Today I am giving thanks for the flow of my sacred moonblood. I find these days of bleeding such a special and magical time. I love the idea of the Red Tent, where all the women in the village would go and bleed together in a special sanctuary space, away from the rest of the village and away from their daily duties. In this fast paced life we have today, I feel it is more important than ever to incorporate a little of this red tent idea into our busy daily lives.
I have put together some ideas to share with you, of ways to give yourself a bit of self care and love during these potent days of your cycle. My family knows that the day I start bleeding, I will be mostly resting and they usually pull together and look after themselves more during this time. I am super lucky to have such a supportive partner and children. My teenage boys are extremely capable and don't mind taking care of their younger siblings sometimes. I know that not everyone has such a supportive environment, but here are a few little things you can do for yourself, that make a big difference.
1) Take a magnesium bath.
There is a reason most of us crave chocolate around the time of our periods.Chocolate contains magnesium! Many of us are deficient in this important mineral, and it is fantastic at helping to balance our hormones and alleviate symptoms of PMS. I find a great way of taking magnesium is to absorb it through my skin via magnesium flakes in the bath. These are easy to find online. You can add some sweet smelling essential oils and flower petals too, light a candle or two and give yourself a good long soak.
2) Beautiful clear space.
Make a tidy, clear space for yourself to sit in. Perhaps light some candles and arrange some beautiful crystals and flowers around you. Make your space as clear and pretty as possible. As you create your space, feel as much love as you can for yourself and your precious womb. Do this as lovingly as you would for someone else you love. I think a lot of us women are fantastic at doing things for others and giving love to others, but sadly neglect giving ourselves enough love. Make a new intention that from now on, 'I will love myself more and more every day.' Your moontime is a great time to go inside and re-affirm this mantra of self love!
3) Nature time.
If you can, sit in a garden or a wild space in nature during your bleed, and properly connect with Mother Earth. Feel held and safe in her arms, and let any negativity and worries flow away and turn into compost. If you feel so inclined, put on a long skirt, take off your underwear and bleed directly onto the earth. This is such a magical connection, especially if you do it under the moonlight!
4) Give your blood to the plants.
Plants LOVE our moonblood! Use a mooncup and pour directly onto the plants, or use washable cloth pads and pour the soak water onto your beloved plants. (Make sure you do not use salt or essential oils in the soak water if you are going to give this to the plants. )
5) Herbal teas, hemp milk and maca.
You can support your system very well during your menstruation with nourishing herbal teas. There are lots of blends of women's tea available ready mixed, or you can make up your own from your favourite selection of herbs. I find hemp milk wonderfully nourishing too. It is full of good things like essential fatty acids, vitamins and nutrients. Simply soak a handful of seeds overnight in spring water, then drain. Add to a blender with a pint of pure water and blend. Sieve mixture into a tall glass and enjoy! Add a little honey or date syrup if you want it sweet. Hemp milk also makes a brilliant base for smoothies too, and if you add a little of the Peruvian super-food maca, it is even better! Amongst other benefits, maca is rich in anti oxidants, balances estrogen levels and improves female sexual health and helps balance your hormones, plus it has a yummy malty flavour! It is good to take all month long, but I find it especially helpful during menstruation.
6) Journaling and meditation.
I don't know about you, but for me, journaling comes easy, it is simply something I do. I find the release of thoughts, feelings, dreams and ideas onto paper, helps me still my thoughts and calm my busy brain! I find making a space to meditate more challenging! There always seems to be so many distractions and things to do, but if I do force a space, even just a few minutes to breathe and meditate, I always feel better afterwards. It can be a very useful tool for problem solving too. If you ask yourself a question beforehand, perhaps about something you are having difficulties with, then breathe and let the thought go, some interesting ideas and insights can come to you, so have a pen and paper to hand to note them down afterwards.
So there we have my six top tips for self care during your moontime. I hope you find something useful here to help you relax and enjoy your moons more!
Blessings x
