Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a complex, often invisible condition that affects an estimated 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth. Yet despite how common it is, diagnosis is often delayed, sometimes for up to 10 years. That delay can come with deep emotional frustration and confusion, especially when you’re told it’s “just period pain” or that you’re overreacting.

But what many aren’t told is how endometriosis doesn’t just impact the reproductive organs — it can ripple throughout the body, especially into the pelvic floor.

What Is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is an inflammatory disorder where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus — on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, bowels, or pelvic walls. Each month, this tissue responds to hormonal changes just like the uterine lining, swelling, bleeding, and causing pain, but it has nowhere to go.

That internal inflammation leads to scar tissue, nerve irritation, and chronic pain, not just during your period, but throughout your cycle.

Endo & the Pelvic Floor: The Pain-Tension-Pain Cycle

When the body experiences ongoing pain, it reacts with tension. We may start to clench muscles without realizing, especially in the pelvic floor, hips, and lower belly. This creates a loop:

Endometriosis causes pain → the body tenses in response → that tension increases inflammation and restricts blood flow → inflammation leads to more pain.

Over time, this loop can become chronic, exhausting, and hard to break.

How Movement, Breath, and Self-Care Help

Although no movement practice can cure endo, the right kinds of gentle movement can interrupt this cycle, offering relief and reconnection:

• Breathwork helps reset the nervous system, increase oxygen flow, and soften guarded muscles.

• Targeted yoga can lengthen tight muscles, restore mobility in the hips and pelvis, and improve circulation.

• Self-massage or abdominal massage can release fascial restrictions, calm the nervous system, and stimulate lymphatic flow.

• Movement, even small or supported, helps reduce inflammation by improving circulation and encouraging lymph drainage; which may decrease swelling and pain over time.

The key is gentle, consistent, and non-punishing. You're not trying to force your body into anything. You’re trying to listen, to soothe, and to reclaim space within.

It’s Not in Your Head… But It Can Weigh on Your Heart

Living with chronic pain doesn’t mean you’re broken, and it’s certainly not your fault. You didn’t “fail” to meditate enough, eat perfectly, or stretch every day.

Wellness culture can sometimes exploit the desperation that comes with mysterious or misdiagnosed pain. There’s no magical supplement or “one-size-fits-all” detox that will cure endometriosis. That doesn’t mean there’s no hope;  it means you deserve real care, not false promises.

Endometriosis Is Not a Punishment

It’s easy to internalize pain as a sign you’re doing something wrong. But let’s be clear:

Endometriosis is not a punishment.
You didn’t cause it by thinking the wrong thoughts.
Your pain is real, and you deserve support.

That support might include medical treatment, physical therapy, bodywork, herbal care, community, or talk therapy to help process the grief, anxiety, or rage that can come from chronic conditions.

There’s no shame in needing layers of support. In fact, it’s a sign of resilience; building a team, learning your body, and tending to your pain with compassion and curiosity.

If you have endometriosis, or think you might, know this: you’re not alone. Your pain is valid. And there are gentle, effective ways to care for your body — without blaming it.

Beyond “Normal” Cramps: Understanding Secondary Dysmenorrhea

Why Period Pain Isn’t Always Just “Part of Being a Woman”

For many menstruating people, pain is a monthly reality; but when it becomes debilitating, escalating, or unresponsive to typical care, it’s often something more than “just cramps.”

This deeper, more persistent pain has a name:
Secondary dysmenorrhea.

What Is Secondary Dysmenorrhea?

While primary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual cramps not caused by another condition, secondary dysmenorrhea means the pain is a symptom of something else going on in the body.

It’s often linked to structural or inflammatory conditions like:

• Endometriosis – tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing inflammation and  paint.

• Fibroids – non-cancerous growths in or on the uterus that can cause heavy bleeding and intense cramping.

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – a hormonal disorder that can cause irregular or absent periods, painful ovulation, and chronic pelvic discomfort due to inflammation, thickened endometrial lining, or hormonal imbalance.  

