Honoring Your Menses

This was sent to me via the Sistah Vegan Project

Here are some EASY ways to start:

1. Self-awareness is the first step toward HONORING our blood. We must explore our beliefs, views and feelings about menstruation. How do you feel about your blood? Explore where your beliefs came from and why do you feel or believe what you do. Are your views positive, neutral, negative? Do you need to release some beliefs?

2. Next we have to learn our cycles (whether we have a 25, 28 or 31 day cycle). It is important to know approximately know when you should expect your menses. Mark the first day of your bleeding on a calendar with a distinct mark (maybe use a red mark to mark the day). Noting the day allows us to calculate our ovulation, the following menstruation day, and schedule activities according to our physical and emotional state. During menstruation we have less physical energy but heightened intuition but if we are running around DOING instead of just BEING we will likely miss the enlightenment. I don't plan big activities during my menses. I consciously pull back from the world.

3. Absorption matters! Every woman might be ready for the menstrual cup also known as the Diva cup, but we can easily switch to chemical free pads or tampons (I'm not a advocate of tampons but I know that change is a process). Cloth pads are the bomb, we get to collect the blood thru soaking the pads, we save money and support the planet thru reducing our use of disposable products. Going GREEN ain't really optional sistahs, we gotta get better at taking care of the mother (earth) that takes care of us.

4. Tell your Menarche story - When did you get your period? Who was there? Where were you? How did you feel? Let's tell the stories of our first menses. Call up a homegirl or find a young sistah and share your story (No matter what the story is). As we tell our menarche stories we bring validity back to menstruation, we both normalize and
honor our blood and womanhood!

5. Rest & Solitude. We must make rest and solitude a priority during our menses. Our energy level is at its lowest during this time. Rest feels good. As we better learn our cycles we can schedule rest more strategically and not over schedule ten million things the week we are bleeding. Time alone allows to hear our spirits, minds, and
bodies. Whether we are the mother of five, single or a wife we have to make solitude a part of life. Even if its just a hour to two.

Honoring our BLOOD is a process but everything begins with one step... Happy Bleeding!