Flow with your cycle
Raise your hand if you love your monthly visitor? Anyone?? Well I'm here to tell you how to start embracing your monthly friend to help you live in flow with you again.
Our menstrual cycle has 4 major phases
- Menstrual Phase
- Follicular Phase
- Ovulation
- Luteal
Each of those phases have their own special magic.
We are not taught how to embrace this magic but it's there. Today I wanted to discuss one phase in particular the menstrual phase. The one we don't always love and feel it as an inconvenience.
Do you remember your first period?
I sure do. I was in 6th grade thankfully was at home over the summer months and remember needing to get the courage to tell my mom I think I got my period. She was outside hanging up laundry and I went outside to tell her and her first question was how do you know? I told her there was blood in toilet. She said okay. I will give you a few things when I'm done with the laundry.
She came to my bedroom handed me 2 books and tampons and pads and that was it. She said the instructions for how to use them are on the package. I was like okay this is my period.
I know I'm not alone in that being the response from caregivers when it comes to having your first period. I have since talked to my mom about it and she didn't know what to do or say herself. Her mom did the same thing. So she did what she knew. I think my generation is starting to knock down some of the taboo of your period that other generations hadn't done yet.
With that I want to share more menstrual tips on the podcast to keep the conversation going and so that we don't need to hide our pads or tampons up our sleeves or bury them in our shopping cart out of embarrassment.
3 Mistakes People are making during their menstrual phase
Rest is best.
Ayurvedically speaking resting vs working out during your menstrual cycle is something that is advised. A hardcore sprinting workout, HIIT workout is a bit intense for what the body is doing during this phase.
If you want to do something a few restorative yoga poses, going for a walk in nature are a more gentle approach and might even help reduce cramps if you experience them.
When you don't rest often your entire cycle will feel the effects from the rush mentality during your menstrual phase. It elevates the vata dosha and makes you a bit scattered and frantic all month long.
Avoid Cold Food & Fluids
Why? It constricts the blood flow which we want flowing down and out. I'm sure you've had that experience drinking a cup of warm tea during your bleeding phase feels nourishing, and the warmth really helps ease any cramping you might feel.
Instead embrace warm cooked foods that are iron rich. Think lentils, red meats (if applicable), sweet potatoes, dark leafy veggies. Moon Bakery Cookbook is one of my favorite for yummy recipes all cycle long. They are even a hit with my picky husband!
Watch what you consume
This is a very sensitive time in your cycle. If you find yourself scrolling on social media and feel bad about yourself, like you want to burn down your business, jealous that other people are so much more successful than you it's time for a break. I'm a big fan of taking a few days off of scrolling when you feel this way. It can be hard to do but will help with your mental health.
Often those self-doubts start to creep in and you feel like a failure for really no reason.
What to do instead
- Instead grab your journal and write how you feel.
- Draw a bath and a juicy book relax in the tub
- Pull a few oracle cards to tune into your intuition
- Do nothing, pour a cup of tea and stare out a window
- Yoga nidra
- Wonder in the woods
Notice all of the activities are about slowing down and embracing the quiet moments of the day.
Flow with your cycle
If the menstrual cycle is a topic you want to go even deeper with I have a free 5 day group coaching program coming up Feb. 14th-18th- Flow with your cycle.
This program is geared to help you reduce period pain, and is a crash course into your monthly cycle so you can learn more about how your body works and what practices are best for each phase.
Days 1-4 we will deep dive into 1 cycle phase and on day 5 we will have our group coaching call and introduce Ayurveda and the doshas into your cycle to help you stay in balance all month long.
We have 2 live coaching calls on day 1- our kickoff call so you understand how to track your cycle during our time together and our final call to wrap up anything you still have questions about.
If this is something you would enjoy sign-up here
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