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) – a bacterial infection of the reproductive organs that can lead to scarring and chronic pelvic pain.

How Common Is It?

These conditions are more widespread than many realize:

• Endometriosis affects roughly 1 in 10 women — yet many go years before receiving a diagnosis.

• Fibroids occur in up to 70–80% of women by age 50, though not all cause symptoms.

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, but many go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years, especially when not presenting with textbook symptoms.  

• PID affects over 1 million women in the U.S. annually and can cause lifelong impacts if untreated.

Despite these numbers, many people are told their pain is normal — or worse, imagined.

The Diagnostic Delay

One of the most painful parts of secondary dysmenorrhea? The delay in diagnosis.

• It can take 7–10 years to diagnose endometriosis.

• Fibroids are often discovered only after fertility challenges or persistent symptoms.

• PCOS is frequently overlooked, especially in those who don’t fit the stereotypical profile — many are misdiagnosed or told their symptoms are “just stress” or “lifestyle-related.”  

• PID symptoms may be dismissed or misdiagnosed, leading to irreversible reproductive damage.

In part, this is due to a lack of awareness in both patients and providers. But it’s also due to a cultural norm: tough it out, push through, stay silent.

The Wellness Trap

Many who don’t find answers in clinical spaces turn to the wellness world — and while self-care can be powerful, there’s also a dark side:

• Over-promising supplements, diets, or cleanses

• Shaming language that suggests pain is your fault for not being “positive enough” or not setting strong enough boundaries. 

• An emphasis on “fixing” your womb rather than understanding it

This kind of messaging can leave people feeling isolated, broken, or exploited, especially when they’re just looking for relief.

Reclaiming Power Through Knowledge

Here’s the truth:
Your pain is real. And you are not broken.

Secondary dysmenorrhea isn’t a personal failure — it’s a medical reality that deserves care and attention. And while full healing isn’t always linear, understanding what’s happening in your body can offer a new level of empowerment.

You can:

• Learn to recognize patterns and triggers

• Seek care from providers who specialize in pelvic health

• Support your body through evidence-based self-care practices

• Build a relationship with your cycle that includes listening, not just managing

Pain is a messenger, not a punishment. If your period pain feels bigger than it should, you’re not making it up, and you’re not alone.

You have a right to answers.
You have a right to support.
And you have a right to reclaim your body, one breath and one insight at a time.

What Is Dysmenorrhea?

Understanding Painful Periods & When to Seek Support

Many people grow up thinking that painful periods are just part of being a woman. Cramping, bloating, back pain, and even nausea are so common that they’re often dismissed by loved ones, doctors, or even ourselves.

But period pain has a name… and it deserves attention.

What Is Dysmenorrhea?

Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for painful menstruation. It describes menstrual cramps that happen just before or during your period, ranging from mild to severe.

There are two main types of dysmenorrhea:

• Primary dysmenorrhea is the most common form. It refers to cramping pain that isn’t caused by another medical condition and usually starts during adolescence.

• Secondary dysmenorrhea happens because of an underlying issue, like endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease. The pain tends to get worse over time and may last longer than your period.

How Common Is It?

Dysmenorrhea affects a large number of menstruating people:

• Up to 80% of menstruators experience some form of period pain

• About 1 in 5 report pain severe enough to interfere with daily life

• Many experience symptoms for years before receiving a diagnosis, especially in cases of secondary dysmenorrhea

These numbers aren’t just statistics — they represent millions of people missing school, work, sleep, and quality of life every month.

So What Can Be Done?

While pain is common, that doesn't mean it's normal or inevitable. There are ways to support the body;  ways that reduce the frequency, intensity, and impact of painful periods.

These approaches go beyond quick fixes. They involve:

• Supporting the nervous system

• Addressing underlying inflammation

• Releasing muscular tension, especially in the pelvic floor

• Improving circulation and hormonal balance

• Creating rituals of rest and release

Who Should Be Exploring These Tools?

