What Does Your Body Shape Say About Your Health?
When I first came across these body shapes it was a way to help me be a better practitioner. By looking at a clients body shape I could quickly assess the most likely symptoms they were experiencing, what I would likely see on their tongue and ask the right questions to confirm my diagnosis.
Personally it gave me a way to understand my own health and wellbeing and why I had experienced certain sets of symptoms throughout my life. In the past I know I have practically handed over my health on a silver platter to a practitioner so they could just “fix what was wrong”. But, the best improvements in my health always came when a practitioner handed that platter back to me and gave me good advice as to how I could also help myself.
This is the practitioner I try to be to my clients and why I want to share how to understand your body shape with you. From this article I trust you’ll be able to understand why a few common health predicaments arise and what you can be doing to ensure you are healthy and well.
Chinese Medicine and Body Shape
Before I get into the body shapes there are a few concepts you need to understand. Being a Shiatsu Therapist I am trained to look at the body from a Chinese Medicine point of view. It’s a very gentle and holistic way of understanding the body. The main concepts that will run throughout this article are:
Qi - the energy that flows through your body. It is more yang in nature so is more light and warm. It likes to flow easily and smoothly and in all directions - up, down and out. If it doesn’t it gets unhappy, frustrated and angry.
Blood - an energetic form of the red stuff that flows through your veins. It is more yin in nature so is thicker and cool. It cannot flow in your body if there is not enough Qi.
Spleen - your energetic machine that makes Qi and Blood from the food you eat. As you age or if you worry/stress too much your spleen slows down and is not able to make as much Qi and Blood. What you eat and how you eat is very important.
Liver - the energetic organ that makes sure the Qi and Blood flow smoothly and freely throughout your body. If the liver is unable to do it’s job it can become irritable and angry.
Damp - excessive moisture in the body. If damp is not steamed off by the yang qi it can congeal and become phlegm. A very thick form of damp (see my previous article for more on this).
The Four Body Types and Shapes
As the majority of my clientele are women in their 40’s and 50’s going through pre-menopause, menopause or post menopause the information is more skewed to them. However anyone younger or older and even men will be able to idenify something of themselves in these body shapes.
Shao Yang - This person has a sturdy body build. They are neither fat nor skinny and are well proportioned from top to bottom. In western terms they are referred to as mesomorphic. In eastern medicine their yin and yang is well balanced and their qi and blood are flowing freely. They generally enjoy good health.
Shao Yin - This person has a more slender build which can seem a bit fragile and they can look pale. People may refer to them as being “just skin and bone”. In western terms they are referred to as ectomorphic. In eastern medicine they don’t have enough blood and yin.
Tai Yin - This person is soft and round and has a higher proportion of fat tissue. They are often overweight and puffy. They carry most of their weight in the lower half of the body so are referred to as pear shaped. In eastern medicine they have insufficient yang qi so they are more cold and have more damp which over time can become cloudy and thick and turn to phlegm. They’re a bit of a couch potato and need a lot of encouragement to exercise.
Tai Yang - This person is also soft and round however their weight is more in the upper half of the body and so are referred to as apple shaped. It’s often seen more in men than women. In eastern medicine they are often full of energy, excitement and cheerfulness. They are strong and tend to be more hot. But, they are also more damp and without proper diet and exercise the damp can congeal to become phlegm.
Now let’s have a look at each of these in more detail and how you can use this knowledge to best help your health.
Shao Yang Body Shape - Mesomorphic
So you’re neither skinny, nor fat. You have a strong and sturdy physique. You’re generally quite healthy too and have a fairly even temperament in that your emotions don’t swing too much. You probably haven’t had much issue with your menstrual cycle over the years either. So for you moving through menopause could potentially be quite easy as you’re well balanced.
it doesn’t mean though that you can’t or shouldn’t do anything to help yourself stay healthy and strong. Your goal would be to maintain your body shape for as long as possible and you’ll mainly do this through diet and exercise.
As I’ve said above our spleen (which in Chinese Medicine is basically our entire digestive system) does weaken as we age. So stick to your healthy balanced diet, avoid fatty, fried foods and too much sugar. To help keep any hot flashes and night time heat at bay you’d be best to cut back on your caffeine and alcohol intake. It’s not to say you can’t have any it’s just that they tend to heat the body up so will bring on more hot flushes and can lead to sleep disturbances. Caffeine is best kept to the morning and there should be several hours between your last alcoholic beverage and when you go to bed. Having a glass of wine every night is probably not the best option. You might want to be more considered as to when you do drink and save it for occasions when you can be more relaxed, or when you are being social with family or friends.
