In Western Society, mensturation is often seen as a taboo topic and woman are made to feel like they need to push on through their mensturation and keep working and being productive even when their body is telling them to retreat and rest. The Pill and painkillers are often over prescribed which further creates a whole host of problems. This attitude has led to an epidemic of complaints such as depression, anxiety, annovulatory cycles, chronic fatigue, infertility and PMS. Poor diet and lifestyle has also contributed to the rise of these disorders as we move away from natural clean and green living to one ladden with processed foods, refined sugar, alcohol, stress and toxic chemical products.
There is a very close relationship between our sex hormones and our stress hormones. If we are experiencing a particulary stressful month then often we can ovulate later than usual, or not at all, and therefore have a longer cycle. This is because cortisol competes for progesterone and wins at the receptor site, therefore blocking progesterones activity which is responsible for controlling the second phase of the menstural cycle .
The book ‘The Red Tent’ depicts how mensturation is a time for woman to rest and recharge. The women in the story live in close community and retreat to a tent together during mensturation, where they practice self care rituals in private such as massage, eating nourishing foods, meditating and sharing stories to restore themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually, thus returning back to the community fresh and restored for a new cycle, which ultimately means that their creativity, productivity and sense of wellbeing is enhanced due to this period of rest and rejuvenation. Although this is a fictional story we can still take this simple, yet very important message of self care during mensturation and weave it into our own lives to better enhance our own emotional and hormonal health by tuning into our cycle and our body’s needs throughout the month rather than pushing through when our body is telling us to rest.
Menstruation is also a time to let go and release attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that are no longer needed or useful. Self Care rituals for woman are important all month long, however they are even more important during mensturation. Some ideas for creating your own red tent experience at home include:
- Letting those around you know you need some space
- Saying no to any requests that you do not feel up to
- Creating a sacred space in your bedroom with fresh linen, herbal tea, essential oils, soft music, your favourite books and movies, heat pack, journal, raw chocholate and herbal tonics.
- Lunar rituals are fun and special to perform each month. At the New Moon you can set some intentions for the month ahead by writing them down and meditating on them. At the Full moon you can decide whether to release what hasn’t worked or no longer serves you, or to go ahead and take action on what does feel aliged.
- Sipping on herbal teas, journalling and soaking in essential oil baths are lovely at this time of the month. Each monthly mensturation is a time to retreat, go inwards, reflect and cleanse.
- Stocking up on nourshing meals before your period and freezing them so that you don’t need to cook during this time
- Planning ahead to make sure you don’t book any big work or social events during the first few days of mensturation
- Letting go of any guilt surrounding the need to slow down and rest during this time
- Having dedicated comfy clothes to wear during this time that make you feel calm and at ease, for example your fav loose fitting pants, t shirt and warm cosy jumper. Try to avoid tight and restricting clothing during mensturation
Let's stop pushing ourselves during this time and start honoring as a time of rest!