If you:

• Dread your period every month

• Cancel plans or miss work because of cramps

• Struggle with pain that seems to be getting worse

• Have been told “it’s just part of being a woman”…

Then you deserve to explore practices and support that can help. Whether you're a teen, a mom, a busy professional, or somewhere in between : this conversation includes you.

When Should Support Start?

You don’t have to wait for a diagnosis or for the pain to become unbearable.

• Support can begin before your period starts each month

• It’s also helpful to integrate practices during other phases of your cycle, not just when you’re in pain

• And if you're on birth control or have stopped menstruating, you can still benefit from pelvic and hormonal care

The best time to begin is when you realize… you don’t have to just “put up with it.”

Your period is a messenger, not a punishment. If it's sending signals of distress, you’re allowed to listen. You’re allowed to respond with curiosity, compassion, and care.

You don’t have to do it alone, and you don’t have to suffer in silence.

How Painful Periods Affect the Pelvic Floor

The Pain Is Real… and It’s Common.

If you’ve ever cuddled a heating pad to your belly while curled in a ball, you’re not alone. Up to 80% of women experience painful periods (dysmenorrhea), with at least 10–20% experiencing symptoms so severe they interfere with daily life.

That’s not just uncomfortable — it’s disruptive and often misunderstood.

Now consider this: the average woman will menstruate for about 40 years, spending an estimated 6.25 years of her life actively bleeding.

That’s over 2,300 days where period-related pain, bloating, mood shifts, and fatigue might be affecting her body — and her pelvic floor. And even more unfortunate, the pain doesn't always stop there. 

What Happens in the Pelvic Floor During Period Pain?

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and fascia at the base of your pelvis. These muscles support your uterus, bladder, and rectum, and they respond directly to pain, stress, and inflammation.

When you're in pain (from cramps, bloating, digestive distress...), your body reacts instinctively:

Muscles tense to protect you: like clenching during a stubbed toe or wincing when you hit your elbow. This includes the deep pelvic floor muscles, which can contract in response to uterine cramping or chronic discomfort. Over time, this leads to holding patterns: unconscious gripping, tightness, and disruption of normal muscle tone or coordination.

 The Clenching Cycle: How Pain Triggers More Pain

Tight pelvic floor muscles don’t just stay isolated.

• They refer pain to the lower back, hips, inner thighs, and even the abdomen.

• Chronic tension can interfere with bladder, bowel, and sexual function.

• And ironically, a tense pelvic floor can make menstrual cramps feel worse… by increasing pressure and limiting blood flow. It is the gift that keeps on giving...

So the pain-tension cycle becomes self-perpetuating:

Pain → muscle guarding → restricted movement → more pain → more guarding.

This isn’t a mental block. It’s a neuromuscular reflex, reinforced over time unless we intervene gently and consistently.

What You Can Do: Soften the Root

The good news? The pelvic floor responds beautifully to gentle movement, breathwork, and nervous system regulation.

Try:

• Diaphragmatic breathing with awareness at the base of the pelvis

• Supported hip-opening yoga poses (like child’s pose or supported butterfly)

• Somatic awareness practices that invite sensation without judgment

• Warm baths or castor oil packs to bring circulation and soothe tension

You Deserve Ease — Not Endurance

Painful periods aren’t a badge of womanhood. They’re a signal. Your body is asking for care, attention, and release, not suppression or dismissal.

Supporting the pelvic floor is about more than kegels and core strength. It’s about learning to let go, to feel safe softening, and to reconnect with a part of our bodies that holds so much.

The Mothering Body: How Parenthood Affects the Pelvic Floor

The Mothering Body: How Parenthood Affects the Pelvic Floor

…and what we can do about it.

Motherhood is often painted in soft pastels and sleepy smiles, but beneath the surface lies a body that has undergone incredible transformation. One of the most impacted (and often ignored) areas... the pelvic floor.

