Are you here because you have recently been floored by super-natural menstrual cramps like a shaolin death-grip? Or is it a few days before your period and panicked family members are actually fleeing from your path? (or are you one of those fleeing family members shouting ‘Help!’)
Are you wishing you could make sense of this irritable, bloated, (feel free to add/delete as applicable) self consci
ous, insecure, angry mess…. If you’re the kind of person who wants answers…..
…….then whatever you do, read on! The number of times we have all literally had to prize our still-asleep bodies from our beds on a Menstrual Monday, and either give tirelessly to our children all day, or stumble clumsily out of the door to work, leaving behind spilt cups of tea and scattered debris in our wake. And that’s not the worst of it – unsympathetic colleagues, bloating, period pain in tight unforgiving office clothing….. Plus all those spacey forgetful moments (that always happen when you’re supposed to be concentrating!) when the world around you feels like an irritating buzzing mosquito, and you just wish either you could speed up, or it could slow down…. Other than wham-bam-super-quick anatomy lessons in biology, a one-to-one chat with a well-meaning family member, or brief school-organised presentations about periods, did anyone really teach you how your cycle worked? Science has given us an incredibly long list of measurable bodily changes that take place during the menstrual cycle. But what difference would it have made to your life if someone had told you that understanding and working with the menstrual cycle, could powerfully support and enrich you both psychologically and physically right up until your menopause? Wouldn’t that have been better than the old-fashioned menstrual mantra ‘keep on going as if nothing were happening’! It’s a relationship…
The relationship between us as women and our menstrual cycle is intrinsic; it’s a central part of our core femininity linked to not only menstruation but our fertility. This relationship may be neglected, buried by over-domestication, outlawed by surrounding culture, or no longer understood. But deep within us all is power and knowledge with far-reaching effects, and with the potential to change not only our lives, but those around us. We are incredibly blessed in that we don’t have to do anything; the cycle is given to us for free! Flowing with change is more healthy than fighting against it, and women are change. Between ovulation and menstruation and back again our bodies undergo a series of very varied major physical and emotional changes; from basal temperature and metabolism, to lung capacity, adrenal function, psychic activities, pain threshold, and emotional changes….. I could go on (!) but the point I want to make is this. If women see these normal natural physical and emotional changes as an illness or an inconvenience, and subconsciously fights the flow, she can place stress on her system and this stress could lead to illness.
“The exhaustion that pain brings arises because we resist it. The thing is to learn to go with the pain, to ride it.” Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
Woman’s wheel is about strengthening this inner relationship and bridging the gap between our intrinsic nature and our modern lifestyle, helping women tune in to the dynamics of their own unique cycle, exploring a new way to live holistically and harmoniously with their changing energy, and practising skills like self-observation and mindfulness, self-acceptance, and discernment, for positive change. This work is not just for women. Menstruation affects everyone. I believe that society itself would benefit from a deeper understanding of this powerful cycle. Because when women feel empowered and free, so do their partners and children. I’m for equality. We are all humans, we are all navigating our way through this thing we call life, experiencing the highs and the lows, such as pressure from the media with consumerism, our image etc, and pressure from a society that unrealistically demands perpetual rising growth with no natural fall. So let’s all work together with love and compassion for each other – this is the future! To join in with my next Magical Menstrual Tour visit www.womanswheelworldwide.wordpress.com
