The menstrual cycle is the most basic, earthy, and archetypal cycle we have. The natural ebb and flow of feminine hormones and related to them dreams, moods, and creativity were seen as sacred in many traditional societies. Even today, when we are so cut off from the rhythms of nature, our cycle of ovulation is directly influenced by the phases of the Moon.
Just like the Moon, every month we are getting through a period of darkness, a phase of withdrawal and reflection, when our feminine energy becomes vulnerable and receptive and when we feel connected with intuitive knowledge on our deepest level. Biologically, the “Moon stage”, which usually follows the ovulation, is influenced by an elevated level of progesterone - the hormone that also guides pregnancy. ../wp-content/uploads/articles/104.jpg
Sadly, we live in the world, which often does not honour our sacred feminine rhythms. As a result, we treat our premenstrual phase not as a magical time for renewal, but as a disease. We routinely block premenstrual emotions and intuition, and they have no other choice but to come back to us in a form of** PMS - a common malady of a modern woman**.
PMS is a collection of symptoms (there are more than a hundred of them!), suffered by scores of women in the industrialized world. The most common manifestations of PMS are:
• psychological disturbances: anxiety, irritability, depression, moodiness;
• swelling of the breasts and abdomen;
• fatigue;
• insomnia;
• pains and aches: migraine, cramps, backache;
• skin rashes: herpes, acne, hives;
• food binges, cravings of salty and sugary snacks.
What are the underlying physiological and emotional reasons for our monthly suffering? Could it be that PMS is all just “in our head” and therefore should be ignored or “treated” by so popular “lifestyle drugs” - antidepressants, tranquilizers, painkillers? Wholistic researchers and naturopathic doctors have come to the conclusion that, although PMS is not completely understood, **the following 6 reasons contribute to the onset and development of the symptoms: ../wp-content/uploads/articles/105.jpg **
• a Western-style type of nutrition emphasising processed foods, chemically treated and irradiated fruit and vegetables, and meats and dairy products from animals raised on steroids and antibiotics - as many of those chemicals find way into our bodies disrupting the finely tuned hormonal balance;
• low-fat, “slimming”, and vegetarian diets, which rob our bodies of essential fatty acids and “master vitamins” A, B12, and D - building blocks for production of healthy hormones;
• stress and emotional trauma;
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• **abuse of laboratory-produced medications, **including lifestyle drugs and even synthetic vitamins;
• hectic lifestyle, when we are trying to “perfectly” combine a full-time job with family responsibilities.
• denial of our intuitive feminine wisdom brought up by the menstrual phases.
Once we begin to appreciate the menstrual cycle as a part of our guidance system, we begin to heal both emotionally and hormonally. See the detailed recommendations in our next article, where I’ll tell you how to alleviate the symptoms of PMS and return to emotional health and hormonal balance.
Photos by **myyogaonline**, by **Dan Heller**, by **Fayyaz Ahmed**, by **plagueoftruth**.
About the Author
Amanda Brown is our Healthy Lifestyle Expert. Amanda lives in Canada, and her background includes Degrees in Ethnology, History, and Wholistic Therapies. Her true passion, though, lies in the fields of traditional nutrition, history of medicine… learn more about Amanda here.
