Nourishing The Seeds - Guide For The Menstrual Phase
“To be able to shed what no longer serves me is like compost for my soul. My spirit becomes enriched with nutrients and ideas that fuel and ignite my drive for what’s becoming. Here I sit with myself, the moon, the stars, and feel the embrace of rich soil with-in me like a seed being watered; growing, blossoming into magnificence.”
Do you remember the beginning? When your body became a portal of intention in a deeper and more potent form? When the ancient wisdom of the moon became a part of you as you became a deeper form of her? The feeling of being able to live in phases with her transitions that can bring so much light and darkness to our reality? A potency that is as rich as soil indeed.
I recall being disconnected, afraid, confused, and slightly frustrated at my moon cycle as a young girl. What a chore I would think it was. I never would see the beauty of what this wisdom was inside of me. Instead I would become so fixated on when it would end so I could stop dealing with it. There even was a time where I completely lost my cycle for an entire year due to malnutrition, leading up to a handful of health issues. When I think back at those times in my life, I just smile and surrender into the emotions of gratitude for the connection Ive been forming with my bodies wisdom in these present times..
When I rekindled this flame of passion with the beauty of being a woman in all of her wild phases, I came into myself more than I ever have before. The lesson’s I would learn during the cycles of my moon, I can’t be grateful enough for. I found my truth and birthed a seed inside of myself that brought so much pleasure, insight, and creativity that I was endlessly filled with love and abundance. She, that sheds what no loner serves and starts to nourish every inch of my insides; she helps me manifest my reality. She that knows how to get me to reconnect to the earth, the rhythm, and the art of slowing down enough to feel it all.
To fully understand this part of ourselves goes beyond just the typical routines of rest and journaling. Since our cycle supports us women in so many forms, i believe it is our duty to work with her and nourish ourselves on and even deeper level. Here we will take a look at our food, exercise, daily routines, and even romantic endeavors so you, your sisters and daughters, can have a true love and union with your bodies, the moon, and all the wisdom it all holds.
The Menstrual Cycle:
After coming from the luteal phase, when we are most in tune with our intuition on what is no loner serving us in our lives, we now get to birth those seeds of intentions which we discovered. Dreams at night start to get less intense as the veil has completely now opened. Don’t be afraid of the shadows that lay in your spirit. Those are the parts of ourselves that need to be seen in order to birth light. The shadow holds power. Allow them to drain out of you with the nectar that is pouring out, thanking them for what they have taught you.
This time is potent for our intuition and getting clear on what we want to manifest and due to hormone levels dropping quickly, it creates the greatest communication between the two brain hemispheres. We are fertile with presence. She is here to ask, are you happy with what you are doing in multiple areas of life? How are you spending your time? Is what you think you want still feeling good at this moment? Slow down, she says. Listen & hear the whispers that lay inside your vessel and from there start to create your destiny.
The wisdom learned during this time nourishes the seeds that will grown and blossom into magnificence. Allow yourself to turn inward to journal and reflect without fear of what may come to surface. Gather under the moon as she shines her wisdom on you, even if she is fully in darkness. Light a candle and create a ritual for yourself, embrace fully the seeds being formed at this time. Remember that even the darkest of nights, shine with the purity of light.
Exercise:
Be gentle. You are soft at this time, so allow yourself to slow down. Keeping yoga light, restorative, and gentle. Lay with the bolster in Childs pose, allow yourself to be healed and cradled. Kundalini and yin yoga will support the cycle in a sublime way. Try to limit inversions except for supported ones like legs up a wall, hips on a block with legs up, or having the bolster laying in line with the spine. Warmth and weight on the belly for the final rest. Stay low to the ground. This is also a great time to go on light hikes to truly feel and be inspired by nature. We are so sensitive at this time to receive messages from the things that don’t speak.
Food:
This is a time to connect with healthy fats, proteins, tons of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, and keep the glycemic levels at a low to help your blood sugar at a level while adding antioxidants and fiber into the diet. This does mean to try and keep the alcohol, even wine, at a minimum especially in the beginning of your phase. Also, try to limit chocolate and sweets until later in the cycle. Think soups, stews, oats, kale, avocados, sweet potatoes, and tea. Think grounding & wholesome. Warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cumin, cardamon, turmeric are all extremely supportive.
Some of my favorites to have during this time are:
Savory oats with almonds slivered on top
Green Juice
Sweet potato and root bake on a bed of arugula and other seasonal greens
Homemade chai
Bone broth (My absolute favorite while on my cycle)
Romance:
This is a time for you to choose on if you want the love making or if you would like time alone. If you want to engage in sex this week then go for it with a full bottle of passion with candles and groovy tunes around. If you want to take more time for yourself, ask for the space from your beloved. Such a sweetness this time is. No matter which direction we choose it’s like honey for our lusty flame.
Rituals:
To bask in a body of water is where we birth our ideas and nourish our seeds truly. She is so therapeutic for all sides of us as woman. The water starts to nourish us, helping us find complete relaxation so the mind can stay clear and focused.
To help make this bath even more special I would say start by lighting some candles and then fill the tub with essential oils such as lavender, orange and cedar. Then start to sprinkle in some flowers, bubbles, and some therapeutic salts. Here, they will all gather and come into union for you to bask in, get lost in, and dream in. Let the warm waters sweet caress warm your abdominal and pelvis area and give you permission to find complete surrender.
Another ritual to add in is journaling under the stars with candles, tea, and reflections and questions to ask thyself. To be in our authenticity, we must embrace the cycles of darkness and light. To see our shadow sides is seeing our light, so can we use this time to truly see and work through these sides of ourselves.
Here are some questions you may want to journal on:
What are your plans for this year?Who are you allies and how do you connect with them?Are you living in the present of what you truly enjoy?What fuels your passion like the never ending flame of love?What act of self love are engaging in clearly this month?What part of myself is causing dis-harmony in my life?
Here we stand, connected with the stars, the moon, and the tides. We woman shift with all rhythms of life. We nourish our seeds and nourish the seeds of others. We are a portal of life and death, so can you see your magnificence and embrace the wild that lives inside of you.
*If you are a plant mom- save your bleeding from a diva cup and place it into a safe vessel. Mix with some water and use it to nourish your plants soil. They completely thrive from it.