Do You Suffer From Premenstrual Tension, PMT?

Premenstrual tension, PMT symptoms not only affect a women who is menstruating but also those around them. They often come up in my couple and family sessions. So I cannot wait sharing with you what I learned.

Premenstrual Tension and The Moon Cycle

Ruby May, who glows radiance was a facilitator of a gathering I attended last weekend. She is studying at the Red School in UK. Red School teaches a radical new approach to women’s leadership, creativity and spiritual life based on the menstrual cycle. Understanding our menstrual cycle is seen as the path to awaken our feminine power for the benefit of all the communities we belong to.

Ruby talked about how they monitor their mood everyday in relation to their period which is called the moon cycle. They discovered that each woman has a unique pattern between the menstruation and ovulation poles.

Energy paths over the moon cycle are perceived as the seasons. Usually following the bleeding we are experiencing the energy of the spring; we feel optimistic, full of energy and hope for new projects. The summer is the ovulation, the opposite pole of the menstruation period. There, where we are at the peak of our energy and creative manifestation.

If we overdo and don’t pace ourselves during our energetic ovulation period, we get exhausted and we have little left for the autumn and winter period. That is why woman feel lethargic, become irritable, suffer from migraine and generally are more vulnerable towards and during their menstruation.

I wonder if we can extend this in understanding manic-depressive symptoms?

During menstruation women’s skin becomes thinner and we feel more pain. We feel our pain as well as the pain around us, our family members, and, some say, the mother earth which is our planet.

When they take time to slow down and rest, as women, are able during this time to receive visions and intuitions that are beneficial for the well being of their communities. That is why in indigenous cultures the menstruating women gather in red tents where they are facilitated in receiving messages for benefit of the tribe.

How To Take Care of Your Premenstrual Tension In Modern Times

Ruby believes the irritation, the pain and other symptoms around menstruation are caused by our denial of self-care. The symptoms and challenges around our moon cycle are our body’s communication with us. They mirror the areas in our lives that require our attention, love, care and resolution.

Our communities are not organised in a way we can take time off during our periods, like they do in red tents. However, as Ruby and her teachers say, the rule of 1% makes enough of a difference. Here are some suggestions about how to approach your moon cycle for a healthier and self-caring, symptom-free existence, that honours life:

1. Take note of your mood everyday without judging, as an observer in order to recognise your personal pattern of menstruation and ovulation. You can make use of phone applications such as Clue, Flow, My Moon Time.
2. Just don’t expect the same performance from yourself all the time. Respect your biological rhythms.
3. Allow yourself to rest without feeling guilty before and during your period.
4. Use this time to envision and receive answers to your questions.
5. Organise as much as possible your energy requiring activities around your ovulation time.

Generic (CC BY 2.0)image:NASA Goddard Space Flight Center