We’re tired of the cultural edge around all things menstrual, tired of being careful about how we speak of it so as not to embarrass, offend or cause discomfort, sick of hiding this awesome power we hold in our bodies, over it being seen as a ‘problem’, bored with the silly jokes that seek to trivialise and diminish us, sick of having psychological and spiritual approaches and practices imposed on us when ours aren’t seen, named and validated.
The gloves are off, we’re sharing with you 13 powerful reasons for loving our periods (and the menstrual cycle) and we want this broadcast everywhere.
Will you join us in transforming consciousness?
Will you join us in creating a world in which young girls grow up feeling a huge pride and dignity in being a woman and welcoming their menstruality? Will you join us in relishing the amazing life changing powers of our cyclical nature as women?
Here are the first 7 powerful reasons to love your period and your menstrual cycle
- Because it’s there and it’s the reason you’re here. All cycles are meaningful, their healthy functioning foundational for our wellbeing. No medicine can substitute for this. The menstrual cycle is also the amazing means by which we create life. Let’s cherish it. A healthy menstrual cycle is a fertile cycle, a sign of good health, and will optimise the health of any child you have. It’s connected to all the systems and organs of your body so when you cherish it you are cherishing your whole being. When you shut it down through hormonal contraception you undermine your health and wellbeing. Of course we need reliable contraception but preferably ones that don’t damage our health as all forms of hormonal contraception potentially do (check out Alexandra’s co-authored book The Pill; are you sure it’s for you?). Did you know that fertility awareness (FA) when done properly is as effective as the Pill and there are no damaging side-effects. And with FA you can also enjoy all the other amazing psychological and spiritual powers of the cycle that we teach at Red School
- Your menstrual cycle is a diagnostic tool. As the stress sensitive system in women it constantly gives feedback about your health and well-being. By observing and monitoring the physical and emotional changes throughout the menstrual month, and also paying attention to the quality, quantity and colour of your menstrual blood you get direct information about your overall health. Think of it as an early warning system - quite brilliant really. Every woman should be firmly grounded in this knowledge as part of growing up. One woman, who was deeply attuned to her cycle through fertility awareness, began noticing tiny changes in her usual pattern. Feeling as though something was amiss she went to her doctor and, after some tests, they found she was in the very early stages of a cancer which they could treat. She is alive and well today because of her ability to ‘read’ the subtle signals of her own body.
- It’s a woman’s number one self-care and stress management system. When you practice cycle awareness, cooperating with the energy and emotional monthly pattern, respecting the natural highs and lows, the times of extroversion and introversion, you are living sustainably. Your nervous system will feel more soothed, you’ll notice an increasing inner kindness towards yourself, be more aware of your needs and able to assert your boundaries congruently. This is a mindfulness practice holding a potency beyond any imposed outer one. Menstruation itself is a time of cleansing - an emotional and physical detox - that releases stress and tension from your being allowing you to properly rest and repair. And, most importantly for those of you who suffer from menstrual problems, reduces and even heals symptoms. Why aren’t we shouting this from the rooftops? Perhaps it’s time to do just that, it costs nothing and is with you all the time.
- Your menstrual cycle is an inner guidance system or as one woman put it “ I have an oracle in here”. It’s true! When you’re connected to your cycle you have a direct line to yourself - to the many different facets and layers of your being. Over time this connection builds a delicious inner knowing about who you are and what you need to be doing. And, to top it off, each month at menstruation, if you follow your inner impulses, you can experience a direct knowing of your purpose or Calling (p.s. we should perhaps warn you it can be a wee bit overwhelming, in a wonderful way, when you experience this because sometimes our callings are huge. But the good news is that the menstrual cycle also helps you to manifest it, with a little time of course. See reason number 10)
- Menstruation soothes you with the ‘love and bliss’ hormone, oxytocin. Now why would you want to miss out on getting loved up every month by doing remarkably little? Although, we should warn you, the little you have to do is rather a lot for many of us. You have to stop and do NOTHING. That is rest, forget all your lists of things to do, abandon your children (you’ll need allies!). When you start to bleed and if you’ve allowed yourself to stop and deeply let go, you can experience a glorious wash of oxytocin soothing and repairing your whole system - body and soul. And even reducing menstrual pain as Ania discovered: “I have been having excruciating periods pains ever since my first bleed and I have never really understood why. Well, I feel, after 20 years or so, I may have come closer to understanding why. Last month on day two (my most painful day) I decided to lie down (for the first time) and wriggle around during the pain, rather than knock back some ibuprofen. I thought, 'FINE, blood, speak to me then!'. As I lay there and listened, I felt a huge amount of love completely enter me. It was like what you said about being 'washed with a wave of love', I felt it. I couldn't believe it! And then, what I heard was this, 'The reason I have been so painful is because you have not been letting the love IN'. (I'm welling up as I write this). She has been trying to reach me, speak to me, fill me with love all along, and the only reason it's been painful is because I have been blocking her love.At first I couldn't believe it was so simple, so I 'tested her' and thought to myself 'bollocks' and in that instant - pain. When I thought, 'allow the love to enter me' - no pain. I kept doing that a few times till I really REALLY got the message! It was just incredible.” Now that’s another thing we’ve got to get on our soapboxes about!
- Menstruation is a glorious natural altered state of consciousness. As if that love and bliss weren’t enough, there’s also ecstasy, deep feelings of belonging and oneness, and the experience of a deep visionary state. Can life get any better? And the great big, beautiful key to activate all this is the simple act of giving yourself space when you bleed, resting deeply into yourself and being responsible for nobody and nothing. And, importantly, having a fast from technology. If you can to do that for even half an hour, you can begin to open the floodgates to these amazing forces. And once you taste them there’s no going back. You’ll have everyone and everything at your beck and call to get your menstrual downtime. We can safely guarantee you that!
- The menstrual cycle is the female shamanic path. If a woman understands the intricacies of her cycle journey and is able to embody its fullness, she is naturally shamanic, she is a practicing shaman.Through cycle awareness she is constantly tuning and toning her awareness. She can channel the energies of the premenstruum which are more nonlinear, psychic and intuitive, and of course enter deeply the altered states of awareness of menstruation itself for the purpose of visioning and healing.
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