The Simple Steps I Took To Heal the Trauma I Carried in My Womb
Image by Melissa Lowry
It’s a common narrative: Periods are painful and women are just expected to endure them. Stick a tampon in, take some pain meds, and move on with it. Sometimes we get moody and our skin breaks out and we have to suck it up and get to work. And let's not forget about women that have periods that are so painful that they must take time off of work/school entirely because the pain can be unbearable. Hopefully you have sympathetic management and/or clients, who can understand that you need a little extra support on those days. It is just about the literal worst thing we deal with every month and our society doesn’t care to accommodate our pain and discomfort during menstruation.
In 2017, before I was an herbalist but still an aspiring OB/GYN, I began experimenting with changing my perspective on menstruation. I’d begun learning that many indigenous cultures around the world viewed the “moon time” or menstruation as a time where women were at the height of their power. That was transformative to me! I thought, what if I could take on this powerful time and make it my own? What if I could incorporate healing practices and start preparing for my most powerful time of the month? So, as soon as I began feeling the effects of PMS or when I looked at my period tracking calendar a week before my period, I made a mood prepping ritual. Since we experience blood loss during menstruation, I thought I should add magnesium rich foods such as chocolate and molasses.
Magnesium is depleted during PMS caused by the increased production of progesterone and estrogen.
In addition, I would prepare and loosen my pelvic area with hip opener yoga and I meditated while I massaged my pelvic area and made time for body exploration & masterbation. I am focusing on the muscle portions of the hips/pelvis because muscles’ primary responsibility in the body is to foster movement. Muscles are attached to either bones or internal organs, and to blood vessels, which creates movement through contraction. The muscle groups in the hips create range of motion, stretch, and stabilization through the use of contraction. However, it can also be a center for muscle tension due to the contractions of the muscles when we are in stressful situations, and the contraction of uterine muscles for the movement of menstrual blood which can cause pain in the form of cramping.
The hips bear a lot of weight physically as they absorb shock and impact from the top and lower extremities of the body.
These muscles and our brain store the information acquired from all of these movements. So, when I hear that many women are carrying around trauma in our wombs and/or the hips, I think that it makes sense that women would take that pain and store it in the region of the body that provides most stability and strength. Taking it into the uterus could create a dark, damp container that can be either hidden or transformed when the time is right. I get a lot of my theories about the connection of emotions to physical organs and other parts of the body from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
TCM connects physical ailments with emotional ailments as well. Therefore, the reverse could be true of what I mentioned above; tension and pain in the hip area can stem from emotions and stress held in that area. Eastern practitioners such as acupuncturists or yoga instructors often recommend creating a plan of flow or movement to release muscle tension, blockages, and stuck emotions. I recently started going to acupuncture to deal with irregular bleeding due to birth control and I’ve taken a couple of healing hip opener yoga classes that I needed during after some relationship breakups to get the emotions flowing. My favorite pose for releasing tension is the pigeon pose, because it should be a slow pose that you relax more and more into the body as you release holding on to the tension. However, the third time laying on the table, the practitioner stated that they were going to place pins in a place where I may experience a rush of emotions flowing. My body did just that: I cried and told my practitioner as much as my life story I could fit into 5 minutes, and just two months later I noticed a complete difference in my bleeding/pain.
“Tension and pain in the hip area can stem from emotions and stress held in that area”
I noticed a significant difference in my menstrual pain immediately following these rituals. I didn’t experience intense period cramps after that… except for when I was very stressed and didn’t make time for my moon time rituals. When I did have cramps, I reached for Motherwort (Leonurus Cardiaca) Tincture. Not only does it aid in easing cramping but aids in heart health and to calm anxiety. Making that time for myself to feel powerful made me feel so much more comfortable in my body. Low-key, I would look forward to periods as a time for release; time where I could feel my body shift and where emotions could easily flow as well.
I want to offer up to anyone and everyone who menstruates to consider taking on similar rituals to feel powerful during their moon time. To really set aside time to be with your center, the part of you that connects you to your foremothers and the great foremother herself, the Earth. The Earth is always going through cycles and seasons, and it’s our way of taking that on for ourselves.
Takeaways:
Periods, moon time, etc. is a time to feel your most powerful.
Preparation medicine is loving to your body. Set aside time to show extra love to your body
Eat foods rich in minerals, such as magnesium, as it’s depleted during your period
Add flow and movement to release muscle tension. Yoga and acupuncture are ancient, effective medicines
Herbal Medicine for cramps: Motherwort Tincture (Take one to two dropperfuls into a half glass of water, or drink more tincture as needed until the pain subsides)
Connection
References
https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=hn-2132004
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/July08/wisewoman.htm
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4148-dysmenorrhea
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/201505/5-ways-stress-hurts-your-body-and-what-do-about-it
https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/your-menstrual-cycle#:~:text=Menstruation%20is%20a%20woman's%20monthly,your%20body%20through%20your%20vagina.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4148-dysmenorrhea
https://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2014/09/05/emotions-and-traditional-chinese-medicine
https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/iliacus-muscle/male#1
https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/female-pelvis-bones#1
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/pelvic-floor
https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/muscular/structure.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352364621000079
The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that SINGLE GIRL CLUB, LLC (“SGC”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. You understand and agree that SINGLE GIRL CLUB, LLC shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.
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