From Disconnection to Celebration: Honouring My Menstrual Cycle

How I Went from Hating My Period to Loving & Honouring It

I remember being really young, when my friends and I had just started talking about periods. Only one of my friends had gotten hers, and I was so excited for mine. Excited to finally “become a woman.” I always wondered why it wasn’t something to be celebrated. My body was changing, I was stepping into responsibility, i was excited to be a part of the collective of women, a sisterhood and for a moment it all felt big and exciting.

But that excitement quickly faded. I became ashamed and embarrassed, mostly from lack of experience and understanding. Like the time I didn’t know my period was coming and leaked through my underwear and pants in middle school, or when my cramps hurt so badly I felt like I couldn’t participate in gym class, or feeling sick, nauseous, and trapped in a bright classroom all day when all I wanted was to rest.

I finally went to the doctor because my periods felt un bearable, I was quickly handed birth control after just a couple of questions: Are you sexually active? Do you have heavy periods? Are you struggling with acne? No one discussed the side effects, no one explained alternatives, and no one taught me how to truly understand or support my cycle. I was just another number on the list, another prescription written.

From there, I carried shame into intimacy too, stopping in the middle of a moment because of my period, or avoiding closeness altogether because I felt embarrassed about bleeding and worried it would get in the way.

As I got older, that feeling only deepened. My period always seemed like an inconvenience, something that ruined my plans, interrupted my flow, and made me feel like my body was working against me. I can still remember being at work, standing for hours with horrendous cramps and heavy bleeding, trying to talk to people and fake a smile, when all I wanted to do was run out the door, go home, and curl up in bed. My body was screaming for rest, but instead I had to push through and pretend I was fine.

By the time my period was finally over and I was just starting to feel good again, it seemed like it was already back... a never-ending cycle of pain and frustration.

Deep down, I knew this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I wasn’t taught how sacred it is to have a womb, or how important our periods are. But in my mid-20s, something shifted. As I embraced a holistic lifestyle, I naturally gravitated toward caring for myself with herbal medicine, self-connection, and learning the rhythms of the body. And that’s when everything began to change.

🌿 Here is what has transformed my life and my relationship with my period: Slow Movement

Slow movement is a beautiful way to move stagnant energy and support yourself when you don’t have much energy to begin with. Practices like yoga, sacral and heart-opening exercises, or gentle walks help you feel good and connected without burning yourself out.

Loose Clothing

Loose clothing is essential during your period like a sarong, nightgown, loose dresses, or skirts. The last thing I want to wear is something tight against my womb area making me feel trapped. I want to flow and move freely, connecting me to my sensuality and feeling sexy.

Wearing natural, high-frequency clothing like cotton, linen, or hemp isn’t just eco-friendly, you’re wearing a frequency. You’ll notice a difference in how you feel when you choose these natural fibres over synthetics like polyester or rayon, which can feel heavy and disconnected.

Free Bleeding

A lot of people misunderstand free bleeding. Some think it's about sitting in a pile of blood or bleeding on everything, when that is simply not true. This is a a gentle, natural way of allowing your body to flow.

I went from extremely heavy and painful periods that would last a week or longer, and was told to go on birth control to “fix it.” But birth control left me disconnected from my body and my cycle, with zero sex drive, while my struggles continued.

When I chose to start free bleeding instead, my period went from heavy and painful to a regular flow, way less cramping, and lasting only 4–5 days. Having a foreign object full of chemicals and bleach inside our vaginas was never what our bodies were designed for. Have you ever noticed your cramping increases when you put a tampon in?

We aren’t like a never-ending spout of blood, though that’s what I once thought. That disconnection comes from not being shown how our bodies truly work. This isn’t women’s fault, it’s the system. We’ve been taught to be ashamed of our periods, to stay busy, to hide our vulnerability. Taking the time to understand your cycle and how your body works is an act of reclamation.

Schedule

Stop creating a busy schedule for yourself during your period. Learn the cycles of your body, we move through four phases: Luteal, Follicular, Menstrual, and Ovulation.

The last thing I want to do on my period is go out with friends, attend dinners, meet new people, do heavy workouts , or tackle a heavy workload. This is when hibernation mode kicks in, allow it.

