SelfCare for Menstruation
As we come to the new moon, I wanted to share a little bit about SelfCare for menstruation, or phase 1 of the cycle.
This phase is equated with the season of inner winter and coincides with the outer season of winter as well as the new or dark of the moon. The menstrual cycle is deeply connected to the seasons and to the phases of the moon. The more we can be aware of those parallels, and find ways to incorporate that consciousness into our lives and personal practices, the more in harmony with Nature and with our own personal nature we can be.
Menstruation or your period, the time of the cycle when we bleed, is a very inward phase of the cycle. In my experience, and in working with other menstruating people, it is not an expanded phase full of creativity. It’s not meant to be. Imagine if once a month we bled from a place on the outside of our bodies. We would definitely stay more within our selves, rest, and take care of that process. And everyone in the world would support us in doing so. Because it’s on the inside, and has through the centuries come to be considered taboo and dirty due to lack of understanding and information, and respect for women, and also as a calculated campaign to malign women’s mystery and magic, we have been conditioned to think the same things. Many people feel they have to operate exactly the same way throughout their cycle in order to be accepted by their families and society. Not only is that not natural, but it isn’t what the body is doing.
Menstruating people flow through at least four phases of the cycle, with different hormonal characteristics and combinations in each. Of course we feel differently throughout.
During menstruation the body is cleansing the last month, literally the lining of the uterus that has built up, as well as the conscious and subconscious things we have gone through and experienced in that time. The more conscious we are of these things, the more ease that flow will have. We are more sensitive on all levels as a result of this multi-layered process. Our culture does not support this, so it’s up to us to do what we need and go against the current.
When we expect productivity, creativity, and receptivity from our period, we can end up feeling extra low, and can actually be in more physical, emotional, and mental pain because of that unrealistic expectation. Flowing with the natural direction of energy can ease a lot of symptoms and allow you to feel what that phase is meant to be. Which is a reset, a cleansing, a window into how you are doing on levels you may not pay attention to on a daily basis, a chance to be with yourself, and an opportunity to come into the present moment. You may not always feel great, but in allowing yourself to be with it, you can gain a lot from it, and understand what that time is particularly for you.
Here are some simple practical tips for taking care of your period and yourself while you’re there:
Allow yourself to go inward and rest as much as you can. You need more sleep on your period.
Release expectations of being super creative. It’s completely natural if it feels like your creativity has disappeared. I will come back I promise.
No heavy lifting or rigorous exercise. This can damage the ligaments that hold the uterus and honestly who wants to do this bleeding?
Skip inversions in your Yoga practice. Menstruation is a downward moving energy and inversions reverse that flow of energy. Be mindful of how much energy you truly have. It is recommended to practice gently and more restoratively for the first four days of your period.
If you have bad cramps try pads. Like with inversions, something like a tampon or even a cup halts the downward flow of energy and can cause pain and discomfort as the energy is not allowed to move out of the body.
Take baths and showers as needed. Some don’t recommend this, but for me cleansing with water helps me feel fresh, and sometimes is the only thing that clears energy and revives me. Not too hot through, and try finishing with a cool rinse.
Take time off electronics, especially social media.
Eat warm nourishing food. Soup and Kitchari are great options. Maybe some simply cooked animal protein or extra protein if you bleed heavily. Consider making extra of things you like in the days before your period as it can be hard to muster the energy to cook while bleeding.
Tidy up, clean, and organize your home or space before or during menstruation. I find I want things clean and clear. This impulse also reflects the cleaning the spleen is doing.
Give yourself permission to cancel plans or say no initially. It’s natural if you don’t want to be around people.
Wait to get body work or have appointments where people touch you until after. This can leak a lot of energy at a time you need all you have.
Avoid sugar and alcohol as they are hard on hormones and the liver and can increase cramps.
If you feel like your mind can’t extend beyond the present, be there. This is every natural. It will extend in the next phase.
Be mindful of what is a naturally recurring sense of feeling sad low due to your period and what is actual information about how things are in your life. Our period can definitely exaggerate things. Sometimes it is legitimate information about what we need to change and how we feel, and sometimes things are all good, we are just in our cave.
If you can arrange to take your heavy days off, or move more slowly, such as the first or second day, do it. Go into the cave. You’ll feel better for it.
Be curious about how you feel. Without judgments or trying to change it. How you do you feel emotionally? How do you feel physically? Are some of these sensations familiar? Can you hold them in love?
The more we embrace and learn from each phase of our cycle, the more in harmony we can be with ourselves. This is our sacred knowledge and it’s up to each one of us to reclaim it and honor it.
