13 allies for menstruation - #1 Slowness

Part 1 of 13Menstruation is the inner temple, a holy space, where you can experience great depths of awareness and feeling, feel held by the divine, and vision for yourself and the world. Want to experience more of this? We’re going to go on an adventure together over the next 13 months to unlock and deeply experience all these wonderful powers. Getting in touch with the power of menstruation mainly comes from what you don’t do. It is the technique-less way. However we have, up our sleeve 13 magical allies to support you in this process. Each month we’ll focus on one of allies and give you some practical suggestions for how to invoke its support. And we’re inviting you to share your discoveries with us and the other wonderful woman at Red School on facebook. Because we don’t live in a cycle literate world, the idea of taking time at menstruation can feel almost impossible but, armed with the Allies and the power of imagination and intention, we’re going to ask you to up your game each month to find more of the wonders of your bleed. And, for those of you who suffer, it might just help to ease your symptoms a little. We strongly believe it can. Your sacred task each month will be to invite in a particular ally and use it to help you really carve out the territory you need to go deeply into your inner temple at menstruation

The inner temple of menstruationThere are 5 subtle changes of consciousness that we move through during menstruation. These 5 phases or chambers, as we like to call them, each hold distinct powers and subtle tasks that if sensed and honoured lead woman into an inner sanctum of profound wholeness and belonging. To hear more about these 5 chambers of menstruation, listen to Alexandra speak about them at the Woman Unleashed Online Retreat.To discover the riches of your inner temple we suggest you:

1. Pay attention to the whole of your menstrual cycle by charting it each day, writing in a journal, recording your dreams, taking time to notice it. For full guidance on this join the Menstrual Cycle Literacy online programme.
2. Value and co-operate with your unique pattern of energy and mood as it shifts and changes through the menstrual month.
3. In each subsequent newsletter, starting with this one, we will introduce a new ally. Invite this Ally in, hold it as a gentle focus wherever you are in the menstrual month, almost as though you were consciously practicing it each day, and most especially at menstruation, and discover how invoking this particular quality brings you closer to the gold of menstruation.
4. Share your experiences with other women to deepen your own understanding of the magic as it unfolds and to feel the support of our community to risk going deeper each month. You can do this in-person with a friend, in our private facebook groups (if you are on our online programme) or on our facebook page.

Note: Your cycle may run over a longer or shorter period than our monthly newsletters. Simply work with the allies in turn as we introduce them anyway. You’ll be coming at it from a slightly different trajectory that is no less meaningful.

Introducing the first Ally: Slowness

Slowness can mean focusing on one thing at a time without rushing it. Being languid and leisurely about whatever you are doing, and leaving more empty space between activities and consuming information. It can also mean moving at the actual pace of your being and not everyone else’s timing. You may feel considerably slowed down, but don’t be fooled for one minute into thinking that you’re somehow less capable or productive. Actually you’re profoundly connected to yourself—now that’s power.Suggestions for calling in the ally:

• Find something in your diary to cull. And do the same with your to do list. Just for this month. We dare you!
• Add the ingredient of slowness to the premenstrual days, but particularly during the day or two before bleeding, and during day one and two of the period. Plan your schedule to allow for this.
• Write the word Slowness on a big piece of paper and post it in a prominent place as a reminder throughout the month

What difference has slowness made to menstruation this month? What did you experience?Let us know in the comments below