OMG, how much can one woman bleed?!? ***WARNING Graphic Content to follow!*** After 5 super-plus tampons backed up by 5 super-maxi pads, I began to wonder if anyone has ever bled out during her period. It suddenly hit me, this is the flooding I’ve read about. I’d been sailing by for the past year with pain-free, super-light cycles and erroneously thought I’ve got this menopause cycle stuff down. Then I got a smack down from the period from hell and thought I not only don’t have this down, but I’m seriously unsure if it is ok to bleed this much. I can’t remember ever being in that much pain, in any period before, ever.
What did I do? First, I wondered what I had eaten over the past week to cause this. Don’t laugh because my clients (and myself) always go to diet first. “What have I done to cause this?” It’s natural because what goes in our mouths feels like something we have some modicum of control over, thus could stop this (whatever “this” is from ever happening again). Next I got my “portable” heating pad out and plopped one into the front of my undies – aka a hand warmer. You know the kind you put in your mittens while skiing? Moaning, low guttural birthing moans, I stumbled into my office to find essential oils.
Here is what I like to use for all sorts of cycle stuff…
Pain and cramping – geranium, basil exotic, and birch yellow. Geranium is not only a pain reliever, but is also a hormonal balancer. I feel it calms my cramps down and calms me down. Intense pain is exhausting. Basil exotic is amazing for cramping and muscle spasms. Birch yellow is excellent for pain as well and reduces inflammation. I didn’t even think of mugwort in my pain/hormone/bleeding out haze, but it is a great one for muscle spasms too. The key is to use them frequently until you feel better.
Heavy bleeding – geranium and sage true. Those are my current go to hormonal balancers. Any issue with our cycles is going to have a hormonal component, so it’s important to address that piece. Others you could use would be anise raven, clary sage, even cypress. Cypress is astringent too, so that could provide some additional help.
Spiritual and emotional support – frankincense, spruces, and neroli. I find no matter what the menopause symptom you may be experiencing, there is an emotional and spiritual component under it. The spiritual part can be as simple as these emotions are surfacing, requiring healing and release, so you can conduct more light of who you truly are. Menopause is so much about this unearthing and healing to reward you with being the incredible wise woman you actually are. I like these three essences to support that emotional awareness and release.
How do you get to the emotional piece? Feel into the sensations you are experiencing: pain, cramping, backache, etc. Then keep feeling more. What do these sensations remind you of? Have you ever felt these feelings before? Do you feel weepy or pissed? Are there specific emotions accompanying the symptoms? Are there any thoughts or memories repeating in your head? Ask the symptoms what they are trying to show you? Talk to your uterus and get to be buddies! Your body holds all the keys you need to heal yourself. The trick is being able to interpret the messages it is sending you. I find frankincense helps with getting out of my own way to listen. I like the spruces to connect me into the earth and by extension my body. I love neroli to support grief and self-love – both important in the healing ourselves process. Other self-lovers are cedarwood himalayan, lavandin super, roman chamomile to name a mere few.
The takeaway – menopause brings lots of surprises and changes. The more you can role, or at least be ok, with the uncertainty the easier it is. Diving into the awesome spiritual journey menopause provides is the path to the deep internal learning and healing that sets you up beautifully for the next part of your life, as the sage wonder woman that you are!