Through The Cycle: Menstrual Wellness

The menstrual cycle. It's a fundamental aspect of womanhood, yet often shrouded in mystery and discomfort. But what if we approached it with a deeper understanding, a sense of connection, and tools to navigate its phases with ease? Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, offers a beautiful and insightful perspective on the menstrual cycle, viewing it as a natural rhythm to be honoured and supported.

Embracing the Cycle's Wisdom

Modern society often portrays menstruation as a nuisance, something to be endured. Ayurveda, however, sees it as a powerful cleansing and rejuvenating process. It's a time for the body to naturally shed accumulated toxins and prepare for renewal. This perspective shifts our focus from simply managing symptoms to understanding the cycle's deeper purpose.

Women’s Wellbeing is always foremost in the Ayurvedic approach to wellbeing as it’s not only pivotal to her health, but for the whole family and people around her. 

It’s important to approach this topic in depth within an Ayurvedic wellness journey, with a focus on not just masking symptoms , but correcting the cause to avoid major health issues.

Normally, every 28-30 day a woman will experience 3-4 days of menstruation (bleeding ; shedding of the uterus lining) which is considered a normal process and phase in her life. There are times when a woman starts to feel various levels of discomfort such as mood swings, feeling heavy or irritable, disturbed sleep, water retention, cramps, anxiety, constipation, diarrhoea or bloating, and consistent acne which we can consider to be abnormal.

These issues are often known as PMS (Pre-menstrual syndrome) and most of the time women feel it is okay, or if symptoms get worse they may try to mask the symptoms by taking pain killers. 

Western Medicine and the Ayurvedic Perspective

In our western medicine this PMS is related to hormonal health, but from an Ayurvedic perspective it is an imbalance in three ‘Doshas’ or biological humours which govern every function in our body.

When these three doshas are affected, then a woman's normal cycle will start to get disturbed and will become a major concern.

If not taken care of, this can lead to major issues like Endometrosis, Menorrhagia, or Metrorrhagia, fibroids or complications in getting pregnant. For those that are dealing with this, please consider booking a consultation with Dr. Ajit for tailored advice specific to your situation as it can vary due to the unique bodily intelligence of each individual. 

How can this happen?

According to Ayurveda when women's lifestyle - diet, mental, emotional and environmental factors in which she lives and work are not compatible then a woman's bodily intelligence will get affected and that can start building toxins in her body and can cause various symptoms.

Each woman can have various symptoms based on her body make up (dosha intelligence)

So, what is the solution?

Women who go through the PMS issue must try to eliminate the built up toxins and make some simple changes in their lifestyle and diet to avoid the major issues that can arise. 

Here are a few simple regimes to begin with:

• Avoid hot showers that produce steam

• Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue first thing in the morning (within 3 minutes of waking up) to get rid of excreted toxins.

• Make a detox drink to eliminate all toxins eg. Lemon, Ginger, Honey in warm water

• Start taking Sesame Oil nasal drops to help bring hormonal balance.

• Massage your body with warm sesame oil on your tummy daily clockwise

• Eat only warm and cooked foods

•  2 times a day eat 10-15 raisins and 5 blanched almonds

If you already have PMS developed and you're experiencing more of these symptoms try  Rejuva-Ton capsules and Ashokarista 

Ayurveda offers practical tips for each phase of the menstrual cycle:

Menstruation:

Commonly known as your period. 3-4 days of bleeding.

This is a time for rest and self-care.

Focus on warm, nourishing foods like soups and stews.

Avoid strenuous activity and excessive stimulation.

Gentle warm oils can be used to massage the abdomen.

Follicular Phase (Kapha):

This phase starts on the first day of menstruation and continues until ovulation. Hormone levels rise.

This is a time for building and nourishment.

Include sweet, grounding foods in your diet.

Engage in gentle exercise and creative activities.

Ovulation (Pitta):

It typically occurs around the middle of the menstrual cycle.

This is the time when a woman is most fertile.

This is a time of heightened energy and vitality.

Focus on cooling foods and activities.

Avoid excessive heat and spicy foods.

Luteal Phase (Vata):

This phase occurs after ovulation and lasts until the start of the next period.If pregnancy doesn't occur, hormone levels drop, and the cycle begins again with menstruation.

This is a time for introspection and preparation.

Include warm, grounding foods in your diet.

Engage in calming activities like yoga and meditation.

Supporting Menstrual Harmony

Empowering Women Through Understanding

By understanding the Ayurvedic perspective on the menstrual cycle, we can empower ourselves to navigate its phases with greater ease and grace. Instead of viewing it as a monthly burden, we can embrace it as a natural rhythm that connects us to our innate wisdom and vitality.

What's your experience with your menstrual cycle? Have you explored any Ayurvedic practices? Reach out to us if you have any questions about how we can help you regulate your cycle and support healing symptoms of PMS naturally.