Bone Health and Balance with Thérèse Cosgrove
Bone Health and Balance with
Thérèse Cosgrove
As the year folds into its quietest season, the energy of Bone Health rises to the surface.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter and the kidneys are linked to our bones, balance, and nervous system.
This is the perfect time to nourish our structure and inner stillness — and that’s exactly what this month’s Energy Update explores with Thérèse Cosgrove, homeopath, nutritional therapist, and Feldenkrais practitioner.
Listening to the Body through Movement
Thérèse describes Feldenkrais as a way of using small, subtle movements to awaken the nervous system’s awareness. Through this awareness, we uncover patterns of tension and rediscover new, more efficient ways of moving.
“Rather than me telling you how to move,” she says, “your nervous system is intelligent enough to find the best way itself.”
These gentle explorations improve skeletal alignment, balance, and joint integrity, helping us move with ease and confidence — vital for bone health, especially in menopause, post-menopause, and chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s.
Even the pauses between movements matter:
“That’s when the nervous system learns and integrates — the same way we rest between breaths.”
When the brain stops bracing and begins organising the skeleton more efficiently, three bone-loving things happen:
Better load through bone: Bones remodel when they’re loaded. Efficient alignment means forces travel through the skeleton (not just muscles), stimulating bone.
Joint integrity & balance: Micro-adjustments reduce “overwork” in hips, knees, spine and shoulder girdle, improving confidence and decreasing fear of falling.
Down-regulated pain: When the nervous system feels safe, pain signals calm and movement becomes possible again — the virtuous cycle for recovery.
Feldenkrais is exploration, not achievement. Curiosity and playfulness are the fastest way to teach your bones and brain new options.
Yin, Stillness, and the Bone Season
As Joanne points out, the yin energy of winter invites quietness and grounding.
Just as the earth rests before spring, we too can pause, aligning our bones, slowing our breath, and reconnecting to what truly supports us.
Yet, in the rush toward Christmas, that stillness is often lost. Feldenkrais offers a way back into the body, a return to inner listening and calm.
Use the space between Christmas and New Year to be still of mind and quiet movements of body.
The Inner Chemistry of Strength
In her homeopathic and nutritional work, Thérèse looks at bone density not just as a matter of calcium, but of hormonal balance, mineral status, and heavy-metal detoxification.
Using gentle testing and homeopathic supports, she tailors treatment to each person:
“We might look at supporting estrogen, the parathyroid, or trace minerals like boron, all essential for strong, flexible bones.”
Joanne draws the parallel in Chinese Medicine: seaweeds in small amounts can help clear heavy metals and nourish the kidneys — though, as she reminds us, not everyone should take them.
What matters most is listening to your own body and finding what nourishes your unique system.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter belongs to the Kidney system, which governs bones, marrow, ears (balance/vestibular), and the nervous system. Practical Kidney-nourishing ideas:
Flavours & foods: the salty flavour in moderation supports Kidney, think miso, mineral broths, black sesame, adzuki/black beans, and small amounts of seaweeds if appropriate.
Caveat: Seaweeds are iodine-rich; avoid or use cautiously if you have thyroid issues or are on certain meds.
Gentle, consistent practice: slow standing, breath-led spirals, and ankle-calf work “pump” fluids and stabilise balance, perfect winter medicine.
Stillness as medicine: quiet, warm, early nights rebuild Yin (think lubrication and reserves), the foundation for hormone balance post-menopause.
A Morning of Yin and Gratitude
When asked how she begins her day, Thérèse shares a simple ritual that reflects the essence of Chi Flow:
Hydrate with structured, living water to awaken the body. “Structured water”: what we mean (and what to do about it) Thérèse will expand on this in her Mid-Monthly Health Talk, but here’s the practical, controversy-free middle ground: Structured Water inside the body doesn’t behave like plain tap water. Near proteins, fascia, and cell membranes it forms ordered layers that help signaling and flow.
Step outside into morning light, facing east to reset circadian rhythm and hormones. Move gently, perhaps Chi Flow with Jo, Feldenkrais, or a mindful walk. Gentle vibration & movement (walking, bouncing, fascia spirals) appear to improve fluid distribution in connective tissue, exactly what we do in Chi Flow.
“These practices really helped me through difficult times,” she says. “My morning Chi Flow with Jo was one of the things that carried me.”
For Parkinson’s & chronic conditions
Hydration and gentle nervous-system work are especially helpful when autonomic regulation or muscle stiffness makes dehydration and bracing more likely. Short, frequent “micro-moves,” mineral-aware hydration, and morning light can noticeably improve steadiness and energy without fatigue.
WATCH THE PODCAST
In the full podcast, learn more about sound healing and how it affects our hormonal balance below:
Join us inside Chi Flow (and get Thérèse’s talk free)
Thérèse’s Mid-Monthly Health Talk will go hands-on with Feldenkrais explorations, hydration you can feel, and a deeper look at “structured water” in everyday practice. It’s free for Chi Flow members.
👉 Join Chi Flow with Jo to access:
- Daily live morning classes (with replays)
- Seasonal recipes & self-acupressure
- This month’s Mid-Monthly Health Talk with Thérèse Cosgrove — free for members
Start here: Join Chi Flow with Jo — Build strength, balance, and deep yin this winter.
💗 Ready to Join?
Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE
Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below).
Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support on your journey to an emotionally healthy heart and attend Caroline’s live talk and sound bath for FREE.
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Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.
Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms. The information provided should not be considered medical advice.
