How To Work With The Phases Of The Moon To Balance Your Hormones

1.  Begin by making a habit of going outside and looking at the moon each night. This will help to reinforce your connection with the moon.
2. Develop an awareness of what phase the moon is in , when you ovulate and when you bleed. This can help to regulate your cycle to a 29 day cycle. Most women will find they either bleed around the full moon or the new moon. Moon diaries and moon charts for the Southern hemisphere are available from www.moondiary.com.au. These are a great tool to help you observe the pattern of your cycle in relation to that of the moon.
3. When you look at the moon and it's shape, bring that awareness into your body. Observe and acknowledge how you feel at that particular phase of the moon and your cycle.
4. If you are currently going through the menopause transition and your cycles are irregular and unpredictable. You may find, that by using the moon charts to record your periods; you are able to see a pattern amongst the apparent chaos.
5. The menopausal women, only knows in retrospect when her last ever period occurs. For this reason it is good to make a note of which phase the moon is in, at each of your periods. The reason being , that once you are post -menopausal, you will still have cyclic changes in your energy and emotions, they will just be more subtle [thank goodness for that I hear you cry!]. The pattern that these follow, will tend to be in relation to the phase the moon was in at your last period. For example, if it was a full moon, then you will tend to feel more introverted and sensitive each month when the moon is full.
6. If your cycles are very erratic, then you could try" lunaception"as advised by Susan Weed in " New Menopausal Years: The Wise Women Way."Sleep in total darkness, except for the three nights the moon is full. On these nights allow the full moon to shine in on your face. If this is not possible, keep a small light on all night. Then return to sleeping in darkness until the next full moon. This will generally need to be repeated for 3-6 moons to achieve regularity.
7. If you want to increase your fertility, then you may like to synchronize your mid-cycle ovulation with your lunar peak. You will need to have an astrologer work out your lunar peak phase for each month and then use the power of intent and visualization to bring them into alignment. The conception kits I have available at the clinic [developed by Francesca Naish] include a guided visualization CD and your lunar peak chart calculated for the next 6 years, to assist you with this.
8. You may like to attend my monthly red tent women's circle. to further assist you in connecting with the cycles of the moon and your ow natural rhythms. These are held on the Saturday afternoon, closest to the new moon and are recommencing in March.

Is There a Connection Between The Moon And Your Hormones

Our myths and legends, attribute many magical powers to the moon. And I think that you would have to agree that, the sight of the beautiful luminous moon in our sky at night is indeed "magical." Also, for thousands of years and throughout many cultures and nations, the moon has been linked to fertility, reproduction and growth. Consequently, the planting of seeds and harvesting of crops were carried out at the phase of the moon considered most favorable for these activities.

Today, it is well known and accepted that the moon influences the ebb and flow of the ocean. Whilst, modern research has proved that various phases of the moon, do in fact affect the germination and growth process of seeds and plants,. Yet, in our modern world we have become increasingly disconnected from the natural cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. As well as with our body's own natural rhythms and interrelationship with these greater planetary cycles. 

How To Keep Your Breasts Healthy And Prevent Breast Cancer

The words "breast cancer" will strike a note of fear for many women. This is not surprising given the statistics that 99% of breast cancers occur in women and in Australia 1:10 women will receive this diagnosis. It appears that the risk and likelihood of developing breast cancer increases with age with 50% of incidences occurring in women between the 50-69 years old.

The exact causes of breast cancer are not known, but many factors such as genetics, lifestyle and the environment have been implicated and various risk factors have been identified. Unfortunately most of the research and activity relates to the treatment of breast cancer and there is far less attention paid to addressing and minimizing the risk factors. So called preventative health measures such as undergoing a mammogram every two years after the age of 50 years [as recommended by Breastscreen Australia] focuses on early detection and not prevention.

So ladies it's time for us to take back our breast health into our own hands. To help you do this I have provided you with some dietary and lifestyle tips to help you keep your breasts healthy and prevent breast cancer:

Easing Period Pain

Many women experience pain just before and /or with the onset of their period. The pain can range from mild discomfort to debilitating pain. This could be felt as an ache and dullness in the lower abdomen and also in the lower back region. The aching and heaviness may also extend down into the groin and thighs. This can be accompanied with episodes of spasmodic cramping and for some women they can literally be doubled up in pain.

