The curse, Moody blues, on the rag, time of the month! These are all extremely derogatory ways in which to describe a woman’s menstrual cycle. Why is a female’s period looked upon as something negative? Women should feel nurtured and supported around this time. Unfortunately, there are so many negative connotations around a woman’s period, why? How do we change these perceptions and learn to celebrate and understand the female cycle better? If the narrative were a positive one, would there be such shame around the subject?
The thought process that menstruation is impure is deeply ingrained within many cultures and religions around the world. Throughout history, religion has governed society by shaping our social codes and belief systems. Many religions, such as Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, do not allow a woman to enter temples and places of worship; some communities within these religions command a woman to refrain from certain spiritual practices or the handling of sacred scriptures.
Some Orthodox Jewish communities practise the laws of niddah. It was believed that any ritual objects and people a woman came into contact with when she was on her period would become impure. Due to this belief, a married couple will abstain from sexual activity during the menses plus an additional seven days after bleeding has ceased. During the last seven days, it is referred to as the clean days. The female will then partake in a ritual bath known as a mikveh to clean herself from impurities.
Is it any wonder that women feel ashamed or are hushed when they have their period? Why is the shedding of our uterine lining seen as unclean? It is a natural and vital part of female health. It is a bodily function that supports our reproductive system. Without this, where would life begin? How could we carry children in our wombs? The end product of giving birth is seen to be the only miraculous act; of course, it is extremely special, but the preparation for life should be seen as a miracle in its own right.
There are some religions, such as Sikhism, Wicca and Taoism, that honour a female’s menstrual cycle, seeing it as a sign of vital energy, a time of renewal and balance. Sikhism points out that it is people’s negative actions that are impure, not a person’s natural bodily function.
In Chinese medicine, female menstruation is celebrated, and when Chinese gynaecologist Fu Qing Zhu Nu Ke wrote his book in the seventeenth century, he referred to the blood of our menstruation as Heavenly water. A sign of fertility, the creation of life, it also serves as an indicator of good health. When our menstrual cycle is regular, this is a reflection that our body is in balance. Rather than looking at this time as embarrassing, dirty, or impure, the Chinese celebrate the natural and essential process. Menstruation is seen as a reflection of overall health and balance. Qi (universal life-force energy), blood, yin and yang need to be in alignment. When there is pain or irregularities, it points to imbalance.
Instead of telling women that this is something that they must struggle with, TCM looks to see where discrepancies may lie. It could be dietary issues, a lack of vitamins, fibroids, polyps, endometriosis, or poor blood circulation; the list is endless. Women should feel empowered to go to their health care provider and find answers to these physiological imbalances. Within TCM, women have many solutions to choose from, such as acupuncture, acupressure, yoga and nutritional advice. For example, during this time, a woman is encouraged to avoid certain types of food such as cold drinks and raw food; instead, they are encouraged to eat and drink warming cuisine such as ginger, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which also helps with blood circulation and cramp reduction; turmeric for hormonal support and its anti-inflammatory advantages; scallions, known for their warming essence due to their pungent nature, help to balance kidney energy and promote blood flow. Iron-rich foods such as red meat, eggs, fish and leafy greens help to replenish the iron stores in the body.
What stands out in this advice? What is the theme? These practices are encouraging us to realise this is a time to nurture and look after our bodies. Women should be encouraged to slow down and take care of themselves; they should be allowing their bodies to go through the process. They should be supported and made aware that when they feel pain and irregularities in their flow, their body is out of sync and not in balance. We should feel empowered to ask the questions to find the underlying cause of the problem. This is the widespread message that we should be teaching our young females and educating the males in our society too. This should not be a taboo subject, there should be no embarrassment, and it certainly should not be seen as an impure process. Instead, we can educate our society that this is a positive and normal part of life.
Yin yoga and slow yoga flow really are amazing ways in which to help yourself during this time, as Yin does concentrate on acupressure points. This again is cementing the fact that we should be taking care of our bodies and concentrating on our well-being at this time, not hiding or suffering in silence.
We need to re-educate women and encourage them to feel that feminine health is a beautiful thing, something that should be celebrated! Maybe if we can change the negative narrative, there would be a collective shift in the way our natural cycle is viewed.
