Do you resent your period?
There’s no doubt that at one point in life, you’ve resented your monthly menstrual cycle. Or maybe you still do! It’s extremely common to feel this way, and is a view shared by women worldwide.
But maybe if instead, we understood the cyclical nature of our bodies and could be more in flow with our feminine energy, we might have a different view?
Women are cyclical beings, yet many of us have totally lost that connection. In this day and age women are living very masculine lives, rushing here and there and constantly pushing and striving for more and more, yet it’s truly not doing us any favours.
As women we must get back in touch with our feminine energy.
Having worked in the fertility/infertility field it amazes me just how many women are completely out of touch with their bodies.
Years gone by when a young girl would get her period for the first time, it was honoured and celebrated by others in the tribe or community. Often there would be some sort of ceremony and initiation for this girl who is now entering womanhood, a new stage in the cycle of her life.
All the women in the tribe would gather together in communal tents, sometimes called Red Tents, when they would bleed. Usually this was in sync with the new moon, also known as the dark moon, (there was no artificial light to disrupt this syncing) and all the women would be in sync together. They would gather in the tents for the few days each that they would bleed and support one another, tell stories, nurture and care for each other.
During this time they were resting and recuperating, taking time away from their usual daily duties……
How far from this we are now.
We all have a different story but many of us have a similar story
Most likely your period came around the age of 12-14, you felt totally embarrassed by it and probably wished you weren’t a girl!
As time goes on you may have experienced a really embarrassing time at school when you leaked through your school dress and the boys or even other girls teased you.
As you became older you discovered tampons, started taking pain killers, took the contraceptive pill to make it all go away and just went about your life as if nothing was happening.
But what happened to us honouring our bodies during this time?
Resting like our bodies ask, slowing down and taking some much needed time out.
Many women notice in the lead up to and when they have their period they are truly so much more tired and worn down. Our bodies crave down time and if we don’t honour it that’s often when we get sick or just generally feel really run down and overwhelmed.
During this time it’s totally normal to feel more withdrawn and crave alone time (although this is not always that easy to maintain with a family to run who likely don’t understand your needs!).
It’s no wonder really that so many women complain of feeling exhausted and tired a lot of the time…
We’re not listening to our bodies!!
We just aren’t in tune with what’s really going on, and that’s not your fault, you just haven’t been taught.
It’s time to tune back in
By actually honoring your body and resting when you need the rest, you will find that you will have more energy during the remainder of the month to do all the things that need your attention.
To get more done in your business, or at work, to hit the gym, to run around after the kids, to cook, clean, shop and maintain the household.
I know that for most of us we can’t just check out of ‘daily life’, stay in bed all day and rest when we have our periods. We have jobs, kids and never ending commitments.
But you can choose to…
- Rest more.
- Take more time out, even if just micro moments.
- Pick healthier food options to nourish your body.
- Change the type of exercise you do at this time of the month…(walks in nature, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Tai Chi or Qigong are perfect for this time of the month.)
Just like how during our bleed (or the winter season of our cycle) we can feel quite depleted, during ovulation – our summer time – we can often feel really energised, motivated and feel as though we can take on the whole world!
This is often the time of the month when we say yes to everything and over commit – so beware of this!!
During your summer phase, I encourage you to be especially mindful of saying yes to too many things that will come about when you are in your autumn or winter phase.
How do we use our menstrual cycle as our super power?
To help you understand your menstrual cycle more and how you can use this knowledge to get things done and be in flow with your body, below is an outline of each phase and the seasons within that phase:
Winter
Day 1 – 6 Menstrual (Bleeding) – New Moon – Rest, reflection, evaluation.
Spring
Day 7 – 13 Follicular – Waxing Crescent – Planning, brainstorming, new beginnings.
Summer
Day 14 – 21 Ovulation – Full Moon – Communicating, collaborating, attracting.
Autumn
Day 22 – 28 Luteal – Waning Crescent – Focus, finishing projects, creative.
There are many apps these days that can help you to track your cycle, and I also encourage you to journal each night how you feel, your mood, energy levels, etc.
This can be a great tool to help you to understand your cycle and begin to tune in to what’s really going on and why you might be feeling a certain way.
If you no longer have a monthly period for whatever reason or you are on some form of contraception, you can use the cycles of the moon. Generally the full moon is related to the season of summer/ovulation and the new moon/dark moon is the season of winter/bleed (see the outline above).
Being in tune with your Menstrual Cycle is a Superpower.
There is a time in each monthly cycle that is well suited for every kind of task that needs attention. When you understand when these times are, you can better plan and schedule your tasks accordingly and life as a whole can work a whole lot better.
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ARTICLE BY
MELANIE HANSEN,
Integrative Womens Health Coach + Yoga
Melanie Hansen is an Integrative Women’s Health Coach, Fertility Coach, Yoga Teacher and Personal Trainer. Specializing in Reproductive Health, Energy, stress management, mindfulness, nutrition and movement.
Melanie supports and empowers mothers and mothers to be through Motherhood.
It’s her passion to inspire, motivate and educate other women to achieve optimal health through a wellness approach that encompasses living healthy in body, mind and spirit.
She wants you to feel beautiful, to be happy, confident, motivated, full of energy and for the most part to love yourself and your life every day.