Whether you’ve had a vaginal birth or cesarean (c-section), the journey of mothering can profoundly influence the pelvic floor muscles; those deep, stabilizing muscles that cradle our pelvic organ and support our core.

Let’s talk about it.

What Happens to the Pelvic Floor During Pregnancy and Birth?

During pregnancy, the pelvic floor holds more than just our organs; it bears the increasing weight of a growing baby, responds to hormonal changes (like the softening effect of relaxin), and adapts to shifting posture and pressure.

If a person gives birth vaginally, the pelvic floor stretches up to and beyond three times its original length during labor. And even with a C-section, the abdominal and pelvic systems are deeply affected by pressure, tension, and surgical trauma.

All of this means:
The pelvic floor deserves recovery, not just resilience.

What Exactly Does a Struggling Pelvic Floor Look Like?

Everyone is different, with different factors so it will likely present differently between all of us, but some common signs and symptoms. 

• Leaking urine when laughing, coughing, or sneezing

• A feeling of heaviness in the pelvis

• Painful insertion with intercourse or even sanitary products 

• Constipation or incomplete elimination

• Lower back, sacral, or hip pain

• Emotional tension held in the belly and womb space

These symptoms aren’t just “part of being a mom.” They are signals; calls for support, rest, movement, and reconnection. And anyone can get them. Moms have the risk factor of not just stressing the pelvis but also ignoring these signs to care for those in her life, like her new baby, and often the older ones too.

Reclaiming Your Pelvic Floor with Care, Not Kegels

What helps?

1. Movement that softens before it strengthens.
Gentle yoga, pelvic tilts, supported squats, and breath-based practices can begin to invite the muscles back into balance without force.

2. Breathing that drops into the body.
When we inhale into the belly, the diaphragm and pelvic floor move together. This natural rhythm restores tone and reduces gripping.

3. Self-massage and bodywork.
Abdominal or pelvic massage can bring circulation and healing touch to areas that have felt numb, tense, or disconnected.

4. Support and education.
Seeing a pelvic floor specialist or learning about your anatomy gives you tools to take care of your body with more awareness and kindness.

A Love Letter to Every Mothering Body

If you’re healing from birth (from 6 weeks, 6 or even 16 years ago), raising small humans, or simply holding it all together each day:

Your pelvic floor is part of your strength and your softness.
It has expanded, held, and adapted in ways most people never see.

Let’s mother the mothering body with patience, presence, and pelvic care.

Your body is worth your time and energy, and you are allowed to take space for you. 

The Silent Bias: How Modern Medicine Overlooks Women's Health

Let’s get real for a moment.

Modern medicine has come a long way. We’ve got robot-assisted surgery, 3-D printed organs on the way, apps that can track your basic vitals, and ED meds to keep a man from the Truman years ready for action. But somehow, when it comes to women’s health? It feels like we’re still stuck in the dark ages—or at least a dusty old textbook written by men who never once had to navigate a menstrual cycle.

This isn't just annoying. It’s dangerous.

 Where Are All the Women? (Not in the Research)

For decades, women were largely excluded from clinical research. Why? Considering half the population is made up of women...  Because our hormones make things “complicated,” and researchers didn’t want pregnancy risks to skew their pristine, male-centric data. 

I'm not sure if it is stupidity or laziness, but there it is. 

And the result? Most drugs, treatments, early detections, and health protocols are based on studies done on men. It’s like designing a seat belt that fits only one foot and hoping it works for everyone. (Spoiler: it doesn’t.) Side note: those are also only considering the body mass of a man, but that is a completely different frustrating disappointment for another day. 

Even today, women are still underrepresented in clinical trials—especially in the early phases. Which means medications might affect us differently... but we won’t know until it’s too late. 

 The Pain Gap: No, It’s Not “Just in Your Head”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a doctor brush off your pain, chalk it up to stress, or suggest a bubble bath and a good night’s sleep. (Yes, we see you. All of you.)

