Today at Soul Sanctuaries we had the pleasure to chat to Women’s Health Expert Nancy Kim, MSTOM, DIPL. OM, Oriental Medicine Consultant at the wonderful COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali. I really think Nancy sums up the major issues facing women today, which is why we love to send our clients to her. Taking that well deserved time out, beginning to care for the self and healing in a holistic way is what you can expect from your personalised stay.

Let’s talk Women’s Health

Your particular area of expertise is in the unique requirements of women and the changing needs of their bodies during each stage of life. What are the most common problems female guests have?

Perhaps the overarching theme I find with our female guests is one of difficulty in finding the time, space, and energy for self-care while delicately balancing demanding careers, children, husbands, ageing parents, suboptimal health, social circles, daily stresses of life, etc. Years of putting other needs before her own is often the junction at which I meet our guests. It is at this moment of readiness for reprioritisation but perhaps needing guidance on how to move forward that is crucial. That is where ourselves, the experts, can provide a path.  It can be a very rewarding time, but one that requires honesty, momentum, and sometimes difficult choices in the moment that will however lead to great rewards in the future. During this time, I am also commonly working to mitigate the effects of stress on the body and mind: anxiety, digestive distress, fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, etc.

Physically, I am often I am treating our guests for symptoms of peri-menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, urinary incontinence, weight gain, mood swings, etc, regulating the menstrual cycle, as well as infertility.

How can Oriental Medicine assist with these ailments and how can that benefit the guest once they’ve left the resort?

Oriental Medicine is a great perspective to view healthy living. There is a wisdom and accessibility in its traditional common-sense approach which in very broad terms is: health is achieved by striking a balance between many different forces, both of internal and external origins. This dynamic equilibrium starts with awareness of self, those forces, and what needs to be maintained or changed at any given moment to be happy and healthy.

How Oriental Medicine positively affects women’s health

Oriental Medicine most importantly empowers the guest to make their own changes in lifestyle, relationships, diet, and stress management. We diagnose the guest, helping him/her understand their strengths and weaknesses, and what practices, diets, habits, strategies would most benefit him/her. For example, a Wood/Liver constitution may experience headaches and migraines, irregular menstrual cycles, tightness in the shoulder blades and shoulders, tend towards impatience and irritability, and have fluctuating energy throughout day. Perhaps she craves sweet foods or wine to relax in the evenings and she wakes between 1-3 am each night. Understanding that this is a pattern and then given the tools that she can do herself to create balance allows our guest to go home and make the necessary changes that will have benefits far outlasting her five to seven night stay.

You perform Acupuncture which most people can envisage, but what else does Oriental Medicine entail?

In its truest form, Oriental Medicine is a way of life. It includes its most popular modality, Acupuncture, but also offers herbal medicine, dietary guidance, stress management, exercise, and meditation.

Give us an example of how a recent guest has benefitted from your practices.

Most recently, I have had a dear guest come back for the third time in two years to work with me at the Estate. He has severe and debilitating knee pain, is overweight, and is recovering from a stroke. Each time he comes we work together to lose the weight, alleviate the knee pain, and get him more mobile. He leaves healthier, happier, and physically lighter.

Do guests receive any herbal treatments to take home with them?

Guests can receive herbal medicines from me based on availability as well as herbal advice to continue once back at home.

How would this way of viewing Holistic Health fit in with one’s diet?

All whole foods that are eaten as close to their natural state have medicinal properties according to Oriental Medicine. It’s understanding how and when to use these foods and at what quantities that can unlock a healthier relationship with food. Diet should always be based on the individual and getting to work closely with our guests and helping them understand which foods are right for them is a very rewarding part of my work.

If you’re interested in booking a stay at COMO Shambhala Estate, then please get in touch:

email: info@soul-sanctuaries.com