I have benefitted personally from the work that Maisie Hill has put into educating herself and others on the menstrual cycle. In this conversation I share how her book, Period Power, acted as a catalyst for increased self-awareness and educated me on how my menstrual cycle provides the opportunity to achieve great things but also requires self-care at the appropriate times. 

Having recently recovered from chronic fatigue, I look back on my journey of recovery starting with an all important habit of tracking my body and mind. Even during my fatigue, I was able to better navigate life, making the most of my changing creativity and know when to drop the housework duties.

We think because we go through it and experience it that we know enough about it. This isn’t the case when it comes to our menstrual cycle. So many of us live without the self-awareness, knowledge or compassion to live more of a life.

Do you know why you pick fights with your partner near to your period? Do you realise that you secretly want to be alone? Maisie mentions during our conversation that her clients who track are more self-compassionate.

I start by asking Maisie about period pain which she experienced. Period pain is common, but not normal. It is normal to experience some discomfort or mild cramping but not pain which interferes with daily life. 

We talk about existing and past menstrual education and focus on avoiding pregnancy, where we miss out on how to use the cycle as a tool and how we can care for ourselves throughout the cycle. It can improve our relationships, creative process and careers if better understood. Again, I have experienced this first hand.

We discuss the difference between menstruating and pregnancy or breastfeeding where knowing how to self care and how to plan our time can be challenging because we lose our anchor. Maisie was so pleased when she finally started menstruating again.

The knowledge of the cycle allows us both to identify when we need to be alone. It has improved our relationships through being able to clearly communicate.

We discuss the pill. We discuss how it stops you ovulating when taking the combined pill so you don’t have a menstrual cycle. The period you experience is only a withdrawal bleed. We discuss how the pill can dampen down our experience of life. It can be a positive or negative depending on who we are. 

Finally, we recognise and share that it is a personal choice and only the woman taking the pill or choosing not to take it can decide what is best. The issue is, most of us don’t have the knowledge to make an informed decision. There should not be judgement or regret based on our own or others’ decisions. It is however important to educate ourselves and others on the important topic of menstruation and not shy away from it. With this knowledge, society’s influence as it is today will change to a more positive one surrounding periods and the menstrual cycle.  

If you decide to buy Period Power, join the Flow Collective or find another way to learn, you too can enjoy the power of knowing your cycle and yourself.

Maisie Hill can be contacted via:

Website: www.maisiehill.com

Instagram: _maisiehill_ 

Facebook: Maisie Hill

In case you are also interested, here’s a link to The Flow Collective.

For links to her book Period Power or that of The Red School - Wild Power, visit https://www.canidoitmyself.com/living-more-of-a-life-podcast/power-of-knowing-your-cycle-and-yourself

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