Women’s pain is routinely downplayed or misdiagnosed. And women being in pain is hyper-normalized since our first period.

And if you’re a woman of color? The gap only widens. Studies show women are less likely to receive adequate pain relief, and Black women in particular are more likely to have their symptoms dismissed.

This leads to delayed diagnoses, worsened conditions, and—in some heartbreaking cases—preventable deaths.

 Still a Mystery: Female-Specific Conditions

Endometriosis. PCOS. Uterine fibroids. These are not rare conditions. They affect millions of women worldwide—yet they remain grossly underdiagnosed, underfunded, and misunderstood.

Thanks to a combo of stigma, lack of education, and medical laziness, these conditions can go undiagnosed for years. Women are often told their symptoms are “normal” or that they should just “tough it out.”

About 1 in 10 women have endo, and it can take up to 10 YEARS to get the diagnosis.  

Imagine being told your appendix bursting is “just part of being a guy.” 

 The Layered Struggle: When Gender Meets Race

Now add systemic racism to the mix, and the issue becomes even more dire.

Black, Indigenous, and other women of color face even greater disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. From heart disease to maternal mortality, the numbers are terrifying.

And we can’t just blame a lack of access. Even with access, bias in the system means these women often don’t get the same level of care, compassion, or credibility.

 Lawmakers with Zero Anatomy Knowledge

Let’s not even get started on the policies crafted by people who couldn’t find the uterus on a labeled diagram.

When lawmakers make medical decisions without medical knowledge, it’s not just insulting—it’s harmful. Menstrual cycles, contraception, and reproductive rights should not be subject to political whim. Yet… here we are.

This lack of understanding fuels misinformation, bad legislation, and ultimately worse health outcomes for women.

So, What Can You Do?

Here’s the good news: knowledge is power. Learning about your body—your cycle, your anatomy, your options—is more than just self-care. It’s an act of rebellion.

In a world that tells women to sit down, be quiet, and accept the pain, choosing to know yourself is revolutionary.

Talk to your friends. Teach your daughters. Question your doctors. Demand better. Advocate for yourself and for the women around you.

Because knowing your body isn’t just a right—it’s a birthright. And it’s how we move from surviving to thriving.

The good news? The information is out there. More than ever, we have access to brilliant medical content creators, pelvic health physical therapists, and deeply informed yoga teachers who are bridging the gap between science and embodied wisdom. But yes—there’s also a lot of noise. And rightfully, many of us worry about misinformation, wellness scams, or spiritual bypassing disguised as health advice. So, how do you protect yourself without tuning out completely? Here are a few solid ways to spot red flags:

1. No Credentials, Big Claims – Be wary of anyone making sweeping promises (“cure your endo naturally in 10 days!”) without credentials, research, or nuance.

2. Fear-Based Marketing – If someone is using guilt, shame, or fear to sell their method, that’s a major sign to pause and question.

3. No Room for Questions – True educators welcome curiosity. If someone shuts down questions or dismisses concerns, walk away.

4. Overuse of Buzzwords, Underuse of Evidence – Words like “detox,” “hormone balancing,” or “womb awakening” can be beautiful in the right context—but should still be backed up with clarity and real understanding.

5. They Claim to Replace Your Doctor – No educator or guide should ever tell you to stop seeing your medical provider without a legitimate reason.

You deserve information that’s empowering, honest, and grounded. Keep asking questions. Stay curious. And know that reclaiming your health doesn’t mean rejecting science—it means demanding better science, better care, and a world where your body is studied, understood, and deeply respected.

Yoga for Pelvic Floor Health: The Best (and Worst) Poses

Movement is medicine—and when it comes to your pelvic floor, it couldn’t be more true.

Your pelvic floor is made up of layers of muscles that support your organs, contribute to continence, play a role in sexual function, and are deeply tied to your core and breath. Just like any other muscle group, it thrives on healthy, mindful movement. And yet, when dysfunction arises—like tension, prolapse, pain, or incontinence—some yoga poses may help, while others might hinder.

