Though it's something half of the population is intimately familiar with, too many of us have been taught to be uncomfortable with or even grossed out by our period blood.

We're taught to soak it up with tampons, make sure it never shows through our clothes, and hide the smell with scented pads.

At the very least, we're taught that period blood is unimportant, nothing more than medical waste.

But, that isn't exactly true. Our blood is much more vital (and healing) than we might think.

Does your cycle tend to sync up with any particular moon phase?

While it can be pretty magical for your period to sync up with either the new or full moon, the truth is that there is no wrong time to bleed.

That said, the moon and your menstrual cycle do have quite the relationship.

On average, a woman will use about 15,000 pads or tampons during her life. Despite the fact that half the population use them on a regular basis, the FDA still doesn’t require manufacturers to disclose the ingredients. Many of them — even some of the ones marketed as “clean” — are regularly found to be filled with hormone-disrupting pesticides & dioxins.

All that right next to our very absorbent, sensitive vaginal tissue on a regular basis? That can lead to some serious issues.

But that doesn’t mean we have to free bleed — we just have to choose carefully. And in order to choose carefully, we need to understand what the potential risks are & how to watch out for them.

There are a lot of buzzwords thrown around in the wellness & hormone health space. And honestly? It can get pretty confusing, especially if those terms are never defined. 

When it comes to PMS, one of the phrases you've probably heard a lot is estrogen dominance. What exactly is it, and what exactly are estrogen and progesterone?  

Cyclic breast pain is common & often frustrating symptom many cyclical beings experience in the week leading up to their period.

And while a minor amount of pre-period breast tenderness or pain is considered normal, it can clue us in that there might be something deeper going on: excess estrogen.

Here are simple lifestyle shifts, in-the-moment relief, & herbs to consider.

If you've ever experienced a migraine (or even a bad headache) then you know just how miserable they can be. And chances are, you have experienced one – migraines are three times more common in women than they are in men. Why? Hormonal shifts can be a huge migraine trigger.

Here’s what we can do about it.

The care and keeping of your vulva.

From vulva-supportive foods, to always peeing after sex, to the regenerative powers of your menstrual blood — here are pratical tips & tricks for loving and caring for your vulva.

You probably know about your gut microbiome and your skin microbiome, but did you know you also have a unique microbial environment in your vagina? The vaginal microbiome is a diverse ecosystem, teeming with vibrant life. Our overall health influences the health of our vaginal microbiome, and vice versa.

Learn what your vaginal microbiome is, how to keep it lush and thriving, what can disrupt it, and how sex can influence your ecology.

Vitex (also known as chaste berry) is often touted as a hormone-balancing cure-all amongst the insta herbalists & women’s health crowd.

It has a long history of traditional use as a hormone-balancing remedy, and lots of modern research to back it up. I’ve personally had a good experience using it for PMS, and I recommend it to clients in certain circumstances. That said, it’s a powerful medicine & it’s not for everyone. Let’s break it down.

Self-compassion can literally change how we process pain.

When you’re in pain, what thoughts run through your head? Do you start to panic? Spiral into stress? Critique your body? Shame your sensitivity? Chances are, at least one of the above. And it might be making your pain even worse.

But there is an antidote: self-compassion.