A question Cassandra receives via Instagram and on the GoddessCeremony blog often is about cyclical health. As the world's leading expert in menstrual cycles, she's here to share her top 3 suggestions to any woman to help heal debilitating period pain, irregular cycles and other chronic symptoms. You can work with her here.
When I teach at retreats or seminars on the power of the feminine cycle, the information I'm sharing is often completely new to all of the attending women. Most of us as women have learned to resent our monthly cycles and numb them away, and so it's often a shock to have a ND and speaker show up and start telling you why you should embrace your monthly cycle!
I get it.
Learning how to embrace your monthly cycle is essential for your health and wellbeing on a physical level, but also for your emotional health and overall sense of fulfillment and empowerment.
How do you know if you need to address your cycle health? If any of the following symptoms resonate, keep on reading:
-debilitating period pain
-chronic bloating during period
-cystic acne
-very dark menstrual blood or blood with mucus and clots
-irregular menstrual cycles
-amenorrhea (absence of menstrual cycle)
-lack of purpose of inspiration
-depressed or feeling depleted
-no direction
-unfulfilled
-disempowered or dry
-low libido
-difficulty reaching orgasm
-diagnosed with infertility, endometriosis, cysts or cervical dysplasia
If any of those resonate, this information is important for you.
While I receive this question a lot, I love teaching about this information. And today on the GoddessCeremony Blog, I'm sharing my 3 big tips to heal your cycle and feel more empowered in your health.
You CAN heal your cycle and this information will help you reclaim your menstrual cycle, balance your hormones and find a sense of fulfillment and empowerment you've previously only dreamed of.
- 3 Powerful Ways to Heal Your Menstrual Cycle -
1) Begin to track your cycle and bring awareness to it
When I begin working with a client as a Naturopath, my first questions are about their cycle overall. How many days from menstrual cycle to menstrual cycle? And how long is the actual menstrual cycle or bleeding time?
Some women may have a 28 day cycle while others may have a 38 day cycle. There can be huge variances in cycle length. And menstrual cycle length can vary too. While it's common in our culture to see cycles that are 7 days long, this isn't necessary healthy nor ideal. Often women see their cycle reduce down to 3-4 days after supporting their health and switching to healthier sanitary options.
When you track your cycle, you bring awareness to this space. You notice the subtle changes your body experiences throughout the month. And often, simply by bringing awareness to this space, we notice it regulate itself.
My favorite way to track a cycle is with a period tracking app. They're an easy way to track when you menstruate and tell you your cycle length each month. They also predict your ovulation window (when you can get pregnant) and can even track your cervical mucus, mood, libido, cervix position and more.
There's lots of great apps on the market. I personally use the app Life, but you can see a full list of great options here to choose from.
By tracking your cycle now, you'll have an idea on your general health and be ready to work with a Naturopath to heal your cycle.
2) Support your health herbally
One of my favorite tools to gently support the cycle is with herbs, and there is no better female tonic than Red Raspberry Leaf. This powerful herb has been revered as a women's health tonic for hundreds of years by midwives. This herb is full of iron and it is also a toner, which may reduce menstrual cramps for women. You can read more about red raspberry leaf here.
Drinking a cup of this daily can help prevent menstrual cramps during your cycle and help with irregular cycles.
3) Get support and address the issue head on
It is essential to support your health sooner than later. While healing yourself physically is important (in terms of balancing the hormones, giving the body essential nutrients, etc.), it is also hugely important to give the body emotional support. Cycle imbalances often have a big tie to shame, guilt and loss of purpose and addressing these things can transform a woman's life.
This is why I guide a 3 month online program to work 1:1 together and heal your cycle both physically AND beyond. My clients report cycles that are next to pain free, regular and consistent and better hormone balance. But, they also report feeling empowered, finding their purpose, rekindled in their mission and happier than ever before. That is the power of your cycle. If you reconnect to it in a supportive space, you not only heal your menstrual cycle, but also re-discover who you are.
You CAN heal your cycle. Take the first step.
With gratitude,
Cassandra Wilder ND
