Female Cycles & The Moon
It’s that time of the month again - full moon!
But do you also cycle and menstruate with the moon?
I believe it is no coincidence that the cycle of our natural world, the moon orbiting our planet, is 28 days just as our own womb cycles in 28 days.
Traditional cultures across civilizations have recognised and respected with ceremony and honor the sacred cycle of the women of their tribe. Celebrating the red tent, nourishing the pregnant woman to ensure the health and continuation of the species, abiding to the wisdom of the female elders and crones. In contrast, however, it is true that in some cultures the opposite has occurred and women have been targeted and attacked, usually because of fear of the unknown or the unexplained, or when the feminine power or presence has become unbalanced. Also it should be noted that in reality it is only a recent blip on a timeline of thousands of years that there has been the current level of interference and attempt to override our natural cycle with ‘medicines’, as though we can outsmart our own body with science and intervention. Yet a modern day prediction of this interference and imbalance is depicted in the novel ‘The Handmaid's Tale’. As fantastical as this ‘story’ may appear, I was fortunate enough to attend an author talk by Margaret Atwood who wryly reminded the audience that everything recorded in her novel had in fact occurred in real life somewhere around the world at some time, scary huh! and not so fantastical at all...
And despite modern medicine interventions to solve our ‘women's problems’ I see many women in clinic at all stages of their life, who report feeling disconnected from their own body when under the influence of prescribed synthetic hormones. And this is why I do the work I do. I want to assure you that going ‘natural’ with regards to your cycle does not mean that you have to be bound to pain or heavy bleeding or fear of pregnancy. I strongly believe and have seen many times that we can honor this sacred time of ours and allow the flow, not suppress it, and not suffer for it. Modern medicine has provided an understanding of the interaction of hormones and reproductive disorders and provided for many relief and even lifesaving interventions, though it should be remembered that all is not known or able to be explained by science. And yet, for many I have seen intervention when education and guidance could have sufficed. When positive support for her journey, facilitating a connection with the natural rhythms of the world would have allowed balance and harmony to prevail. My aim is always to allow every individual to walk her unique path, to support her choice, and to the best of my ability empower her, to grow, to remove and release obstacles preventing ultimate health - physically, mentally and emotionally. Bring to awareness the obstacles which can be diet, nutrition, toxins, stress, anxiety, preconceived ideas and beliefs and thought patterns.
It is a symphony of hormones that influence and interact to guide us through the month. From M to M (Menarche to Menopause) every stage of the female life is a result of an amazing interaction of hormones. Thrown off balance, these hormones can send us into various levels of disarray. We can end up being emotional, in pain, angry, overwhelmed, and in some cases this will impact heavily on how we live our lives day to day or month to month.
It doesn't have to be like this!
Naturopathic medicine offers many supportive measures to bring back balance to our hormones. Often the body only requires a little nudge in the right direction with the implementation of evidence based dietary and lifestyle guidelines and herbal medicines and teas.
Menarche. There are few memories that stay with us and the beginning of puberty may just be one of those events. The onset of our period is personal and an initiation into womanhood. There are a few small steps that can be taken to ensure that our daughters, nieces, granddaughters or the girls in our care can do to ensure that they have a supported and gentle transition into the sisterhood. If you have had a history of period problems, it doesn't mean your daughter has to.
The Fertile Years. Painful periods, heavy periods, too frequent periods, too infrequent periods, the list goes on. The challenges that our cycle and hormones can throw at us to keep us feeling not quite right, and sometimes downright inadequate and incapable of functioning as we would like to. This can be sometimes overwhelming and impacts on every other facet of our life. It doesn't have to be like this.
The Forest-Dweller Years. Ancient wisdom describes the forest-dweller stage of our life as the ultimate achievement, freeing our attention from outward preoccupations (student and householder roles) and turning our attention inward to the core of our being. Let us transition into this wonderful phase of our life with the ease and joy that we deserve. Learn and understand what is happening, accept and enjoy the release that you can experience at this time and in this transition. Again there are many beautiful and amazing herbal remedies and teas that can support and nurture us.
Naturopathic Medicine provides safe, non-invasive, empowering medicines and guidelines for each phase of our life. I have studied the complex array of hormones that guide our cycles, and incorporate that knowledge with the knowledge for the therapeutic use of food and lifestyle choices, and herbal medicines, to heal and balance.
Embrace and enjoy the journey and transitions of life.
Renae.