Menstrual issues
Ayurveda is amazing as it helps us know more of ourselves and our imbalances and offers dietary and lifestyle advice to try to rectify imbalances before incorporating herbal medicine and various other techniques if required.
I have started studying with my Ayurvedic doctor again and we deep dived into the menstrual cycle, which has been a passion of mine for many years now, ever since I healed myself from PMS, which is what brought me to holistic healing and spiritual practice in the first place. I have written a lot about this in the past, both in my books (available from Amazon), in this blog and also in the Moon and Menstruation Pack which is free here and well worth a read.
I am reminded that our menstrual cycle is absolutely amazing in highlighting where we are out of balance and not living harmoniously. Many of the symptoms get normalised so that women just accept their condition and their suffering without realising that it could be any different. But it can!
If menstruation means pain for you, to the extent that you need to take to your bed or the couch with hot water bottles and miss time away from work, and brings with it increased feelings of anxiety, nervousness and fear, then it might well indicate that your Vata is out of balance, especially if the blood is thin, dry, dark in colour and light.
If menstruation brings with it a burning sensation, irritability, anger, frustration, increased body temperature, headache, migraine, nausea, vomitting and/or diarrhoea, then it could well indicate a pitta imbalance, especially if the blood flow is heavy, foul smelling and fleshy.
Alternatively, you could feel bloated with water retention and depressed, subject to emotional eating and dull discomfort and all you want to do is sleep. The blood flow is likely to be heavy and last longer than for others and can be mucoid, all of which indicates a kapha imbalance.
Perhaps you experience an absence of blood, maybe you are nutritional deprived, or have high oestrogen, PCOs and/or pelvic congestion. Or maybe you have experienced emotional stress in your life, which has suppressed your menstrual cycle. Maybe you are finding it hard to conceive and regulate your menstrual cycle.
If any of these imbalances sound familiar to you, then don’t despair, Ayurveda can help.
Firstly we would need to look at your digestion - are you digesting well? The chances are you are not and in addition to the above symptoms, you may well be experiencing excess flatulence, bloating, constipation, acid reflex and/or heart burn. There are herbs you can take which can rectify this, such as cumin & honey or Nigella & honey.
Then we would need to look at what you are eating and ensure it is appropriate for your digestion and will ease the imbalances. This will centre on nourishing foods, which are easily digestible, rich in iron and healthy fats and herbal teas. We try to limit junk foods, deep fried foods, uncooked foods and intoxicants.
We will also look at your lifestyle and how this can be transformed into something more supportive, easing stress where we can and ensuring adequate rest and a good night’s sleep, plus whatever mental relaxation can be incorporated, especially during menstruation. We might also look at what gets in the way of you meeting your needs and giving yourself more love and attention.
Herbal medicines can be incorporated to suit your individual needs, appreciating that everyone is different and there is no one fit approach, as everyone responds differently to herbs depending on their natural constitution and sensitivities. One thing we do encourage is coriander water, which is an elixir in Ayurveda for opening the energy channels and allowing greater flow, calming the mind and cooling the whole system -invaluable for hot flushes.
Coriander water can be made by soaking three tablespoons of crushed coriander seeds in a glass or room temperature water over night, draining in the morning and drinking the juice.
If you are suffering with menstrual issues, including infertility, fibroids and/or endometriosis etc. then please do book to see me. I can incorporate Ayurveda with Reiki, so you lie down and receive Reiki from me at the same time as answering various questions so I can get a better sense of your imbalance. Feeling your energy blocks offers me more insight into what might be happening for you at a deeper level (mental/emotional/spiritual) and how we might positively transform your physical body, so that you don’t have to suffer each month.
You all likely find that it is not just your physical body which transforms but the whole of your being and your life too. Ayurveda is a path to greater consciousness, which is why it only appeals to certain people - those who are keen to evolve consciously and are open, or increasingly open, to their greater potential and holistic healing (healing the whole of you). Nature has provided us with all we need, and we each have an incredible capacity to heal, we just have to be open to it and have the courage to take the first step. I am pretty sure it is not something we ever regret.
Not only will I give you written nutritional and lifestyle suggestions, I will also propose various medicines which I feel may help.
For more information on Ayurveda, please see here.
Happy bleeding and releasing!
Love Emma x
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