This is allowed. You don’t have to feel guilty for taking space for yourself. When you honour this time, you’ll enjoy your period so much more. Set yourself up for success by tracking your cycle, knowing when your period is coming, and planning your bigger projects or social outings for your Ovulation or Follicular phases.

Support

Your body may crave chocolate or something sweet, Cacao is your best friend. She’s rich, full of magnesium, warming, calms the nervous system and helps satisfy cravings. Add honey for sweetness, cinnamon for grounding, and a splash of vanilla.

You’re not lazy. Rest. Sleep. Listen. What your body is showing you, asking from you. Honour it. Stop fighting yourself and surrender. Your body will thank you.

For nourishment, I lean into:

• Red meat: iron, protein, grounding, deeply satisfying.

• Heating pads: warmth for the womb, cramp relief, comfort.

• Magnesium mist: relaxing muscles, easing cramps.

• Herbs: allies that keep me connected to my cycle.
  

Some of my favourites:

• Her Balance Tincture (my daily support for regulation, connection, and easing PMS)

• Ginger: comforting, warming, great for bloating and cramps

• Red Raspberry Leaf: tones the uterus, easing cramps

• Stinging Nettle: high in iron, magnesium, vitamins, minerals

• Tulsi (Holy Basil): calming for the nervous system

• Rose: heart-opening, connecting us to the sacred energy of the womb

Ritual

Create a ritual for your womb. Your yoni holds energy, intuition, power, creativity, and the imprint of past relationships. She is a messenger.

During menstruation, emotions often rise, grief, anger, creativity, connection, even old relationships surfacing. Instead of pushing it away, ask: what is my womb showing me right now? Honour your bleed as ceremony.

🌙 Some rituals I love:

• Moon connection: If you bleed with the new moon, honour the inward pull. If with the full moon, notice the outward energy.

• Self-massage: Belly or womb massage with castor oil, or yoni oil can be grounding.

• Nature time: Sit on the earth, let her hold you.

• Ritual bath: Herbs, rose petals, essential oils, candles, crystals - a sacred pause.

• Rest as ceremony: Tea, blankets, and stillness can be just as sacred as movement.

  
  

Each cycle calls for something different.

Sometimes rest, sometimes creativity, sometimes expression. When you lean into the rhythm instead of fighting it, your period becomes a ritual of renewal.

Sex & Self-Touch

My sex drive is highest during ovulation and menstruation. Here’s how I honour it:

During menstruation your senses are heightened. Connecting with touch, sound, taste, and smell can increase libido and deepen sensuality. Sex or self-pleasure during your bleed can ease cramps, shorten your bleed, and improve mood.

WHY SENCES ARE HEIGHTENED DURING MENSTRUATION:

• Hormonal sensitivity: As estrogen and progesterone drop, the nervous system becomes more responsive, making sensations sharper.

• Heightened intuition: The veil between conscious and subconscious thins, making you more in tune with emotions and energy.

• Increased blood flow & nerve activation: More circulation in the womb and pelvis heightens sensitivity.

• Primal awareness: Historically, menstruation was seen as a time of instinctual wisdom—your body remembers this.

  
  
  
  

HOW THIS CONNECTS TO SEX DRIVE:

• Amplified sensation

• Endorphin release (pain + stress relief)

• Emotional openness and receptivity

• Creative/sexual energy overlap

  
  
  
  

🌹 HOW THIS DEEPENS INTIMACY:

• Vulnerability as a portal to authentic connection

• Sacred sexuality: menstrual blood as life, death, and rebirth

• Energetic merging: heightened sensitivity to touch, breath, and presence

• Raw honesty: masks fall away, allowing deeper truth

  
  
  
  

In short: menstruation heightens your sensitivity, making pleasure richer, arousal more accessible, and intimacy more profound. This isn’t weakness, it’s power. A portal into deeper union with yourself and with another.

However your cycle shows up for you, may you meet it with softness, honour, and love. Your bleed is not a burden, it’s a teacher. Products Listed That Support My Cycle:

• Magnesium Mist

• Her Balance Tincture

• Yoni Oil
  

Written By: Jessica Swick Creator Of Herbal Harmony