Menstrual Cycle Remedies

When approached as a dialogue with your feminine soul, discomforts and
symptoms in the genitals and the cycle flow can be an opportunity to experience
your most significant relationship: self-flowering, self-healing. Rather than run to
the nearest drugstore or health practitioner for minor and/or transient issues,
women have self-healing options that often can be traced back many centuries
and even millenia. Applying self-soothing measures and tenderly asking yourself
"what's the matter?", listening to what comes up over hours or days, can often
be just what the deepest tissues in your body require to restore equilibrium.   (Like
anything else, if you do not experience a significant shift in the first 12-24 hours you
may wish to consult a physician of some kind).

Good hygiene, as in proper hand-washing of your own and lover's hands before
genital contact goes a long way in protecting the balance of the internal tissues.
The majority of women who died in and after hospital childbirth during early
Western obstetrics did so because obstetricians did not start routinely washing
their hands until at least the 1850s, and so infections were rapidly circulated in the
huge maternity wards of large cities. In some periods of history, particularly the
"Dark Ages", there were even midwives who did not use proper hygiene.

Below is a sample of the most basic remedies for healing & harmony during the
cycle, many of which have been practiced on this earth for a long time.   Much
of this information, and more, can be found in such classics as Hygieia: A
Woman's Herbal and Our Bodies, Ourselves. Also pertinent for your daughters,
nieces, and grand-daughters.

NOTE: Due to hormones in the water supply and factory-farmed foods, many girls
in American culture are having menarche (first period and sprouting breasts) as
young as 9. The biological health age for menarche in the ancient, earth-based
cultures of the world is 16-18... a few added years for childishness, continual play,
and freedom from the hormonal effects upon gender relations and
communication in general.

Things are indeed changing - and womb ecology reflects world ecology. Keeping
this in mind, it is worth remembering that the modern crisis of menses is also an
opportunity for the body to detoxify and release what doesn't serve it. Though
most of the earth's women up until recently had few periods (they were pregnant
or nursing-on-demand most of their adult lives )they also had a different world
ecology. Our bodies are coping with so many historically unprecedented
environmental & emotional-mental toxins, that natural menses can actually be a
boon for self-healing and rebalancing, provided that good self-care is part of the
picture. Without good self-care, modern natural menses can indeed be
depleting. However, the "solution" currently marketed in pharmaceuticals
advertisements in women's magazines and on the television - a new hormonal
birth control pill to further suppress the cycle and create spotting (not a real
menses, and there is no fertile time) every four months is misrepresented and

soothe your soul. When AUNT FLO comes to town, it's time to wear some red, put
fresh cut flowers around your house, unplug the phone, have some chocolate,
and stay put at home the first, or second, day if you can - in sweet retreat.

BE WELL HYDRATED & FUEL YOURSELF WITH HEALTHY SNACKS TO COPE WITH STRESS:
As in Labor & Birth, the likelihood of increasing your discomfort and pain is
multiplied if you get even a little dehydrated, and if you are sendentary for any
significant time. Proper hydration is primarily in the form of room temperature
filtered or spring water, supplemented by herbal teas and raw juices. Combined
with the typical demands of having to perform at a job or with other
responsibilities you can't get out of - the stress hormone, adrenaline, can start
circulating and affect your catecholamine levels, resulting in a lower pain
threshold and a greater embodiment of all distresses. Even a well-performed,
drug-free menstrual coping behaviour has its natural opposite - the need for
self-care retreat and restoration is especially important after such an expenditure
of energy and if not attended to will create feelings of physical & emotional
depletion as you continue into your new cycle.

EMOTIONAL PROCESSING: As the menstruating womb's lining is made up of three
receptive "layers," with the top layer being shed each month, like a veil... the
second layer is developing towards being suitable for implantation in two weeks,
and the third layer is actually interwoven in the myometrium , the muscle tissue.
On a physical cellular level it take 3 cycless to release all womb-associations to
certain habits as well as imprints from a past lover and start a lining fresh from
recent past associations. Honoring this can bring new meaning to menses.

FOOT BATHS do wonders. Sitting in a chair and soaking your feet in a deep basin
of HOT water causes a huge circulation shift to occur, and will quickly soothe
cramps (as well as headache and colds). It helps to have a kettle of extra boiled
water nearby to top up the basin's heat. Soak for 10-20 minutes, then pat feet dry
and put on socks. If you have a partner handy, serious FOOT MASSAGE is sweet -
in as much of an upright position as possible, try a chair and footrest.

GINGER TEA stimulates a sluggish digestion and moves your circulation. Best made
from fresh Ginger slices simmered for 10 minutes - or you can also use quality
teabags, steeped for 10 minutes in your teapot. Remember, this is a medicinal
tea, much stronger than a beverage tea. Two cups a day works wonders.