Although pain associated with menstrual blood flow is common, this does not make it normal. Unfortunately, the trend and message has been that "it is just part of being a women" and something you "just have to learn to live with." Not so, any pain is a sign that something is out of balance and period pain is no different from any other type of pain in this regard.

Tips for Self-Care During Menstruation

In the traditions of many indigenous cultures women were able to take time out from caring for their family and other duties during their menstruation. They did this by entering "menstrual tents"[biblical times], "moonlodge"[Native American Indian's] and the Dogon tribe in Africa have a special designated hut for menstruating women. Here the women are able to rest and connect with their inner voice, needs and wisdom.

This is a far cry from the images portrayed in today's advertising; which has us surfing the waves, clad in a tiny white bikini and tampon insitu! The truth is that if during menstruation, we attempt to keep pushing ourselves in order to meet the demands and expectations of our current culture; we are likely to end up feeling tired and irritable.

So, I challenge you to commit to taking some time out to nurture yourself during your next period.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Plan Ahead
In order to ensure that you are able to take time out for self-care you will need to pre-plan and pre-organize.

• Schedule time off in advance for yourself in your diary, make an appointment with yourself!
• If work commitments do not permit you to schedule time off at the time of your period; then book in time for yourself on your day off closest to your period.
• Only fill your diary up with essential appointments around the time of your period. Avoid over committing socially, unless this involves a nurturing get together with your close girlfriends or attending a women's red tent circle [check out my women's circle].
• Do your shopping  and cooking in advance. For example make and freeze a casserole in advance, so that you don't have to cook,especially on the first day of bleeding. An occasional take-away for the family is okay too.
• Set boundaries and educate your family that you need to rest, retreat and that this is your time.

2. Rest and Nourish Yourself

• Go to bed early, especially on the first day of bleeding.
• Take a relaxing bath and indulge yourself with candles, essential oils. relaxing music etc.. As you relax in the bath release all the tension in your cells and muscles that has accumulated over the last month.
• Spend time napping and dreaming. You will feel more 'dreamy" and your intuition and sensitivity will be heightened. Native Americans regard menstruation as a time for having vivid and significant dreams.
• You may like to spend time journaling to express your feelings, record insights, inner messages and dreams.
• Do craft and artwork.
• Spend time in meditation.
• Read a beautiful and inspiring book.
• Keep yourself warm.
• Ask yourself "if I could follow my inclination at this time, what would I do?"and "what is it I most need and want at this time?" and then where possible gift yourself with that.

For self-care tips to ease period pain, please see my post entitled "easing period pain."

Take Care of Yourself, Your Mind and Body Are One

The mind and body exist together and are interconnected and interdependent. As you improve your mind's attitude your bodily health will respond and improve....as you work on your health and fitness your mind's attitude will improve.

Being something of a workshop junkie I have come in contact with many people who are involved with "personal development" and yet they have totally neglected their physical body! It is really, really hard to have a positive mental state when you mistreat your body.

When you don't take care of your body you send a strong message to your subconscious mind that "you don't matter". Women in particular often forget to support and take care of themselves.

They get caught up caring for their partner, children,parents or friends and forget how to take care of their sacred selves. If you want the best emotional states and high energy you need to take responsibility for your bodily health.

Teresa's experience demonstrates this mind, body connection:

"Before I attended The Isis Centre, I felt bloated all the time after eating, had a very bad problem with flatulence. was low in energy and a general feeling of being unwell.I didn't feel good about myself and therefore didn't eat properly, ate when I was hungry, and had very irregular bowel habits.

I sought help from Katherine after considering seeing a doctor to go onto anti-depressants. I just felt I needed to give my body a try on natural therapies instead of filling it up with synthetic drugs.

After the first couple of consultations I started to notice a huge difference. Just by changing my diet, I felt good about caring for my body and looked forward to seeing improvements with each consult.My energy levels changed dramatically, the flatulence ceased, and I became more aware of my body's sensitivities to food, the environment and emotional situations." 

Teresa did not need anti-depressants. once she began to nourish her body with healthy, vital food and regular meals, she sent a positive message to her subconscious mind that she was worthy. Also, as her health improved it was far easier for her to feel more positive and able to cope with the challenges of life.