A message to all women, I am here to remind you that you do not need to show up in the same way every day of your cycle. There are some days when you might feel vibrant and full of energy, able to take on the world with passion and drive. You might feel called to put yourself out into the world, to be sociable and extroverted, shining your light brightly and attracting all those around you. You might feel energised and creative and full of action. You are able to take on that strong Vinyasa class with ease, that run feels effortless and you might feel called to dance and to move and to celebrate the fullness of your being. And then there are some days when you might feel that your sparkle has faded, you feel depleted and tired. You might feel called to turn inwards, to slow down, to rest. Engaging with others might feel like too much for you and that task or project suddenly feels like the biggest load in the world. You may experience pain, anxiety, irritability, sadness, self-doubt, shame. You might devour a whole chocolate bar or tub of ice cream. You might feel drawn to a Slow Flow, some Yin Yoga or to do nothing at all. I am here to remind you that you are like the Moon, you wax and you wane, you are cyclical. And there may be stages in your menstrual cycle (or in the lunar cycle if you are currently not bleeding) when you need to rest. When your body is calling you to go against what is deemed acceptable by society and to slow down. As women, we do not show up the same way each and every day. And sometimes we need permission from others to honour our cyclical nature, in order for us to give that permission to ourselves. It is not easy to heed the call to rest, but I am here to tell you that it is okay. Because the beautiful part of being cyclical is that what dies is always reborn again. So the next time you are bleeding and you find out that you booked in for that power Vinyasa, perhaps check in with your body and let her guide you as to whether you should change your booking for a Yin Yoga instead. Meet yourself where you’re at in that very moment.
Love Nicole xx
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