PARSLEY is potent. A sprig of washed Parsley actually placed in the vagina will
speedily relieve cramps. If the Parsley is from your own garden, all the better! If
you eat a lot of Parsley the day before and/or the first day of your period, you will
definitely notice a heavier flow so you might want to avoid tabouli on those
days...

HOT WATER SIPPING - The Ayurvedic-yogini secret for nurturing the fire in your belly
is also a powerful support for the "apana-vayu," the downward energy of
menstruation.   Every half hour to an hour, sip a few sips to a cup of plain hot
water (heated by a dispenser or kettle, not from the hot water tap). One of the
easiest remedies to do at an office job!

YOGA, EXERCISE: Gentle movement of the pelvis and pelvic girdle muscles help
move congestion. Though you may be tempted to hold an immobile pity party
on the couch, Rock Pose, Half-Lotus Pose, and Cat/Cow (on hands-knees) are
very beneficial for downward flow and can even be done on a bed. If in an
office chair, keeping one foot up in a half cross-legged position, and one foot on
the floor, switching them regularly, will help energize your lower back. You can
also dance it out, from your belly, if you can create the privacy! Focusing your
premenstrual time with the specific and powerful balancing poses of Pidgeon
Pose, Camel Pose, and Half-Lotus (all of which work the lower back and align the
womb/ovaries) smoothes out the menses experience and creates little need for
much of the above remedies.

Midcyle Bleeding: Light spotting during the fertile time in the natural cycle is
actually quite common, which contributes to the high inaccuracy rate of cervical
culture tests (pap smears). Heavy spotting should point you in the direction of a
hormone-balancing lifestyle changes. Such a course would include daily
personal yoga/tai chi/chi gong/pilates practice, elimination of non-fermented soy
products and non-freerange meats & dairy, elimination of tap water & filtered tap
water (recycled urban water supplies have large amounts of estrogen in them,
and hormones are not filterable) and reducing your egg intake if you are a heavy
egg eater. Cigarette smoking causes cervical changes and can contribute to
bleeding, worth stopping. "Abnormal Uterine Bleeding" is a medical term that
simply describes spotting outside of the menstrual time (though most women have
midcycle bleeding at least some of the time) and is not a diagnosis of disease,
though it can serve as a tool for attuning to the womb. Cycle-balancing herbs
can be helpful allies too. See Hygieia

Secretions: It's important to know the cervical mucus pattern of the natural cycle.
A significant portion of gynecological office visits by young women is because of
undue concern and ignorance of the natural, healthy, fertile mucus. A certain
portion of ignorant gynecologists then go on to misdiagnose infection and
prescribe unnecessary medicines. Cervical mucus changes its form during the
cycle from slippery egg-white clear to tacky & cream colored and it may have
the slightest sweet or salty smell during sexual arousal. Did you know that fertile
mucus has a chrystalization pattern (seen under microscope) that looks like lush
ferns? The ferning effect actually helps wave sperm deeper into the warm womb
sea.

Discharge that is not cycle-related has distinct qualities: it is odorous (yeasty or
fishy), it is curdled (like cottage cheese) or frothy (like soda cream?) or yellowish or
greenish, see below. Learning through experience, a woman should eventually
be able to prevent full-blown infections from ever occurring, by avoiding infection
in the first place, and by heeding early signs & symptoms of imbalance with good
self-care.

Orgasm: Encouraging your partner to focus on your breasts more than your clitoris
naturally arouses full body heart-womb orgasmic consciousness upon intercourse,
as well as greatly reduces premenstrual breast discomforts in the monthly cycle.
See Tantric Orgasm for Women. During the first few days of menses, the
downward flow, when blessed with self-care and reasonable retreat, can be a
pleasurable, even erotic, sort of private awareness. Full body orgasmic states can
smoothe the premenstrual shift, and be a celebration when menses is passed. The
roots of this word in Greek mean "swelling" - and the relaxation effect (22 times the
strength of an average tranquilizer, and much more pleasurable) of a full-body
orgasm makes women feel SWELL.   The energetic channel to full body orgasm is
begun in the breasts, where in yogic anatomy women have a 2nd halo or arcline
between the nipples, radiating out from within each breast. Holding that
awareness and honoring the breasts by flowing your love from them and receiving
your lover's undivided attention to them for significant periods of time, expands
the sensation of orgasm far before and beyond its mere 10 seconds of peak
climax.

PMS: How one defines this term is relevant. For those inclined to good self-care
and self-healing, there is the option to frame the monthly shift of consciousness as
a "PreMenstrual Surge" which corellates nicely later to the "Power Surges" of
menopause aka "hot flashes."   The presence of a "Syndrome" of oppressive &
aggressive symptoms generally indicates that our monthly rhythm of menstruation
and hormone production is not properly aligned. Be rebalancing the daily
rhythm of our lives through a good routine and harmonious relationships, the
monthly rhythm of the menstrual cycle can become stabilized, fully alleviating
PMS dramas for some of us.

