I’m not sure why menstruation gets called “a period” but it’s interesting that it’s synonymous with FULL STOP- when mine begins my womb pretty much demands that I FULLY STOP in order to respect her as she prepares to shed. 🐍
Yesterday my blood came during the closing ceremony of my 13-moon Wise Womb Medicine Path apprenticeship (I am now fully graduated as a Wise Womb medicine practitioner! 💗) … and my blood often arrives to mark a new beginning or significant moment!
I remember touching down in Nepal last year and literally the moment I stepped foot on the land off the plane, my blood arrived.
She often comes to let me know I am perfectly on track – it is the way my womb communicates to me that I am in alignment on my path ♥️
A part of this apprenticeship was to chart my cycle in detail & I am more intimate with my cycle than I ever have been.
I can literally plan my life around when I know I’ll be bleeding versus ovulating and everything in between, knowing the patterns of my energy levels & inclinations at these different phases of my cycle… plus it is super useful for fertility awareness!
The onset of bleeding is marked by a sudden plummeting of both estrogen + progesterone levels, which explains why I feel so deeply drawn within and low in energy on day 1 of my cycle.
After taking the time to fully stop yesterday, I feel re-energised even though my blood is flowing (this corresponds with the gradual rising of these hormones once again.)
It’s wild to think that bleeding time sometimes gets called a “monthly curse’ because for me it truly is a monthly blessing- my body invites me & eminds me to slow down, just as the moon as her dark phase. I am a cyclical creature and I fully celebrate the rhythms of being woman.
The way we speak about our cycles matters … and I am a fierce advocate for empowered menstruation!
I personally don’t like to call mine my period but rather my “bleeding time” (because it’s about time we speak truthfully about what is actually happening in our bodies once every month. How do you refer to your bleeding time?? 🥀
Art: Tina Maria Elena