Let’s be clear: the “worst” pose is usually no pose at all. Stagnation and avoidance often do more harm than exploring gentle, supportive movement. But understanding which movements are optimal for your body—and when—is key.

3 Best Yoga Poses for Pelvic Floor Health

1. Supported Deep Squat (Malasana with Support)

• Why it helps: Squatting lengthens the pelvic floor muscles, improves circulation, and encourages full relaxation—something many people with tight pelvic floors desperately need. Done with support (like a block under the seat or rolled blanket under heels), it can be restorative and grounding.

• When to use: Excellent during the follicular or ovulatory phases of the cycle or anytime you're working to release chronic pelvic floor tension. Great post-bowel movement or as part of a nightly wind-down.

2. Constructive Rest (Supine with Bent Knees)

• Why it helps: A foundational pelvic therapy position, this gentle supine pose lets the spine and pelvis realign while encouraging the pelvic floor to relax and release. It’s often used to retrain the breath-pelvis connection.

• When to use: Ideal during times of fatigue, stress, post-menstruation, or post-coital tenderness. Also good before sleep or after intense exertion.

3. Bridge Pose with Breath Awareness

• Why it helps: Engaging the glutes and hamstrings with controlled lift strengthens the posterior chain without bearing down on the pelvic floor. When paired with diaphragmatic breathing, it supports optimal core-pelvic synergy.

• When to use: Good in the luteal phase or postpartum when strength is being rebuilt mindfully.

3 Yoga Poses That May Be Challenging (Depending on Your Body)

1. Full Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

• Why it may be problematic: While beautiful and energizing, full backbends increase intra-abdominal pressure and require advanced pelvic floor control. For those with prolapse or weakness, this may exacerbate symptoms.

• When to avoid: If you’re experiencing prolapse, heaviness in the pelvis, or early postpartum. Instead, try gentler heart openers like Bridge or Supported Fish.

2. Boat Pose (Navasana)

• Why it may be problematic: Core-heavy poses like Boat can create pressure imbalances if pelvic floor coordination is off, potentially worsening tension or leaking.

• When to avoid: If you’re working on healing diastasis recti, incontinence, or are unsure about your core engagement strategy. Focus on low-level core work until integrated strength returns.

3. Plow Pose (Halasana)

• Why it may be problematic: This inversion shifts internal pressure onto the neck and can impact the pelvic organs, especially if alignment is compromised. It’s also not friendly to menstruating bodies or those with organ descent.

• When to avoid: During menstruation, if you have prolapse, or if you experience dizziness or neck tension in inversions.

It’s All About Timing and Listening

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to pelvic floor yoga. What’s strengthening for one body might be straining for another. The key is learning to listen to your body, your breath, and your symptoms.

If you're leaking, feeling heavy, or experiencing pain—it’s not a sign to stop moving. It’s a sign to move differently.

Working with a trained yoga therapist or pelvic floor-informed movement teacher can help you decode your body's cues and choose the most effective, supportive practices for you.

Let’s make movement safe, sacred, and supportive for every phase of your pelvic health journey.

Inner Spring In Spring

Understanding the follicular phase through the lens of seasonal changes. 

Welcome to spring.
The season when the Earth wakes up, buds bloom, and possibilities return.

Across many cultures and traditions spring is the true new year. It marks the beginning of new life, vision, and movement. And inside our bodies, this same energy is mirrored in what we call inner spring—the pre-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle.

This is the time after menstruation and before ovulation, roughly days 6–13, depending on your cycle. The body begins again. Hormones shift. Creativity stirs. And you may notice: you're starting to feel like you again.

What Is Inner Spring?

The Science:
This is your follicular phase, when estrogen begins to rise and follicles in the ovaries are maturing. Energy tends to increase, moods may lift, and your mind becomes more focused and clearer.

Energetic View:
Like snow melting and seeds pushing through the soil, your inner spring may begin slowly and then gain momentum. You might feel light, playful, curious, or ready to take on something new.