Cervicitis & Vaginitis: The cervix is the throat of the womb-heart, the vulva the
lips, the vagina the mouth. Just like with your other throat, often the earliest signs
of an immune system imbalance creates subtle feelings in the throat.
Inflamed-feeling, itchy, or raw feeling in the vagina or close by on the cervix - if
not well-attended to will lead to discharge (note - a subtle cervical scraping
feeling can be a very early indication of the advent of a herpes simplex outbreak
for those who have herpes). Discharge not attended to can lead to an
infection/inflammation of the womb, which is a very serious situation.

Ancient remedies for these imbalances are straightforward and simple - however,
they must be incorporated early on in the symptoms, and for some non-allergic
scenarios like STDs a systemic antibiotic (anti-bacterial) is necessary. For millenia,
the antibiotic of a raw, unpeeled ORGANIC Garlic clove in the vagina has been
used by women to stop infection in its tracks, very helpful for itchiness or fishiness
and a host of bacteria. The large size cloves are replaced every 10-12 hours for
anywhere from 24-72 hours. Garlic is so strong that most situations are resolved in
24 hours.   Removing the clove involves standing with one foot up on something
and gently nudging the clove out with a clean finger and some bearing down.
Cloves can also be wrapped/tied in sterile gauze to create a stringed tampon of
sorts.    A little raw, minced Garlic eaten with your meals or kyolic Garlic capsules
are very helpful through the duration for the overall immune system yet may be
too strong for sensitive constitutions, in which case reknowned
immunity-enhancing herbal tinctures such as Reishi/Astragalus may be your
preference.

Also the pro-biotic approach (introducing zillions of "good bacteria") to address
imbalance has been done with live culture raw yogurt. For yeasty infection with
a white curdy discharge, or its precursor, a thick white discharge - or non-itchy but
extreme tenderness from marathon sex, live yogurt is cooling and soothing and
can prevent further infection. You can use an applicator, or spoon in a couple of
spoonfuls while on your back with knees bent and feet up in privacy. Same
timing, once every 10-12 hours for 24-48 hours. As sexual abstinence during
imbalance is essential, you don't have to worry too much about your goat-sweet
or garlic-spicy smell. If you are worried, eat a teaspoon of raw Fennel seeds a
couple times a day to sweeten your scent.

For post-coital tenderness, allergic reaction to fabric detergent, or soap residue
irritation, Aloe Vera gel applied with clean hands, is very soothing.

The Cycle & The Schedule: Keeping track of Aunt Flo's arrivals and departures in
your day calendar gives you data you can use when making scheduling plans -
helping your plan for some retreat time.   Knowing your Natal Lunar AND Biological
Fertile times can greatly enhance creativity, self-promotion, easy travel, and
personal evolution as well as explain the deep, organic desire for seminal
intercourse - so if you can't allow a baby in, be aware.

Scent & Secretions: As discussed, secretions carry secret information about your
vulva/womb ecology. Arousal secretions are additional to the normal cervical
mucus and can be quite abundant in a well-hydrated and heart-womb
connected sexual relation. Alcohol, besides being toxic in many digestive
scenarios, is quite dehydrating and so the romantic bottle of wine, if drunk in a
short period of time and/or after a dehydrated day, can wreak havoc on female
secretions while it blurs intuitive clarity.

Ingesting sweet herbs on a regular basis will sweeten your (and your man's) scent -
Fennel seeds were part of the tantrika dietary practice for that reason! You can
also try Cardamom, Rosewater in your drinking water throughout the day, and
Vanilla Bean. Pineapple juice is also an excellent body aromatic.

Secretion-wise, Condoms are actually problematic in and of themselves, though
they provide a greater security of necessary protection in certain scenarios. Most
women are in fact allergic to latex in the vagina, as well as the nonoxyenol-9
spermicide that some condoms contain. Lubricated condoms are insufficient for
prolonged intercourse - as they heat up and dry out the vagina after a time.

Aloe Vera gel, frequently applied is very helpful for the above circumstances.
Believe it or not, organic raw egg white is excellent, a fresh & beautiful little
container can be brought bedside, and even sweetened with Rosewater. Also,
small amounts (half-teaspoon) of high-quality, raw Honey can be carefully
placed on the condomed phallus for application - Honey is moisturizing to tender
tissues and is a natural antibiotic. Keep in mind that Honey can be used for other
lovemaking delights, however if you want to conceive, remember that as an
antibiotic, it has qualities that are not friendly to sperm.