At the time of this episode coming out, it is a full moon and I felt called to offer this guided meditation that can honestly, be done whenever, and is also fun to play with during your inner full moon phase. 

So for those who are cycling and leaning into cyclical living, this can be a great guided meditation to use during your inner full moon phase or your ovulatory phase (roughly the halfway point in your cycle).  Alternatively, if you’re working with the lunar phases, this can be a great one to work with during the full moon of the lunar cycle.

And also, you can enjoy this whenever you'd like.

Our ovulatory phase & full moon phase can be the peak of our energy, mood & libido.   Or if you aren’t currently cycling, even working with the energy of the actual full moon in lunar phases, while the energy might be more subtle than the embodied feeling of cycling hormones,  it can offer you guidance too and you may feel the same peak in outward energy.

When we align with our true nature, we can feel like a beacon of light sharing with the world from a place of peace, grace and love.  We can shine our light outward to inspire others and be inspired.

In this guided meditation, you will connect with the inner fire of your heart.  The part of you that sparks creativity, motivation, compassion, and love - All those attributes that are heightened during your ovulatory phase.   And as you visualize the fire of your heart, you will use it to offer up any negative qualities to be cleansed and transformed by the fire of your heart so that you can move forward in your day sharing from a place that is alignment with your highest Self.  

Resources:

Interested in learning more about how to live in sync with your hormonal shifts through cyclical living?  Check out this free cyclical living workshop www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/cyclical-living

Ready to dive deeper with cyclical living?  Check out this Self-Care Framework Course www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/begintoday

 Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensmoonwisdom

Where does imposter syndrome sneak into your life?  Or does it?  It’s that vicious cycle that goes through our minds and is incredibly prevalent with women.   I read a study* that stated  75% of executive women report having personally experienced imposter syndrome at certain points in their career.

Somewhere along the lines we were made to feel unsure of ourselves.  And perhaps somewhere along the way, we started to second guess ourselves and second guess our feelings even in the most seemingly small ways.   And that uncertainty then trickles in where you don’t expect it - like am i a runner or do I just enjoy running?   

“I love running.  But, I’m not a runner.”  This is the statement that I would tell myself over and over again and even tell others.  In many ways, it was to offer myself an out in case anyone was thinking in their head “She calls herself a runner?   And of course, no one is thinking that and let’s face it.  If they are, it says more about them than it does me.  And that type of judgemental individual probably isn’t in my close sphere of friends.  

In this episode, I share a story of my personal struggle with imposter syndrome as it relates to my place in the running world.  I’ll also share a story with you about my worst training plan and how it yielded some big revelations.

And if you'd like a free yoga for runners practice, check this out!  https://www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/yoga-for-runners

References:

* Study that finds female executives more likely to feel imposter syndrome.  

I briefly mention the importance of nose breathing.  If you're interested in learning more, check out James Nestor's book, 'Breath: The New Science of A Lost Art'

Are you a night owl or an early bird?  As for me, I do LOVE the mornings.  There is something so sacred feeling about being awake to witness the earth waking up around you.  

Taking time in the morning to start the day with a self-care ritual gives you a sense of accomplishment and a deep sense of self-worth.  

Yet, sometimes, we just need a little help in honoring the commitment to our morning self-care practices.  My hope is that this episode will help you put the foundation in place to honor the commitment to yourself to start a daily self-care practice.  

Resources:

In this episode, I mention my Yoga On-Demand subscription to help you get started.  Here is the link.  www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/yoga-on-demand

I also mention the Women's Moon Wisdom Self-Care Framework course that helps you use your self-care practices to align with your cycle and empower you with tools for cyclical living.  www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/begintoday

Cycles bring us into balance. And we see this reflected all around us - the growing cycle of your garden, the cycles of the seasons, the cycle of the moon, and our own hormonal cycle. 

And for as much energy that we put out in being productive and getting things done, there must be the opposite energy on inward focus and self-nourishing to keep us in balance.

So how do you feel grounded again when, in your cycle, you make the shift from outward to inward focus?  Well, a simple way is through self-care.  You can always look to your self-care tools as your entry point into realigning to your needs and desires and therefore to your cycle.  

A simple grounding technique that I highly recommend, especially during menstruation is a breathing technique called Viloma pranayama or 3 part breathing exercise.   

During your menstruation phase, or your inner New Moon phase, it's important to make time to get quiet with our thoughts and offer ourselves time for clarity. 

In this breathing exercise, you'll be able to calm the nervous system, feel more grounded in your body, and therefore better connect with the aspect of yourself that is evaluating what is working and what isn't working in your life.  

Viloma Pranayama is an interval breathing exercise in which the exhaling breath is divided into 3 separate parts.

In this practice, you will take a long inhale.  When you exhale, you'll exhale the first third of your lungs and briefly pause. Then exhale the second third and pause.  Then exhale the remaining third.

You can visualize that you are drawing energy up from the earth on your inhale.  As you exhale, you can think you are sending energy down along your torso out your pelvis and back to the earth, grounding you. 

Use this practice to help you turn your focus inward and feel grounded in your body.

If you're looking to head straight to the breathing practice, it begins at [6:00] minutes in.  

Resources:

Looking for more breathing exercises, guided meditations, and yoga that you can practice at home?  Try 14 days free of the Yoga On-Demand at www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/yoga-on-demand

Want to learn how to sync your self care practices with your cycle through what has been termed cycle syncing and cyclical living?  Add yourself to the waitlist for our next session of Women's Moon Wisdom Self Care Framework at www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/wmw

We have all had those days where we feel like we are getting swept away by stress and anxiety. Where it seems like all of the external noise of the world echoes in our head and it’s hard to have a clear thought. Having a toolbox of self-care techniques to tap into helps you stay grounded and more capable of weathering the storms of life.