Keep up with your exercise regime. It’s super important to not only keep your body strong but also keep your Qi flowing. Life can throw us all kinds of curve balls and problems which can stop the Qi flowing freely. If we’re not looking after ourselves through good diet and exercise these curve balls can turn into psychological issues and become what in Chinese Medicine we would call Liver depression or stagnant Liver Qi.
The ability of a woman to get through menopause with the least amount of discomfort is directly related to how much Liver depression she experiences. The worse the flow of her Qi the harder menopause can be.
When I see a Shao Yang woman in clinic I establish regular monthly shiatsu treatments that ensure she has good global Qi flow and a strong spleen. We talk about her diet and exercise to make sure she’s keeping up the good work.
Shao Yin Body Shape - Ectomorphic
This skinny physique is what women used to aspire to. Thank goodness there are much better images being shown to women these days. If this is you having bit more flesh on your bones will actually lead to better health.
In Chinese Medicine you are blood and yin deficient. As the energy begins to shift from yin to yang you are likely to experience more heat as there is not enough of the cooling elements in your body to stop the heat from rising up. So hot flushes and insomnia can be quite common throughout and after menopause. The deficiency in the cooling and soothing nature of the blood and yin also means you more often than other body shapes suffer from dry skin and a dry vagina. Oils and creams that are natural sources of progesterone and estrogen can be very helpful for this issue.
Diet is also important for you as she you to make sure your spleen is working well so that it can produce as much Qi and Blood as possible. The foods you eats should be easy to digest and very nourishing. Slow cooked meals are great as the spleen does not have to use to much energy in breaking the food down. Avoid avoid avoid any kind of raw food diet. Small meals eaten at regular intervals are also a much better way to go. And, where possible eat in a calm environment - no TV, no social media, no yelling at the kids. Eat and breathe :)
Regular exercise is also important but as you are deficient the exercise needs to be gentle. You don’t need to sweat alot as when you sweat you can lose vital body fluids. It just needs to be enough exercise to keep your qi flowing. Swimming, yoga, pilates, rebounding and energetic practices like Tai Chi and Qi Gong can be beneficial. The exercise regime for this body shape can be difficult as it goes against what societally we are conditioned to at the moment. This body type is me so I understand. It’s taken me a long time to figure out what best works for me. Rebounding has been the best overall cardio exercise I have found that gets my hard going but doesn’t overtax my body balanced with walking (which I love) and these days I’m favouring Qi Gong over Yoga.
Shao Yin types tend more to anxiety. The lack of energetic blood makes it more difficult to keep your spirit calm so stress management is very important as is adequate sleep with good sleep hygiene and habits. I often do a yoga nidra practice when I get into bed and try to keep the lights dim in the couple of hours before bed. Diffusing essential oils is also very beneficial.
Shiatsu works wonderfully for Shao Yin women. Many find it difficult to relax and a deeply nourishing Shiatsu gives them the time they need to properly rest and restore. Treatments are used to strengthen their spleen, nourish the blood, enrich the yin and and calm the spirit. We also talk about diet, vitamins and minerals that will provide nutritional support and generic herbal formulas that could support good sleep. Depending on their level of deficiency I may also recommend they see a Chinese Medicine herbalist to get a prescription of herbs to really help nourish their blood.
Tai Yin Body Shape - Endomophic Pear Shape
Hello curvey lady :). I hope you love your figure. Yes, naturally you have more fat tissue on your body but as long as you’re not overweight this is not a bad thing. In fact, as you go through menopause the extra fat tissue can be helpful because fat tissue releases a form of estrogen. It doesn’t release as much as your ovaries do but your brain will be happy there is still estrogen for the body to release.
If you are overweight then you do need to lose some kgs to be healthier. Your diet probably needs a serious overhaul. If you’re eating healthy but are not loosing any weight then your digestive system needs some work to help do it’s job of transforming what you eat into Qi and Blood. The warming component also needs help so it can steam off the excess fluids and stop it from becoming damp.
