After years of struggling with heavy, painful periods caused by uterine fibroids, it took me quite some time to heal my relationship with my body. Living with chronic, monthly pain can cultivate negative feelings about your body.
Imagine years of regularly bleeding through your clothes and experiencing pain so sharp that the idea of sitting down is terrifying. Unfortunately, many of you don’t have to imagine. Up to 80% of uterus owners will be affected by uterine fibroids by the time they are 50.
Not all cases of fibroids are symptomatic, but symptomatic sufferers are often plagued by chronic bloating, pain and pressure, heavy and prolonged bleeding, and pain during sex.
Common Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
chronic bloating
pain and pressure in pelvis
heavy and prolonged bleeding
extremely painful cramps
pain during sex
When your primary association with your period is pain, fear, and shame, it’s easy to grow resentment towards your menstrual cycle. And with very little concrete information about the exact cause of fibroids, you start to wonder, “Why me?” It becomes a heavy burden to bear.
Through my journey of healing from the physical and emotional impact of fibroids, I had to learn to love my body again. Everything about my body. Including my menstrual cycle. I had to learn to celebrate and welcome my period.
After making lifestyle changes to reduce fibroid symptoms, including managing stress, changing my diet, and intentional movement, I began to adopt a ritual to practice during the menstrual phase of my cycle. I wanted to cultivate a new relationship with my body and minimize period pain and stress.
5 Tips for Building a Menstrual Phase Ritual
Start your day off right by prioritizing self care in your morning routine.
Starting your day with some self-care can be the thing you need to get centered when starting your day. An intentional act of love toward yourself can even shape how you feel about yourself.
Practice breathwork to ease stress.
Practicing meditation or breathwork can help ease some of the stress with your cycle. It also allows you to clear your mind to take advantage of your natural tendency to look inward during this phase.
Gentle movement can help reduce cramps.
A few minutes of stretching and recovery postures can help reduce cramps by encouraging better circulation. Child’s pose, forward bending forehead to knee, and legs up the wall are all excellent choices for restorative movement.
Nourish yourself with herbal tea.
Nourish yourself with a warm cup of herbal tea to promote muscle relaxation and improved circulation. I like to add a dropper of the Tincture for a dose of cramp-minimizing ingredients.
Explore your emotions & write it out.
Carve out some time to explore your emotions about your body. It’s ok if your thoughts are generally negative or neutral at first. Journaling those thoughts allows you to recognize and unpack those feelings.
Now I can recognize my period for what it is. It’s a time of rest and reflection. A new beginning. A literal and figurative release of the things that no longer serve me physically or emotionally. By intentionally acknowledging my period and giving my body the care and attention it needs, I’ve reclaimed a part of myself that I never thought I could appreciate.
Recommended Rituals for Painful Periods
Tincture for Painful Cramps
Lend hormones with our botanical blend of hemp and adaptogenic-like herbs known to help promote muscle relaxation, increase blood flow, and decrease cortisol levels to help ease physical and psychological stress stemming from chronic pelvic pain.
SHOP TINCTURE
Warm Bath Soak
A warm bath soak infused with Tonic's soothing essential oils are known to increase blood flow to help ease pelvic pain discomfort.
SHOP TONIC
Self Massage with Body Oil
Our sustainably sourced blend of Argan, Jojoba, and Sweet Almond oils moisturize skin and delivers an uplifting boost of Grapefruit — an essential oil known to stimulate blood flow to help you relieve pain and inflammation.
SHOP BODY OIL
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Meet the Author
Chunte Bates (she/her) @chunteofmuse is a womb wellness blogger who shares lifestyle tips for hormonal balance.
Related Reading
Understanding Uterine Fibroids With the Fibroids Queen
WTF Is that Pain in My Pelvis? 11 Types of Chronic Pelvic Pain Conditions
Cycles of Change: Puberty to Menopause & Beyond
Learn What Your Period Blood Is Telling You About Your Health
Learn How Each Phase of the Menstrual Cycle Affects Your Immunity
3 comments
Thanks for the helpful tips! The women in my household have to take time off for their periods!