A monthly pause will refresh, inspire, and guide you for the month ahead
Your Favorite Week of the Month – Really!
Hello Beautiful
Over a decade ago, I began a deeper dive into understanding “that time of the month” as it relates to optimizing wellness. It turns out, many cultures, throughout history have honored the time of a woman’s menstrual cycle as a time of rest, healing, and spiritual rejuvenation. This month, I would like to share with your about how you can support yourself during your period and transform that time into your favorite week of the month.
First, let’s acknowledge, that as women, our hormone levels go through 4 distinct phases each month. Each one has challenges and gifts within it. If we “turn our sail” so to speak , in order to “catch the wind” rather than try to paddle the boat against the wind, we save ourselves wasted effort and can benefit from the aid of nature’s direction.
The week of our period, is a week our body is giving us information about the health of our liver (sore breasts and breakouts indicate a congested liver), our gut health (bloating indicates an imbalance in the intestine), and how clear our detox pathways are (water retention, lower energy, and cramping all indicate exaggerated hormonal responses that show stress in the system). When we take our monthly PMS and period symptoms not as mere annoyances but as valuable information, we can take specific supportive action in service of rebalancing our system.
Changing to pasture raised, hormone free animal products can have a dramatic effect on PMS symptoms. When I was a teenager, I began my health journey and this is one of the first things I changed. I was amazed to no longer experience tender breasts and cramping within just a few months of making this important change.
Honestly, it’s a game changer. When PMS week and period week add up to a roughly half the month. If you are dealing with these common symptoms, it can make you feel bummed to have a period at all. That’s not how it was meant to be! We have hundreds of cycles in a lifetime and each one is a chance to better partner with our body for a monthly check up of sorts.
We can re-frame our discomfort as the equivalent of a smoke alarm going off -not a pleasant sound, but it gives us an important warning. There are many books that have been released over the past decade detailing even more about how to “read” your bodies symptoms and then take appropriate steps to better meet it’s needs. I encourage you to further educate yourself on your own body’s feedback and how you can respond with skill to come to better health each month.
When our “time of the month” isn’t characterized by pain and discomfort, it can then be what it was designed to be: a time of refreshment. Yes! Taking the first 3 days of your cycle and downshifting your intensity of exercise, getting more sleep, and doing some reflection are key ways to utilize this time as a monthly re-set.
For women who aren’t cycling, I encourage you to pick a regular 3 day pause each month. The new moon is an excellent time to align with the end of one cycle and prepare for the beginning of the next. Whenever you choose to take your Sacred Rest, know that it will yield exponential results if observed regularly. The whole family can take one together. This is a beautiful opportunity to bow to the Creator’s design of cyclical living and intentional rest.
Here are some more of my favorite restorative rituals:
1. Going to ged earlier and sleeping in is key. What a luxury to really get well rested for a few days! Use the time to deeply pause and support your body.
2. Less screen time and more quiet is beneficial. Use the time to minimize inputs and instead tune into your body, your emotions, mind, and Spirit. What are you hearing? What do you need to know? What do you need to shift?
3. Gentle daily movement rather than intense workouts are best. Take walks (preferably in nature). Do some gentle stretching. Swim or dance. Do some light weights or body weight only workouts. The point is to support your circulatory and lymphatic systems with gentle activity that improves circulation without overworking.
4. Reflect on last months wins and progress in key areas. Journal a few pages about what has moved forward or completed.
5. Pray and meditate to gain clarity on your priorities for doing and on new ways of Being for the month ahead. Are you feeling led to follow through and complete key projects? Are you being asked to be more flexible and less resistant to challenges? Each month I like to find a word/phrase that I wish to embody and 2-3 key projects to move forward.
These are a few of my key practices, but I have others I include as well. I hope you will create a list for yourself and give yourself the permission for a 72 hour reset each month. It is truly life changing! You will have less burnout, better health, and find that your growth in each area of your life accelerates as you give monthly attention to assessing what it and moving intentionally towards the progress you desire.
Start with 2 or 3 practices so you aren’t overwhelmed. Gradually, refine your approach. Some months you can rest and reflect luxuriously. Other months, non negotiable commitments coincide with your period and you may have a smaller set of practices.
Remeber, you can always take an extra gentle approach with yourself, and look for little ways to put into practice what you wish you could do on a grander scale. Don’t let this be something you judge yourself for doing poorly. Choose to use the time to better observe your state (body, soul, mind, Spirit) and make strategic adjustments for the next cycle.
Consider my Sacred Rest course as resource to support you in this effort. Helping women learn the language of their Being and re-orient to their True North is my passion. I offer 20 minute free discovery calls to see if personal mentorship sessions would be a good fit for you. Feel free to reach out and schedule a call with me to discuss your goals.
Cheering you on,
Rachel
ps. If you would like to work with me to help you reach your goals, get more information here: Click here for details