Why Do Hot Flushes Happen in Menopause? A Holistic Perspective on the Body’s Inner Wisdom

Hot flushes are one of the most common symptoms women experience during perimenopause and menopause.

They can arrive suddenly, a wave of heat moving through the chest, neck, and face, sometimes accompanied by sweating or a feeling of intense warmth rising through the body. If you have had a hot flush, or witnessed another woman go through this experience, it can be uncomfortable, and even embarrassing experience.

So no wonder that many women see this as something to fight against, avoid or suppress.

But what if the body is actually doing something intelligent?

What if this heat is part of the body’s way of rebalancing itself during a profound hormonal transition?

As a holistic herbalist and naturopath, I’ve become deeply curious about this question, not only professionally as I have supported many women through menopause, but now also through my own experience.

My Personal Experience with Hot Flushes

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had periods of experiencing hot flushes myself.

What fascinated me most wasn’t just the heat, it was noticing how strongly the mind wants to avoid it.

My first instinct, like many people, was to immediately cool down:

• a cold drink
• a cold shower
• standing in front of a fan (or all 3 at once!!)

And of course, those things can bring relief. But my holistic brain kept asking a different question:

Why is the body creating heat in the first place?

So I got curious….instead of trying to cool myself down, I began experimenting with a slightly different approach.

Inspired by the homeopathic principle that “like cures like,” I became curious about how the body responds to heat rather than resisting it.

So I explored ways of meeting the heat instead of fighting it:

• acknowleging & allowing the heat to move through my body with no resistance
• closing my eyes, slowing my breath and breathing through it
• observing the sensations without judgment
• even occasionally experimenting with warming foods like chilli in small amounts

Rather than immediately escaping the heat, I simply sat with it. I would notice:

“My body is hot right now.”

And then take slow, grounding breaths into my belly.

What surprised me was that when I allowed the heat to be present, without resistance, it often passed very quickly.

But when I tried to push it away or tried to avoid it, the sensation felt stronger and lasted longer. This observation made me reflect on the role of the nervous system.

When we resist or fear a sensation in the body, it can activate a stress response.

But when we stay present and breathe through it, the nervous system often settles, and the wave of heat moves through more gently.

Over time I’ve also noticed that my hot flushes tend to increase during periods of stress, which again points to the nervous system playing a key role.

Supporting My Body Naturally

Another key piece that has made a big difference for me, and for some of the women I work with, is supporting the liver.

During perimenopause and menopause, the body begins metabolising hormones differently. The liver plays an important role in processing and clearing hormone metabolites, including estrogen.

I began supporting my body with a herbal tonic, using traditional herbs known to support liver function & the nervous system.

Combining liver support with nervous system care, and also utilising breathwork, meditation and self-awareness, has made a noticeable difference.

For many women experiencing intense hot flushes, this combination of nervous system support and liver support can be very helpful.

But beyond personal experience, it’s also fascinating to explore what the research says about why the body creates these waves of heat in the first place.

What Research Says About Hot Flushes

Modern science, traditional medicine systems, and holistic approaches all offer different perspectives on why hot flushes occur.

Interestingly, many of them point toward the body recalibrating multiple systems at once.

1. The Brain’s Temperature Reset

Hot flushes begin in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for regulating body temperature and hormones.

As estrogen levels fluctuate during perimenopause and menopause, the hypothalamus becomes more sensitive to temperature changes.

This narrows the body’s thermoneutral zone, meaning even small shifts in temperature can trigger the body to activate cooling responses.

These responses include:

• increased circulation to the skin
• dilation of blood vessels
• sweating

This creates the sudden wave of heat we recognize as a hot flush.

In simple terms, the brain is recalibrating the body’s thermostat during hormonal change.

2. The Nervous System Connection

Hot flushes are also closely connected to the autonomic nervous system, which controls stress responses.

Changes in estrogen influence brain chemicals such as:

• serotonin
• norepinephrine
• cortisol

These changes can make the nervous system more reactive.

This may explain why hot flushes often intensify during stressful periods and why calming practices like meditation, breathwork, acupuncture, and yoga can significantly reduce symptoms.

3. A Metabolic and Hormonal Shift

Menopause is a time when the body reorganizes many metabolic processes.

During this transition:

• hormone metabolism changes
• fat distribution shifts
• the liver processes hormones differently
• inflammatory pathways adjust

Circulation and sweating may increase as the body adapts to these new patterns.

This doesn’t mean the body is malfunctioning, rather, it is adapting to a new hormonal landscape.

4. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective

Traditional Chinese Medicine describes menopausal hot flushes as a pattern of Kidney Yin deficiency with rising Yang energy.

In this system:

• Yin represents cooling, nourishing energy
• Yang represents warming, activating energy

As women age, Yin energy naturally declines.

Without enough Yin to anchor and cool the body, Yang energy rises upward, creating what is known as “empty heat.”

This can manifest as:

• hot flushes
• night sweats
• irritability
• insomnia
• dryness

The goal of treatment in TCM is not to suppress symptoms but to restore balance by nourishing Yin and calming excess heat.

Listening to the Body

When we bring these perspectives together, hot flushes begin to make more sense.

They may reflect:

• the brain recalibrating temperature regulation
• nervous system sensitivity during hormonal change
• shifts in metabolism and hormone processing
• changes in Yin and Yang balance

Rather than seeing the body as broken, we can begin to see menopause as a powerful biological transition.

The body is reorganizing itself for a new phase of life, the rise of the Wise Woman!

A Gentle Invitation

If you experience hot flushes, you might experiment with simply noticing the wave of heat when it arises.

Take a few slow breaths.

Observe the sensation without judgment.

Sometimes the body simply wants to move energy through.

Of course, every woman’s experience is unique, and there are many supportive ways to care for your body during this transition.

Supporting Your Body Naturally

If you would like personalised support through perimenopause or menopause, I offer holistic consultations that combine naturopathy, herbal medicine, and nervous system support.

Together we explore ways to support your body’s natural balance so you can move through this stage of life feeling more grounded and supported.

Book a Nourish Holistic Consultation here

And, if you are here “waiting for winter” get in touch and we can have a chat about how to help cool things down for you!

Abundant Blessings, Sheryl