Menstrual
REFLECTION + SOMATIC JOURNALING
At this point in your cycle your brain is primed for reflection and neural plasticity. You may be feel introverted for a reason. Intuitively this time feels like the time you want to go inward, take stock, review the data and see what insight you might gain before moving into the next new cycle. This is an extremely powerful time so the more you rest the more energy you will have available for reflection and introspection. If Day 2 isn’t the right time for you to reflect, repeat the NSDP or any deep relaxation practice before returning to this practice at a later date.
WHY REFLECT AT THIS TIME?
According to The Woman in the Shaman's Body: Reclaiming the Feminine in Religion and Medicine by Barbara Tedlock many ancient cultures saw menstruation as a super power. Women would gather during menstruation for spiritual practice or community planning. This highlights a primal knowing that this time represents an opportunity for women to tap into deeper wisdom and healing.
Science has been examining how hormonal fluctuations, particularly estrogen and progesterone, which vary across the menstrual cycle, have been suggested to influence synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and other processes that contribute to structural changes in the brain. In a recent research study at John Hopkins University it was discovered that .grey matter volume and cortical thickness are greatest in menstrual phase. The grey matter throughout the central nervous system allows enables individuals to control movement, memory, and emotions. This increase in density allows for high processing and further mental development. Grey matter is composed of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and glial cells, and it plays a crucial role in various cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and decision-making. Cortical thickness, referring to the thickness of the outer layer of the brain (cortex), is also associated with cognitive abilities. The change in cortical thickness and grey matter volume in the parietal cortex across the menstrual cycle suggests enhanced plasticity associated with estradiol and progesterone cycling in the brain (Lord et al., 2010; Thimm et al., 2014; Lisofsky et al., 2015; Motley et al., 2018).
This is a very exciting time for women’s health - there are more studies than ever (women weren’t even involved in medical studies until the 90s!). Scientific studies exploring the associations between menstrual cycle phases, brain structure, and cognitive function are ongoing, and the field continues to evolve with new findings - stay tuned as we start to prove the things that women have been feeling intuitively for thousands of years ;)
All of that to say that it’s a good time to do some deep thinking, rewire the subconscious mind through journaling and meditation and make decisions for the month ahead.
Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.594588/full