We hear so much about taking care of our body, but what about our womb? It turns out this is just as (if not more) important. Womb therapist, Chantel Kismet, tells us why we should all be giving our womb some TLC...
Thought your womb was just a reproductive organ? Wrong! It’s so much more than that. It actually holds a lot of weight when it comes to our emotions too, so it’s something we should definitely pay more attention to. Here’s the lowdown on the whys and hows when it comes to all things womb healing…
Why is the womb so important?
If you are familiar with the chakra system (if not, check this out!), the womb space sits in the second primary chakra known as the sacral chakra and represents the centre of all our emotions. Imagine your womb space as a big junk drawer of emotions; we often hold energetic imprints of trauma, guilt, shame, judgement and past relationships here. Over the years, when these layers are not cleared, it creates blockages that show up in our lives. The more we clear these emotions and energy that don’t serve us, the more we can vibrate at a higher frequency, functioning at our fullest potential. The energetic power and blueprint of your womb will always remain within you, even for a woman who had a prior hysterectomy.
What is womb healing?
Womb healing is a way to honour and connect with your feminine space. It can help you tune into yourself, creating more awareness and consciousness. It also serves as a healing process to release emotional blockages surrounding the loss of a baby (such as miscarriage, abortion and stillbirths).
How do I get started with womb healing if I’m new to this?
It’s not that complicated to reconnect with your womb space! There are simple practices and rituals which you can incorporate into your daily life to establish a deeper relationship with yourself. Attend a workshop or look for practitioners out there who do womb healing work. Blooming Births and the Soul Place curated a four week “love your womb” workshop for women from all walks of life with the sole purpose of helping them reconnect and reclaim their divine feminine through womb healing. Here are some ways you can start honouring your womb space…
Womb healing: 4 top tips for looking after your womb
1. Understand your cycle
Period talk is often shunned, though recently, we’ve seen greater awareness about this topic. Still, you’d be surprised at how many women out there have a negative relationship with their cycles. It is so important to break this stigma around menstruation! Start by understanding your menstrual cycle; take the time to connect and honour it. Women are cyclical creatures who flow with the rhythms of the moon. Like the four seasons, each phase of our cycle represents a different landscape in which the body operates.
2. Track your cycle
Did you know the different phases of our cycle can impact energy levels, hormones, productivity and nutritional needs? We need to learn that there are times where we have to slow down, not take on too much and just rest! By learning how to sync with our cycles, we can be more balanced, productive and ooze with creativity. Have you noticed as your period approaches, sometimes you get emotional and even snappy? I know I do! PMS is legit, and we are not “just emotional again”. During this time, your oestrogen and progesterone levels dip, thus the change in mood. Tracking my cycle has helped me become more aware of my mood swings and mental state. I communicate where I am in my cycle to the husband, which has significantly improved our relationship! He steps in to handle the kids when I feel tired and buys me chocolates – what a sweet deal! Check out these period tracking apps to support you on your journey; Clue, MyMoonTime, Eve by Glow, Spot On!
3. Eating for your cycle
Each phase of your cycle requires a different hormonal level, such as oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Nutrition directly impacts our body, and it can either support hormonal health or throw it off balance. Eating according to your cycle can also help reduce fatigue and ease period symptoms. Take, for example, the menstrual phase where your body sheds the uterus lining through bleeding. The loss of blood reduces iron levels, and it makes sense to consume more high-iron foods. Incorporating certain types of food into your diet at each phase allows your body to function at optimal levels and support hormonal balance.
Seed cycling
Seed cycling is the practice of incorporating four different types of seeds (pumpkin, flaxseeds, sesame and sunflower seeds) into your diet. It is another nourishing way to support feminine health. Typically, you would consume these seeds during the follicular and luteal phases of your cycle. This helps promote a healthy balance of oestrogen and progesterone levels. You can eat them raw or grounded, get creative and add them to your meals and smoothies! Here’s more info on what seed to eat when:
- Follicular phase (day 1 to 14 of your menstrual cycle): consume flaxseed and pumpkin seed to support high oestrogen levels
- Luteal phase (day 14 to 28 of your menstrual cycle): consume sesame seeds and sunflower seeds to support progesterone levels
4. Take time for you
Journaling is a great tool for reflection and self-care. By tuning into your cycle, you can use each phase to your benefit. Take the time to ponder on your achievements, relationships, areas where you can improve, challenges you would like to take on and any feelings or self-limiting beliefs you would like to release. Adding movement and meditation into your “womb healing” self-care practice is a great way to dive deeper into yourself and tune inwards. Create a ritual – I encourage you to be playful! You could burn a candle, soak yourself in a tub full of flowers and Epsom salts (or a foot soak if you don’t have a tub!), dance, do yoga, wear that special outfit, take yourself out to dinner! Carving out pockets of time during your cycle to honour and celebrate you is a great start to healing your womb.
Up for giving womb healing a try? DM us and let us know how you get on!
