- "50 things you need to know about periods" is Claire's new book. It provides something simple to digest & empower both men & women around charting the feminine cycle.
- Coming off The Pill & what may happen due to it's suppression of ovulation.
- Menstrual awareness work can create such a feeling of being alive mentally, physically, spiritually
- The 4 phases of the feminine cycle: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn.
WINTER: The period cave. Release & reset. Going inward.
SPRING: Get moving on projects with work, playful, calendars, start something new (even self care routine).
SUMMER: Ovulation - highest levels of oestrogen, plus a bump in testosterone, resilient, extroverted, a feeling of successfully spinning all the plates.
AUTUMN: Drop in oestrogen after ovulation - the body is no longer fertile. The truth telling, no f's giving, setting boundaries, wild woman creative energy, taking time for yourself is easier in this phase. Progesterone is present to nurture a potential baby. The "adulting phase". How we feel during this phase may depend on how we nurture our body.
- Liver loaders can affect our cycle...for example drinking less to no coffee can show an improvement in premenstrual symptoms like sore breasts. Caffeine & alcohol can impact how oestrogen is eliminated through the liver.
- There is a natural order to a menstrual cycle. A sense of an inhale & exhale. Charting gives us a handrail. Maybe more time needed for a bath during the pre-menstrual phase vs the social feeling of ovulation/Summer. If we try to maintain the superwoman cape throughout the whole cycle we can fall. eg. too much on our plate during our Autumn/pre-menstrual phase can lead to rage or anger due to not giving yourself the space needed. Giving ourselves a break during the Autumn phase & learning to say no can actually dim the feeling of PMS. More sleep & hydration can remedy PMS.
- Wholefood chocolate, hot chocolates with cacao, sweet potatoes (complex carbs) can support our changes in blood sugar levels which also support PMS symptoms.
- If unusual patterns are presenting blood tests are a good place to start.
- Stress shortens our cycle in length. However, sometimes it is lengthened due to ovulation being delayed, because the body doesn't want to create a fertile environment for a baby, due to the environment being stressful.
- Be grateful for the changes the body shows due to it's WISDOM. Be thankful for these communication tools
- Waking at the same time, going to bed at the same time, having plenty of water, whole foods, exercise, etc helps create hormonal order just by caring for our basic needs.
- Lara Briden educates women on ovulation being a key component of healthy bones, a sign of fertility & health.
- Stress, low body weight & liver loaders like medications can impact the absence of bleeding.
- Our body knows & communicates through it's wisdom. Subtle stressors that we term as 'normal' in our current lifestyle impacts our body's natural rhythm. You may need to also learn to take your foot off the accelerator like Claire & I are learning & consider each phase as a SUPERPOWER.
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