I am almost (*cough*) 40 years old. I have been living in this body for 40 years and experiencing the monthly hormone cycle for about 25 of them. I’ll be honest, I haven’t exactly enjoyed the process over the years, specifically when it comes to my actual period.. My periods have always tended to be on the longer side, usually 7 (maybe 8) days, and for the first 3-4 days I would experience pretty significant / painful cramping. Some months were worse than others, but in my head it never really seemed like a problem or something I should track or try to fix. I just sort of thought everyone had cramps like that. I mean, hello, isn’t that what we see on all the Midol commercials?? Some woman wincing in pain and cupping her (bloated) lower abdomen.
Rewind to about two years ago when I started practicing Ashtanga yoga. There is a tradition within the practice called “Ladies Holiday.” Don’t get me started on the name, but the point is that women are not supposed to practice during their period. Those days should be rest days from the vigorous physical practice. At first I didn’t buy into it and continued what I had been doing my whole life — powering through my period and sticking to whatever workout schedule I had planned. However as I continued practicing Ashtanga and heard more and more women teachers talking about it, I decided to give it a try. I didn’t take off for the entire 7 or 8 days, but I did take rest days on the first 2-3 days when I would typically have the most cramping and heavy bleeding.
Rest is hard (in fact it’s a four letter word, imo). These days seemed like a bit of torture to me. BUT, guess what happened? The very first period was shorter and I had NO cramping. NONE. ZERO. I’ve been trying to stick to these rest days for several months now, and my period is now 4-5 days with no cramping. EVER. WHAT?!?!? How I have managed to live over half of my life fighting nature?? I don’t want to even guess at how many more years I have left before menopause, but I’m certain I have far fewer remaining than what I’ve already experienced. I spent so much time “tolerating” my period when I could have been supporting my body in much better ways. If I’d only known….
Periods aside, I’ve also recently had some other epiphanies about my cycle and I just want to know why it took me so long to WANT to find ways to support and nourish my body properly. Why did it not occur to me sooner that I could work with my body and not against, perhaps even harness the varying energies it offers me at different phases in the month? I am all about efficiency and productivity, so why have I never applied this organizational superpower to working WITH my body instead of against it? In part, I think it has something to do with the mentality that I am strong and capable and can do anything I want. Nothing will stand in my way. Work harder, power through, and get it done. I am WOMAN! Hear me ROAR!!!
There is nothing wrong with these positive affirmations. They are highly motivating for someone who is driven by internal factors. That said, sometimes this strength and determination is in conflict with the subtle requests, the hormonal ebbs and flows (and associated changes) from within the body month to month.
I won’t get all “sciencey” here and talk about specific hormones and phases of the cycle, but I do want to note some important generalities. Through each monthly cycle there are 4 phases, each one lasting a different amount of time and causing different effects on our physical and emotional states. Because of this, there are PREDICTABLE times of the month when high energy/strength building workouts are great, when more low key activities are advised, or when rest would be the most beneficial option. The same thing can be said for food — and not just the types of food that may be more supportive, but also the AMOUNT of food that your body requires can change. Your work and social life could also be impacted due to the ebbs and flows of hormones as there are specific times when planning and creating are better, when communication is easier, or when it may be better to spend time alone working on and implementing project ideas.
I am currently fascinated by all of this, and am working to learn more. I am also amazed at how much women my age, and even older aren’t really aware of a lot of this information. As I work to improve the ways in which I treat my own body, I have to go back and reconsider that “I am unstoppable” attitude and what that means for me with this newfound kindness towards myself. Are these conflicting ideas? Are they mutually exclusive?
I’d like to think I can have both. Perhaps with age and experience there comes a quiet wisdom. I can still be fierce. I can still be a force to be reckoned with. But I can do it in subtler ways. I can accomplish anything, and probably faster and in safer and more healthy ways by working WITH nature. By supporting my body. By loving myself and being grateful for all the things my body is capable of.
Maybe I can let go of the “ROAR!” and it can simply be “I AM woman.”
