Why do we feel embarrassed about our periods?

This past week when I got the flu - I also started my menstrual cycle. Yay, right? Maybe it was because I had nothing to do but rest up and let my body heal by staying in bed all day, or the power of the full moon (which my cycle is now synced up with - pretty cool!), but it got me thinking about our conversations and relationships to our periods - going back to when we first started menstruating.

So I share my own “right of passage” tale of when I got my first period. Oh, also I mention the fact that I had faked getting my period years before it actually started - to feel more accepted amongst girls in my class who were “maturing” early.

I talk about some of the shame and guilt that gets laid down at a young age - encouraging us to reject this part of our body and its natural process. Like have you ever felt awkward and embarrassed buying pads or tampons in the store? Ever been paralyzed with the fear that you’ve bled through your clothes at the most inopportune time? Or felt weird even asking questions about it (or Googling it like me...incognito window anyone??)?

Motherhood changed and healed a lot for me around menstruation. And my desire for women (and my daughter when the time comes to guide her) is to embrace the process. To embrace the fullness of our bodies and all they are capable of. To own our periods, own our power and hold the space for our divine feminine awesomeness! You don’t have to hide or feel ashamed!

How has your relationship to your period evolved over the years? How do you feel about it now?

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