There are many ways to feel grounded and in alignment with that place of calm that lies within. These are my top favorite ways to stay grounded.

And as promised in the episode, here is a free resource to a Loving-Kindness Meditation.  You will receive both a printable version of it, and also be able to listen to a guided meditation of it.  https://www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/lovingkindness

And if you are looking for more guided meditations, check out the library of meditations for free for the first 14 days at https://www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/yoga-on-demand

Let's connect on Instagram.  You can find me at @WomensMoonWisdom.

Be sure to subscribe and follow The Women's Moon Wisdom Podcast so you know when the next episode will drop!

This conversation with Clinal Herbalist and Integrative Health Educator, Kay'aleya Hunnybee, is full of wisdom and great resources.  Kay'aleya specializes in herbalism for menstrual, sexual, and hormonal health and is devoted in sharing tools for those with wombs to work with plant allies.

We discuss how connecting deeper with the natural world just outside your door can bring about deeper relationships with the plant medicines that you choose to work with and how that can be a first step to healing at a deeper level as more and more of us feel removed from the natural environment.

Kay'aleya talks about what working with an herbalist looks like and how the approaches may vary.  She even shares how one might work with herbs within your cycle if working 1:1 with an herbalist isn't accessible.  

Be sure to listen as she recommends working with herbs like nettles, raspberry leaf, oat straw through nourishing infusions for menstrual and cyclical support.

Her top go-to herbs to work with for those with wombs aren't your typical choices.  She explains why establishing a relationship with and working with the herbs motherwort, dandelion, ashwaghanda, and tulsi are ones to not be without.

To connect deeper with Kay'aleya Hunnybee you can find her at the following:

I received an email that through me off course a bit.  In short, the email was from a woman who is postmenopausal who used hormonal birth control and then hormone replacement therapy to bypass the 'ups and downs, pains, and hormonal storms' that go along with being cyclical.  The email was written in a way that wasn't meant to be from a place of loving kindness, shall I say.

Anyways, after regulating my stress response (thank you, deep breaths), I had some moments of inquiry about our 'Why' behind taking hormonal birth control when it's for reasons outside of contraception.

And please don't get me wrong, I am all for women and those with female biochemistry to have a choice and a say in their reproductive health.  Yes, please!

AND I am also all for educated decision making, knowing ALL the options out there, and weighing the risks to make the most mindful decision.

In this episode, I read an excerpt from the book, 'Hormone Intelligence' by Dr. Aviva Romm, M.D. Here is a link to learn more about her works.  www.avivaromm.com

Also, if you are interested in working a bit more with syncing with your cycle through what was been termed Cyclical Living, you can check out my free Cyclical Living Workshop here.  www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/cyclical-living

Shortly after I started this podcast, I received a message from a listener asking if I was planning on adding any guided meditations to the episodes. And with my background as a yoga teacher and mindfulness educator, among other things, I actually had planned on sprinkling some in for you to enjoy. And this message from a listener was just the spark I needed to motivate me to share.

This meditation is honestly, just a great go-to guided meditation for when your mind is stuck in a loop. I find it especially beneficial in the inner new moon or waning moon phases in your cycle when you have that natural inclination to turn inwards. Have a listen and enjoy.

And if you're looking for more guided meditations (or over 100 meditation & movement practices), check out my Yoga On-Demand Resource (the first 14 days are free!) at: https://www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/yoga-on-demand

We can probably all agree that this past 2 years, our habits have shifted quite a bit, and one thing is still certain, we are probably all pushing ourselves just as much to be productive. 

It is ingrained in us to be perpetually productive - yet, it’s not sustainable at all.  Taking cues from the natural world around us shows us that even the earth rests and so should we.  So something as simple as taking your lunch break, can be the recharge that you need to rest, recalibrate, and refresh for the rest of the day.  

Here are 5 tips for Mindful Eating

As always, share this with friends or loved ones that might benefit from it.

And let's stay connected!  Find me on Instagram at @womensmoonwisdom

And the doors are open for the cyclical Living Course - Women's Moon Wisdom: A Self-Care Framework to living in sync with your cycle at www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/wmw

Your luteal phase can sometimes get a bad wrap, too (think PMS).  This is the time we start to turn inward and start to nourish ourselves.  

And I don't blame us.  In a society that boasts networking, socializing, putting others first, it's no wonder that we tend to overextend ourselves when our biochemistry is yelling "Slow down!"

What's up with my hormones now?

Once the egg is released, your body will have a surge of progesterone. Then once your body confirms you aren't pregnant, all hormones begin to decrease. Your energy, mood, and libido decrease. The shifting and dropping of hormones that occurs in this phase contribute to the mood changes in Pre Menstrual Syndrome

What does that actually look like?

The falling levels of estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and serotonin help to balance our outward focus of nurturing others by allowing us to turn inward and nurture ourselves.

There is a natural inclination to finishing projects and tying up loose ends.  Without high estrogen levels to buffer, you may feel more sensitive or emotional, especially if you don't have boundaries in place.

What's the best options for movement?

Challenge yourself in this phase or try something new

How does this affect my work flow?

With your hormones heightening your ability to plan, strategize and see the details, this is the optimal time to lean into:

Your self-care is your entry point to Cyclical Living.  Join me for a Cyclical Living Self-Care Course at www.rebeccarankinyoga.com/wmw