Note: This phase is not about rushing. Like early spring weather, you may still need rest and warmth some days. Follow your unique rhythm.

When your inner spring aligns with the season of spring on the Earth, you may feel this energy more potently. 

Inner Spring Practices

Ways to support your body, mind, and creative center in this phase

Breathwork: Gentle Breath of Joy

This is a light energizing practice that opens the heart, awakens the body, and brings a sense of joy and clarity.

• Stand or sit comfortably.

• Inhale in 3 quick sniffs through the nose (filling belly, ribs, then chest).

• Exhale fully through the mouth with a gentle sigh.

• Repeat for as many rounds as you like, try 3. If at any point you get lightheaded or dizzy, sit down and return to normal breathing. 

This breath can help clear stagnation from the bleed phase and welcome fresh energy.

Yoga Style to Try: Slow Flow Vinyasa

This is a time for fluid, playful movement—a vinyasa flow with gentle strength-building and hip opening can help reawaken your body and prepare it for ovulation.

So, get creative and be playful with your sun salutations- add some poses as you flow, such as:

• twisted lunges

• twisted down dog

• flip dog 

• side bending 

• twisted chair 

• or even a balance pose

Herbs for Inner Spring

Support your body’s rebuilding and liver support pathways as estrogen rises:

• Nettle – Mineral-rich and deeply nourishing post-bleed

• Oat straw-Mineral ric, calming, nourishing and balancing 

• Dandelion root- Liver support  

Best way to take it is in delicious teas, either warm and cozy or iced and refreshing. 

Seed Cycling for Follicular Phase

Start incorporating:

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed

• 1 tbsp ground pumpkin seeds

These seeds support estrogen, metabolism and hormone balance. Add to smoothies, oatmeal, or sprinkle on salads.

You can continue this practice through the first half of your cycle (inner spring through ovulation).

Reflect & Begin Again

Your inner spring is a quiet invitation—not a demand—to begin again.

Some ideas to play with:

• Setting intentions

• Try something new 

• Opening to joy

• Trusting the slow and sacred unfurling of your energy

Even if you don’t feel “ready,” this phase supports you in becoming ready—on your own terms.

Supportive Prompts to Explore

What does new beginning mean for me this cycle?

Where is my energy slowly returning?

What seeds—ideas, habits, dreams—am I planting now?

Inner spring is a gift: a fresh start built into every cycle.

By honoring this phase with curiosity and compassion, you don’t just support hormonal health—you deepen your connection to your body, your rhythm, and your creative self.

And most importantly is that intention of deepening our connection within and our interconnection.

As individuals, we vary greatly, more so than the phases within our own cycle. So, most of this is an invitation and suggestion of ideas to play with and try on, keep what fits and leave the rest behind, and make it your own.

Whether you’re sipping tea, flowing through gentle sun salutations, or journaling with mint in the breeze—remember: your cycle isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a rhythm to dance with.

What happens when a woman has a weak pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles found at the base of our pelvis that's responsible for supporting the structure itself, pelvic organs, adaptability within the body, and the list goes off. When these muscles get weak either by being too tight to be able to adapt to movement or not being strong enough to contract and support various symptoms and dysfunctions can start to occur. The good news is just like any other muscle in our body we can strengthen it either bring range of motion back into this muscle group, build tone and capacity for contraction or a combination of both.

Let's look at what could happen when the pelvic floor is weak and how we can start to return to strength.

Because our pelvic floor is involved in so many different functions, symptoms of weakness can look like a lot of different things such as:

•  Urinary incontinence- when urine leaks this could be under stress when coughing, sneezing or lifting or even the inability to hold it when you really need to go

•  Constipation- infrequent or incomplete bowel movements

•  Lower back pain- discomfort or pain in the lower back and even hips

•  Pelvic heaviness - feeling of pressure or weight within the pelvis

•  Pelvic organ prolapse - when the organs of the pelvis drop and move out of ideal positioning leaning into the vaginal canal

•  Sexual pain or dysfunction- discomfort or even sometimes inability with penetration

• Weak or absent orgasms

And honestly the list does go on...

