I (Alexandra) have a very, very sensitive nervous system and as a result I’ve struggled with my health over the years, including several years of intense menstrual pain, which I explore in detail in this podcast episode.
Do you consider yourself to be highly sensitive? According to psychologist Elaine Aron, who coined the term Highly Sensitive Person, “HSP’s” have increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli (pain, hunger, light, and noise), can easily become overwhelmed in stimulating environments and have a complex inner life.
Does it sound like you?
Over my life I’ve come to see myself - and other high sensitives - as the ‘canaries in the coal mine’ of our modern culture. I believe that our bodies are highlighting all that needs to shift in the collective. Which is why we must take great care of ourselves. And menstrual cycle awareness is a vital tool to do just that.
Here are some of the ways that menstrual cycle awareness can support you as a highly sensitive person:
One: It helps you develop boundaries
It was actually my menstrual pain that led to the development of the early prototype of menstrual cycle awareness, and now, thanks to Menstruality, I'm in a radically different place today when it comes to my health. My cycle awareness practice guided me in how to take care of my body and pace my nervous system. And now, in my post-menopause 70s, my boundaries are rock solid, and I will not override myself.
If you’d like to explore your boundaries throughout the cycle month, we invite you to explore our Cycle Power course.
Two: It helps you understand and embrace your nature
My decades of menstrual cycle awareness (as well as the dignity and fortitude I forged in consciously meeting the initiation of menopause) have helped me to honour and value my sensitivity. By turning towards myself, day after cycle day over years, I now know my true nature. I know how my nervous system works, I know where my skills lie and I know and respect my limitations.
Three: The second half of the cycle shows you your true needs During the inner autumn and winter you may notice that your (already high) sensitivity now goes off the charts. While this can be a challenge in day-to-day life you, one of the upsides of increased permeability is that the scales fall from your eyes and you’re able to see through things. You have greater self-awareness and connection to your needs and actual energy. The result is a more discerning, targeted, efficient way of working, as your inner ‘lights’ bring increased clarity and insight.
Four: You can make sense of your dark times
When you get to know your ebb and flow throughout the cycle month, you start to see patterns in your energy and mood, and develop trust in their ever-changing nature. Many of us notice that we “fall into a hole” emotionally at specific points of the cycle, particularly in the void just before bleeding. This is especially true for highly sensitive people particularly if they hold lot of trauma in their system. But a steady cycle awareness practice can help us to make sense of these experiences, so that we can honour and find the meaning in them. If the days before you bleed tend to be tough for you, we recommend exploring the ‘five chambers of menstruation” in Wild Power (we also explore these in depth on the Menstruality Leadership Programme)
