Friday Five: Befriend your Bleed
Can you imagine experiencing winter every single month? If you have a womb, you might understand. A womb moves through four seasons within every month, and honoring each of them creates a better relationship with the highs and lows of the cycle.
Keep reading for 5 ways to reconnect to your monthly cycle—and how to support those in your life during their different phases.
Hibernation
This is the time of your bleed, when you are experiencing the energy of winter and a need for rest, seclusion and reflection.
Sex educator and writer, ShaVaughn Elle, recommends a self-care practice of massaging your abdomen around the uterus with natural almond or coconut oil while speaking positive and reassuring messages, especially if you are experiencing pain.
If you are partnered with or sharing space with womb owners, acknowledge their need for space. Some have conditions that produce physical pain such as endometriosis, others just feel emotionally imbalanced due to hormone shifts. Ask how you can support them, as everyone has a unique relationship to their bleed.
2. Spring Recharge
Coming out of your winter bleed usually around Day 6, you will begin to feel spikes of energy during the follicular phase due to the increase of estrogen in your body. This is a great time to tap into your creativity and express ideas, so make a vision board, do some reflective journaling, and plan your monthly goals. Prepare light & refreshing meals to nourish your body, which might need a reset after indulging in menstruation cravings.
If you are partnered with or sharing space with womb owners, make the most of their vigor during this time and plan hikes, bigger projects, and more energy-intensive activities.
3. Summer Glowing
Let’s play! Just as the summer sun energizes and excites us, during the ovulation phase [5-6 days], you feel more radiant, confident and are more easily aroused. Be social and enjoy your body while it feels at its best!
If you’re partnered with or sharing space with womb owners, this phase is the perfect time to make love, host gatherings and initiate more challenging talks if needed, as the hormones are more balanced and the mood more stabilized.
4. Long Autumn Days
The luteal phase, often the longest phase of a womb owner’s cycle (12-14 days), still looks like ‘summer’ for the first half—high levels of energy and motivation.
“The first part of your luteal phase is when many women find that they are very detail-oriented and can tackle all the tasks on their to-do lists.”
As you move into the second week, closer to winter, that’s when you’ll begin to notice common PMS symptoms like increased appetite, body aches and irritability.
If you are partnered with or sharing space with womb owners, engage with them on projects or tasks that require more brain work or contemplation.
5. Rethink Red
Reconnecting to your monthly cycle involves rethinking the way that you release. Not only do tampons & pads create waste, but they also can potentially irritate the vagina and cause harm. Reusable period underwear is an option if you want to free bleed and be gentler to your body and the planet.
You can also use internal cups or free-bleed blankets. Be mindful when buying products—look for organic and toxic-free.
Start Something New
Keep a daily practice to reinvigorate your self-discovery journey and sexual goals. Strengthen your confidence in the bedroom, connect with your true self, and/or collaborate with a partner for an even more intimate experience.
