“The world which men have made isn’t working. Something needs to change. To change the world, we women need first to change ourselves – and then we need to change the stories we tell about who we are. The stories we’ve been living by for the past few centuries – the stories of male superiority, of progress and growth and domination – don’t serve women and they certainly don’t serve the planet. Stories matter, you see.” Sharon Blackie
“We know now, after thousands and thousands of modern case studies in the professional Pelvic Steaming, and womb wisdom communities across the globe, that when women follow certain cyclical rhythms, like their infradian rhythm, when women have a complete uterine cleanse each month, which pelvic steaming provides, and when women make significant environmental, lifestyle, and diet changes to nourish themselves in each phase mindfully, we see a Standard Healthy Cycle emerge that looks shockingly similar across the board, regardless of previous symptom severity.” Sarah Louisignau
In the Western Mental Health model, there is little awareness around the particularity of female bodies. This is a tragedy. Many women are quickly placed on SSRIs for mental health struggles, instead of being asked about the environment they are living in, the people surrounding them, and their menstrual health.
Many of us are familiar with circadian rhythms. Our circadian rhythms are instrumental in our physiological health, giving our bodies a clock for waking and sleeping. When our circadian rhythm is off, we suffer. This is true for women with their infradian cycle: “The infradian rhythm is one of two internal timekeepers experienced by people with female biochemistry,” according to Flo Living. “It is a 28-day cycle that regulates the menstrual cycle. The infradian rhythm powerfully affects six different systems of the body: brain, metabolism, immune system, microbiome, stress response system, reproductive system.” It is said that nearly 80% of women in the US struggle with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMS.
PMS has been normalized in U.S. culture. Most women get the message that their menstrual cycle is a nuisance, painful, and something to be suppressed through birth control. I believe that the way women’s bodies are treated in the dominant western medical and mental health institutions results in trauma in their pelvic floors and sexual organs. This interacts with women’s ability to find themselves in healthy and sustainable relationships with self, other, and community.
In schools, girls are often ashamed of their blood cycle, and the school system itself gives no attention to the waxing and waning of young girls' cyclical energy bodies. They are expected to give 100% of their attention to school and extracurricular activities every day of the month. This is not in line with their physiology, so of course we see a huge surge of depression, suicidality, and anxiety in young teen girls. This is true for many women working in corporate America as well.
Kimberly Ann Johnson is one of the few trauma therapists who is writing specifically about the uniqueness of women’s physiology. Her book, Call of The Wild, speaks to many of the specifics of female-bodied trauma and how to somatically unwind many of the cultural and personal wounds women in particular face.
Here are a list of books that teach on Infradian Rhythm, and Female Bodied Trauma:
The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
Women’s 5th Vital Sign & Mental Health Struggles in Teenage Girls