How to Embrace Your Period Blood and Release the Societal Stigma of Menstruation

A woman’s menstrual cycle and blood are vital signs of the overall health and wellness of her entire body. Without a deep connection and understanding of our menstrual health, we are missing out on important and easily accessible indicators of our health, which can severely impact both our minds and bodies. Once we learn to develop a meaningful relationship with our menstrual blood, we are able to notice subtle and drastic changes.

Learning to embrace and even love our menstrual blood for all its powerful components can be very challenging, especially when most of us were taught to shun this natural bodily function. The saga of shame and disconnect between women and their bodies is a centuries old story that has become a cultural norm. Most women have been inundated with the narrative of something being “wrong” or “undesirable” with their intrinsic bodily functions since they were young children. This is especially true when it comes to menstruation, but it doesn’t have to remain that way!

Reclaiming and honoring the life sustaining blood that leaves our body during menstruation is available to all women. The first step is to recognize the ways in which you may be carrying internalized menstrual shame. Many of us grew up in homes or within societies where our menstrual blood was a source of shame, something to remain hidden and never discussed, let alone seen. It takes a lot of intentional awareness to overcome menstrual shame, especially because we currently live in a society that by and large still perpetuates it. For me, that’s even more reason to uncover the immense power that exists within our bodies and blood.

Taking the time to intentionally connect with your womb, partially when you are menstruating, is very helpful in establishing a relationship with your blood. This can be as simple as placing your hands on top of your womb and doing a few minutes of deep breathing, focusing on softening your womb region and allowing blood to flow freely.

Another important component to embracing your menstrual blood is to actually see and engage with it. This could mean allowing yourself to free bleed instead of using tampons. There are so many great options of period underwear (so comfy!) and eco-friendly organic pads, that allow the blood to flow unobstructed from the womb through the vagina. When we free bleed, we have the opportunity to actually see our blood. Additionally, the menstrual cup or disc are also great options that allow us to see and engage with our blood. Being able to notice the color, consistency, and quantity is very important. Our blood is like a report card of how our body and specifically our womb are functioning, and it changes from cycle to cycle. This is why it’s imperative that we know our blood’s normal baseline, which we all can learn by taking time to notice the quality of our blood each time we bleed. When we are in relationship with our menstrual blood, we can notice shifts and make changes to our lifestyle, eating habits, relationships, etc. that better support our mental, emotional, and physical health.

Our womb is our greatest ally and guide. When we do the internal work to release the shame that we may have inherited regarding our menstrual cycle and blood, we empower ourselves towards self acceptance, bodily autonomy, and feminine liberation. We deserve to know and understand our womb and all the information it conveys to us each cycle. It is time that we honor and explore all the power that lies within our womb and menstrual blood.

With love,

Whitney

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