Rooted in Reconnection: The Menstrual Phase

Let’s talk about those phases! Phases?

Note: I will be using terms including “people/those who menstruate,” “those who experience periods,” “individuals” within this article. The terms “woman/women” “girls” “ladies” will not be used as they can be harmful and exclusive. To read more about the importance of using inclusive language in period conversations, click the link below!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CthXcvKPt51/?img_index=1

Have you heard of the menstrual cycle? Do you happen to know the phases that compose the cycle? Whatever the case, I love talking about periods and the shame, guilt, and inadequate education many of us receive about our bodies! With what I’ve learned, allow me to take you on a journey through the phases of the menstrual cycle – this first article shall focus on the menstrual phase! In reading this article, I hope you feel more comfortable and confident in yourself and/or understanding the lives of those around you. Together, we can build beautiful understanding communities and that starts with openness and education. Let’s learn!

My Story

It all started when I was 10 years old – I got my first period. I was the first one of my friends so I became the unofficial teacher of the group. My mom bought me The Care and Keeping of You 1 & 2, books that taught me all about my changing body. Yes, I found them helpful – at least I knew not to scream “I’M DYING” to the 911 operator. Those books taught me how to use a pad, but it failed to outline the significance of the menstrual cycle phases. And, there was another layer – I didn’t understand why the men in my family would cringe in disgust at the sound of a period, why my cramps were severe and irregular, and why there weren’t more affordable ways to navigate this part of my life. This is what motivates my research of today. From womb wellness classes, conversations with peers and community members, reading books, and tracking my cycle with various methods, I’ve been able to help myself and others navigate this part of life. How lucky am I?

The Menstrual Phase!

Welcome to the beginning of your cycle! I don’t know about you, but I was taught that at the end of every month, we get our period (the menstrual phase). However, that “end” of the month is actually the beginning of the cycle. It tends to last from 3-8 days with a heavier flow in the first 2.¹ Maisie Hill’s book “Period Power” talks about periods in a way that aligns with my understanding of menstruation: in seasons! At this time of the month, it’s Winter (think hibernation) – the body asks a menstruating person to wind down their daily activities, rest, and relax.² While Hill recognizes how challenging rest can feel in a world that asks us to do more and more, she highly urges menstruating individuals to take the time to do so.³ This rest can look like doing gentler exercise, having a bath, listening to music, watching nature, or taking a snooze.

For students, this phase of the cycle can be incredibly challenging to navigate. Period pain is normalized, making it uncomfortable to ask for time off and rarely justifies real accommodations. No professor I have encountered will accept period pain as grounds for an alternate exam date, and I’m sure many of us are familiar with gym teachers who assumed we were using period pain to skip class. Furthermore, periods don’t give us a warning – they show up at an inconvenient time in the middle of midterm season and now you’ve fallen behind…again. We simply pray for the period pain to go away and for our energy to come back so we can get back to grinding – a mentality fueled by a lovely thing called capitalism.⁴

So what can you do? Take time for you – journey around town, indulge in chocolate, self-pleasure, watch the stars, and embrace yourself. Just remember, this is the time of your cycle when rest is crucial. Hill explains that not enough rest in the Winter phase can leave us feeling depleted in the phases of the cycle that lend us the most energy. ⁵

When I’m on my period, I tune into the depth of femininity. As a queer person, I relate to femininity through energy rather than gender. We all embody both masculine and feminine energy at different times, feminine energy being associated with receptivity, soft, emotional, intuitive, and loving.⁶ In that way, on my period I embrace femininity as an act of connection with my body, lending myself extra compassion and love. Hill also explains that Winter is when our intuition is at its peak – so listen to it and see where it takes you!⁷ Lean into the inherent knowing of your body; you may get answers to things you’ve been searching for. You can also tune into how you feel leading up to your period and note the things that you like and don’t like while bleeding (having sex, physical touch, salty food, etc). In that same breath, I wish you all, bleeders and non-bleeders, a day full of love and remember: through community, there is always a way.

– A fellow bleeder

Footnotes

[1] Understanding How Menstruation Works Can Help You Understand How Your Own Cycle Works,” Normal Periods Menstrual Cycle Basics, https://www.yourperiod.ca/normal-periods/menstrual-cycle-basics/.

[2] Hill, Maisie. “There Will Be Blood (Winter).” Essay. In Period Power, 61–91. London, United Kingdom: Green Tree, 2019.

[3] Hill, “Period Power,” 70.

[4] Tamra Kaghembe, “‘Rise and Grind’: Why We Need to Stop Normalising Grind Culture,” Heroica, n.d.,

https://www.heroica.co/commentary/rise-and-grind-why-we-need-to-stop-normalising-grind-culture.

[5] Hill, “Period Power,” 68.

[6] Mike Mantell, “Better Language For Divine Masculine and Feminine Energy,” mikemantell.com,

https://mikemantell.com/stop-saying-divine-masculine-and-feminine-energy/.

 [7] Hill, “Period Power,” 72-73.

• cycle
• education
• health
• menstruation
• mentruating
• People with Periods
• period care
• periods
• self-care
• wellness