How to Love Your Menstrual Cycle and Tackle PMS
Sometimes I wonder how different things would be society took on the ancient practice of honoring a woman as she reached the age of fertility.
If mothers from the community painted their daughter’s bodies with henna in celebration and told their daughters the truth about the macrocosmic cycles of nature, they just became aligned with.
Would we still experience problems like PMS? Or would these community gatherings and ideas change the way we view our bodies?
I get it, it sounds taboo, primarily when we have been raised to see our periods as such a negative thing.
I get it, we live in Washington, DC and everything here can feel very fast-paced.
A lot of women forget to look up at the night sky and recognize the cycle in which they are aligned. But today I am going to ask women to press pause.
I invite you to hack your belief systems with science and to explore how our menstrual cycles are connected to the ebb and flow of the moon.
How could you not love and honor something which is so intuned with the majesty of the cosmos?
Our Menstrual Cycle and the Moon
Women are lunar by nature. And It is not by chance that our menstrual cycles are in sync with the waxing and waning of the moon. Our cycles, just like the moon’s, occur every 28 days or so.
When we become in sync with the moon’s cycle, we ovulate around the full moon while menstruation occurs around the time of the new moon.
There was a case study done on 2,000 women with irregular menstrual cycles in 1967.
The case study had these 2,000 women sleep with a light by their bedside for three days during the time of ovulation.
Over half of the women that participated in the survey achieved regular 29-day menstrual cycles by the end of the study.
Scientific research has also clearly documented the moon’s reign over fluids. This means that the moon’s energy affects our body’s (which are 65% water-based) not just the ocean tides. The moon and tides communicate with our bodies’ electromagnetic fields, influencing our inner physiological mechanisms.
Our Menstrual Cycle and Our Emotions
Our bodies and our mental and emotional states are heavily influenced by the waxing and waning of the moon.
Women on their cycles are not “lunatics,” they are lunar. When women allow themselves to flow with the waxing and waning of the moon, they can begin to approach PMS very differently.
How to Tap into Your Intuitive Cycle
Did you know that women receive and process information differently at different times during our cycle?
Let’s dive in and explore the natural process of our chemistry as aligned with the menstrual cycle and the moon.
Pre-Ovulation (Waxing Moon)
During the pre-ovulation stage, an egg grows and develops during the timeframe between menses and ovulation (known as the follicular phase). This part of your cycle happens deep within the ovary.
Your bodily awareness during your cycle mirrors the emotional stage in our cycle where our thoughts begin to create reality.
During the follicular phase, many women find that they are very energetic and full of ideas. You can utilize this time to make plans and begin to turn your ideas into tangible results.
When the moon is waxing take everything you learn and put things into action. The hormones in your body are coming to a peak and will give you a surge of energy, record your process, and see what you can achieve.
Be assertive, have fun, and take up new activities during the full moon when your energy is at its peak.
During Ovulation (Full Moon)
Follicle-stimulating hormones called neuropeptides FSH, and LH are released during ovulation. These hormones create a rise in your estrogen levels, which headways a rise in right hemisphere (verbal fluency) activity and a decline in left hemisphere (spatial fluency) activity.
But what is really amazing is that the decline of your left hemisphere (spatial) is offset by a surge of testosterone, which increases your libido and enhances your left hemisphere.
This means that both sides of your brain are at peak performance, begging for you to be creative and innovative. We are more energetic and receptive to ideas during this time.
You can utilize this energy to be proactive, make your ideas come to life, explore your passions, and the things that bring you joy.
Post Ovulation (Waning Moon)
After ovulation, we go into our menses. At this time, it is very natural for women to retreat, go into a period of deep reflexion and meditation. Women have been taught to hate and fear this part of the cycle. But it is only natural to retreat for a while after we have experienced a burst of energy and creative flow.
Even the moon wanes into a period of darkness. It is okay to allow your energy to ebb for some time, pull back, and reflect on what works and what does not in your life.
If we simply listened and flowed with this natural process, we could utilize it to our advantage instead of allowing it to tear us apart for 3-5 days during the month.
Be in Tune with Your Body
When you listen to the natural ebb and flow of your body as aligned with the bright and beautiful moon, you can begin to utilize its energy to think, create, and reflect.
Having a strong hatred of your period is only going to make your PMS symptoms worse.
This is because you are ignoring the natural flow of the universe as aligned with your body.
When the moon is waning, you can take this time to reflect, write, meditate, and listen to your intuition. Your emotions are real, they come from the deep wisdom of the cosmos, and they are not to feared- but taken seriously.
When the moon is waning, you can take this time to reflect, write, meditate, and listen to your intuition. Your emotions are real, they come from the deep wisdom of the cosmos, and they are not to feared- but taken seriously.
When we ignore our emotions and symptoms they only become bigger and manifest into health issues like anxiety, depression, and illness in the body.
Think about what needs to change in your life during this time, or what you can improve on, and give your body the rest is needs.
Tackle Your PMS Symptoms
By recognizing the natural process of your body, you can begin to tackle your PMS symptoms and live a life that truly gives you joy.
The cycle of retreat and rebirth allows women to make positive changes in their lives.
During this time, women can weed out the bad and let the intuitive wisdom of the macrocosmic cycles flow through their being.
If you are still having severe problems with your PMS symptoms, it may be that you need to change your diet.
If you are still having severe problems with your PMS symptoms, it may be that you need to change your diet. Seeing a naturopathic doctor can expand your options and help you build a personalized plan that is right for your body.
It is August in Washington, DC and tonight the “Full Buck Moon” reaches its peak. Happy Ovulation ladies!
