by Leonne
During my last cycle I had a very painful and heavy period. Thankfully, the most painful day of this period fell on a weekend and I did not have to work. Over the last year, I have been tracking my period using the OurCycles period diary app. Prior to this I had taken a contraceptive pill for 12 years to control a skin condition, so consequently I was very out of touch with my body’s natural rhythm (See my Blog: Acne, My Skin, My Diet and Me). As I have tracked my period I have found that when I have an intense month prior to my period, it is often more painful and heavier. Many things had come up for me in the month prior to my painful period, so I understood that my body was telling me something.
On the Saturday morning when I woke in pain, I was gentle and loving with myself.
- I had a warm shower
- dressed myself in soft comfortable clothing
- got myself a blanket and snuggled up on the couch to watch some of my favourite TV shows.
Usually this course of action would make me feel better, however the pain seemed to intensify the more I ‘rested’.
I realised I was feeling anxious about work.
As the pain grew, I noticed that I could feel an anxiousness about the work week ahead; I knew I had many commitments and would be working long hours and that I needed to prepare meals for myself for the entire week. After all, my period was showing me the consequences of my lack of nurturing in the previous month and I knew I did not want to experience that again.
I had a very strong feeling that watching TV on the couch was not what I truly needed to be doing at that moment. By now the pain was so intense I was having trouble walking… despite this I got dressed and drove to the shops to buy groceries that would enable me to prepare meals for the week ahead (even though my head was telling me this was a crazy idea).
- I was very gentle and loving with myself when I went to buy groceries
- I moved slowly and deliberately
- I managed the pain by staying very present and conscious of what I was doing in each moment
- I only carried 2 bags at a time instead of 6
- I was in no hurry whatsoever
Although I was still in pain, it seemed to be subsiding and I began to enjoy the experience of shopping with me.
What is True Nurturing?
When I got home I started to cook with this same conscious presence, the anxiousness I had felt was gone. As I was chopping vegetables I became aware that my body felt lovely… and lo and behold I was no longer in an ounce of pain. I could still feel my delicateness and fragility but the tension and pain in my body had completely disappeared. I recalled what Natalie Benhayon presented at the International Women’s Day event – that true nurturing is about doing exactly what is needed at the exact time it is needed. This experience made perfect sense – I realised I had always equated resting with nurturing, however I have now felt that this is simply not the case.
Through using the OurCycles app and the support of the women’s groups and presentations I attend, I have discovered that my period can be a time of great beauty and stillness. It is also a time my body speaks to me loud and clear and I can use these messages to adjust the way I live to be more loving, supportive and nurturing of me. I have very much enjoyed playing with what true nurturing might be and discovering how important my cycles and rhythms are in supporting my ability to nurture.
I would like to express a heartfelt thank you to Natalie Benhayon and all the wonderful women in this world who have reflected the joy and beauty inherent in being a woman, enabling me to discover this for myself.