Dampness is not your friend. It causes fatigue. And, that tiredness stops you from getting up off the couch and getting the exercise your body really needs. You need to move every day. And, whatever movement you choose it needs to be fun and enjoyable as you really need that extra insentive to keep at it regularly, daily. Dance, zumba, working outdoors with a personal trainer in groups are some great ways to help shake off some of those kgs as they’ll help light your internal fire and burn off dampness.
The dampness can also cause heat which is going to lead to sweaty hot flushes and disturbed sleep. If your spleen is not producing enough blood your spirit is not able to rest as easily at night time. So it ‘wonders’.
When a Tai Yin woman comes to see me my Shiatsu treatments are focussed on restoring her spleen and eliminating dampness. Moxa is a wonderful heat therapy I use to get the spleen and kidneys stronger. The hands on body work is a combination of very deeply calming Shiatsu but also movement and stretches that activate the Qi to get it flowing better. And, as with the other body shapes we look at her diet and exercise. At first it’s about adding some good stuff in before we start taking stuff out.
Depending on what is going on with her digestive system I may also recommend she see a naturopath who can investigate the digestive issues further or a Chinese herbalist to provide herbs that can restore her spleen, yang and elminiate dampness. Diet and exercise are super important though to make sure she can get through menopause with enough mojo to enjoy the rest of her life.
Tai Yang Body Shape - Endomorphic Apple Shape
This is a body shape seen more in men than women. As yet I haven’t had a client with this body shape. If this is you you tend more to heat and just like your friend above, dampness. You’re the type of person who can go out in the cold without a coat or hat. You just don’t feel the cold as much.
One of the things you really need to watch is your blood pressure. It can be more on the high side because of the extra heat that is in your body. Exercise is really good for you. Exercise will help you sweat and release heat.
Because of the extra heat your diet needs to consist of more cooling foods. A cooling food is something that has a higher water content and doesn’t take long to grow eg lettuce, cucumber, watermelon. White meats like chicken and fish are more netural in their thermal nature where as red meats are more warming. Lamb is classified as hot. When you cook your food use quick cooking methods like steaming or stirfrying to keep as much moisture in your food as possible. Whilst spicey foods can be delicious they are only going to heat you up further as is alcohol, coffee and sugar so keep these to a minimum. If you are out being social beer is a better beverage for you than wine or spirits. It’s more cool in it’s nature whereas the others are more heating. Always remember that less is more.
A lot of people like a good massage. However, the dampness in your body makes your skin more oily and so oil based massages will just keep the heat in. Eastern therapies like Shiatsu and Thai massage are better suited to you and cupping can be great to draw out some heat as well as toxicity created by the damp.
Like the other shapes there is likely to be hot flushes in menopause and perhaps even more so for you. Heat rises so that extra heat is going to affect your head, heart and lungs. Heart heat will irritate your spirit which may disrupt your sleep at night, give you heart palpitations or create feelings of anxiety.
Looking after your health by looking after your body shape
Body shapes don’t tell everything about your health and wellbeing but are a good way to know some basics you might expect to experience, and what you can do to take better care of yourself. It also helps stop you from getting caught up in the latest diet fads and exercise trends that perhaps really don’t suit your shape and health.
I mentioned in the Shao Yang body shape the importance of the free flow of Qi and Blood and that it is key to transitioning through menopause with ease and the least amount of discomfort. This is a general rule that can be applied to your whole life. All life transitions whether they are metabolic or emotional need energy. And that energy needs to be free flowing throughout the entire body - up, down and outward. If it is not the Qi becomes unhappy and potentially stuck. An unhappy Liver Qi causes problems with the spleen (digestive energy machine). When the spleen becomes impaired there is more dampness and phlegm which means poor digestion, more fatigue and toxicity. There is also less Qi and blood to nourish and empower all our body tissues which can mean more psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. That unhappy Liver also makes you more irritable and prone to sudden angry outbursts.
Whether you’re well balanced, skinny or round it is important to look after your body shape and do the best you can to keep it healthy and well.
At Soul Body Shiatsu in Bayside Melbourne we understand how to assess a person’s health by their body shape. Shiatsu Massage treatments are individualised to each person and diet and lifestyle advice is given according to what you need to make your body the healthiest it can be.
To book in for a Shiatsu treatment and start working with your body shape contact Marian on 0403 550 695.