Ancient Menstrual Practices 

The womb demands to be heard. In Ancient times, women bled together and separated themselves from housework and obligations of society during menstruation. They would retreat to lodges and often practice purification rituals before reemerging in their follicular phase. Menstruation was acknowledged in life as a time of spiritual reflection. Nowadays women have little respect for bleeding because rest is not a core value of our modern society, especially in NYC.

To be busy is to carry a badge of honor. It is the antidote to laziness. Slowness is seen as a challenge that needs to be overcome. This is a complete one hundred eighty degree flip from our ancestors’ way of living. Slowness suggested dedication, attention to detail and craftsmanship. Life asks us to recalibrate our relationship to productivity and rest to align with the feminine cyclical nature.

While differences exist among cultural practices for women's cycles, common themes include isolation, reduction in daily responsibilities, and purification. We need to bring these values back and rebrand relaxation. Relaxation needs to be taught in New York City. Too often women attempt to relax by bombarding their schedules with planned activities meant to rejuvenate them. These activities are integral to a healthy life but they do not equate rest. What if slowness became the new badge of honor? 

Womb Conditions

Slowness should be cherished during our bleeding phase. When we do not listen to this inner calling for spiritual introspection, the womb gets loud through cysts, fibroids, painful periods, endometriosis, BV, infertility, and other issues. The behavior of acting out is commonly associated with crying for attention among children. Reproductive and womb issues mimic this concept in women.

Many times when women are combating excessive heavy bleeding and endless spotting after the period is supposed to end, bedrest alone can lighten and stop the flow. This effect shows how our actions influence our health. Our wombs need us to be active partners in our health, not adversaries. It can feel frustrating and as if our bodies are against us when we finish a round of antibiotics to kill a yeast or bacterial infection only to have it come back months later. Women undergo surgery to remove a fibroid and on a future ultrasound a new one has taken up house in the uterus. This battle in our womb space is teaching us that playing whack-a-mole will not prevent future conditions. 

Womb Awareness

When we develop a loving relationship with our wombs and learn to listen to its whispers, conditions can begin to subside for good. Creating a daily practice of awareness can help demystify our hormonal fluctuations. Men have twenty-four hour hormonal cycles whereas women have monthly, which means a woman experiences the full spectrum of hormones over the course of 28 to 29 days (although it could be longer/shorter depending on the individual case). In contrast, a man experiences his full spectrum over the course of a single day. Becoming conscious of this major difference in males and females offers an explanation why women are seen as ‘emotional’ beings. Acknowledging which day of the cycle a woman is in can give context to why energy levels are low or a strong sense of confidence is present. 

While taking time off for a monthly moon cycle is not sustainable in our modern day, we can take action to cushion our menstrual phase and protect our wombs from overworking. Menstruation is a uterine cleanse, which means the body is applying all of its resources to clearing out the uterine lining. When life demands are high such as for a project deadline or upcoming performance, the body needs to share its resources, which could lead to a less effective cleaning. Metaphorically, consider an annual deep cleaning for a house. If at the scheduled time of the deep cleaning other responsibilities crept into the calendar, such as attending a three day work conference or pitching a new company idea to a room of investors, the cleaning is most likely going to be impacted. Perhaps the top of a shelf gets overlooked and dust continues to collect on top of the existing pile. This build up may lead to more sneezing during the spring time when windows are open and fresh air blows in, circulating the dust. Our bodies are a part of nature. As above, so below. 

Preparation practices like cooking nourishing meals a few days before menstruation like lamb shank and couscous, ground beef rice bowls, goat curry, steak for sandwiches and bone broth soups can ease the personal experience of shedding. Women are meant to rest during this week of the month. 

It is safe to prioritize the womb and put personal needs first. Begin by creating small changes each month that inch towards slowing down from a regular pace during menstruation.