If you want to know a little bit more about what could make a pelvic floor weak check out another blog here️️️️️.

When the muscles of the pelvic floor don't have the capacity to support organs in their proper position, the movement within our bodies, and the balance within our pelvis, it can affect beyond just the area of our pelvis. Being such a keystone part of our anatomy, it's so valuable to consider our pelvis in our regular self-care practices. Just like any other muscle group in our body, it can be strengthened and supported with consistent consideration.

So how do we start strengthening our pelvic floors?

We want to be consistent and we want to be intentional with care. Also, it's incredibly important to be informed and connected.

When considering strengthening the pelvic floor, oftentimes people's minds go to kegels and I imagine if you Googled right now how to strengthen my pelvic floor kegels would definitely make that top five list if it isn't at number one.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't necessarily say that that is the number one exercise for your pelvis and pelvic floor strength. If you want to learn more you can read about that here.

When we want to consider the health of our pelvic floor, there's a few things that come into play. We want to understand if our pelvic floor is tight or weak.

We want to consider what patterns we may have been a part of that potentially caused this problem. And we want to consider how we can apply pelvic floor consciousness into our daily self-care.

Regardless of your pelvic floor being tight or over-stretched, the causes or your daily activity the best bridge to start the journey to connecting with your pelvic floor and incorporating it to yourself care is through the breath.

This is the perfect tool to start connecting not just with this part of our body, but also our inner connection, the capacity to understand and feel what's going on within the body.

We want to connect with how it feels to have breath flow in and out, and how our body reacts to the expansion of that inhale breath.

If you want to know a bit more about this, check out our free workshop on Dancing with the Diaphragm where we not only go into the anatomy and understanding of what's going on between our diaphragm and our pelvic floor, but also do a movement practice to help bring more balance.️️

You're breathing, but are you breathing optimally?

If you’re reading this, you're alive so you are breathing—but are you breathing in a way that dances with your pelvic floor and supports your deep core?

For many women, the answer is no. Modern life, stress, and cultural habits (like sucking in your belly), crunching over technology or wearing tight clothing) can disrupt the natural rhythm of breath and pelvic floor movement. The diaphragm and pelvic floor are designed to work together, but when they fall out of sync, it can lead to tension, weakness, and even pelvic dysfunction.

The Diaphragm & Pelvic Floor

Your diaphragm is your primary breathing muscle, sitting at the base of your ribs. Below it, your pelvic floor mirrors its movement, forming the foundation of your core. These two structures are meant to move in harmony—when you inhale, the diaphragm and pelvic floor naturally descend; when you exhale, they rise back up. This coordinated movement supports stability, circulation, and organ function.

When this rhythm is disrupted—whether by chronic stress, poor posture, or breath-holding—the pelvic floor can become tight, weak, or unresponsive, leading to issues like:

•  Pelvic pain

•  Incontinence

•  Core instability

•  Lower back tension

What Does Balanced Breathing Look Like?

A well-functioning breath pattern feels expansive and effortless. Instead of shallow chest breathing or belly gripping, a balanced breath allows for:

• Full-body expansion – The ribs, belly, and pelvic floor move naturally with the breath.

• Pelvic floor relaxation – On inhale, the pelvic floor softens rather than clenching.

• Effortless engagement – On exhale, the deep core activates without strain.

Why Does This Matter?

When we restore the natural rhythm between the diaphragm and pelvic floor, we experience:

•  Less tension & pain in the pelvis and lower back

•  Better core support without over-gripping

•  Improved circulation & digestion through gentle internal massage

•  A deeper connection to our body’s natural wisdom

Would you like to explore how to bring this balance back into your body? Check out our free Dancing with the Diaphragm workshop, where you’ll learn simple breath and movement practices to free your breath and support your pelvic health.