic massage
“My husband is very happy that I’ve been getting regular sessions. I sleep so much better, so he sleeps better, too. My mood has improved with this as well.” — D.E with acupuncture, herbs and ear seeds
“I love the ear seeds, they are like having a calming therapist’s voice in my ear all week long!” — C.H, acupuncture and ear seeds post facial rejuvenation
