Latest / Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul / Moon Phases & Feminine Power - Your Weekly Cycle Sync | Burnout, Winter, and the New Moon: Why Your Body Needs Rest Right Now

Transcript

Moon Phases & Feminine Power - Your Weekly Cycle Sync | Burnout, Winter, and the New Moon: Why Your Body Needs Rest Right Now · Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul

• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Healing Her Story podcast.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: If this is your first time here, welcome.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: I am so honored to share this space with you today.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: If this is not your first time here, if you are returning, welcome back.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: And thank you so much for doing that, for coming back, for tuning in again to this feminine wisdom that, by the way, I believe already lives inside of you.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: I truly believe the work that we're doing here is less about me teaching you, specifically with this cyclical work, and more about helping you to remember.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Because everything that I'm sharing, I believe that deep down inside there is a very wise, intuitive part that already knows all of this.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And if you look back at ancient civilizations and societies, this is how they lived.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: They lived in tune with the natural rhythms and cycles of the body and of the natural world.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Over my winter break, I read a book called The Red Tent.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: I don't read a lot of fiction, and I couldn't tell you why, probably just because I love to learn and I feel like if I am reading, I want it to be productive.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: I want to be learning something.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: And yet I found such enjoyment reading this novel.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: And it was such a beautiful story of the arc of the life cycle of a woman's journey, starting as a maiden, and then approaching that time where bleeding begins, and then becoming a woman, going through the initiation of motherhood, growing old and wise, and turning into the chrome.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: This whole journey was so beautifully and perfectly articulated through this story.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: And it was so interesting to see the ways in which they really honored the menstrual cycle, the natural rhythms and cycles of the world.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: And there was one moment in the story that especially stood out to me.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: And it was when the young girl and the story began her period, had her first period.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: And they had this ceremony, and it was this really important special moment in her life that all of the women in her life really gathered around to celebrate her, to support her, to mark this huge transition in her life.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: And as I was reading that story, it helped me to remember, ah, yes, this is something that's very important.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: They also talked about the red tent and how they would gather in the red tent underneath the new moon.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: And the women would step away from their daily duties of cooking and cleaning and taking care of the household and serving the men.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: And they would retreat to this red tent where they would actually separate themselves completely from the rest of their community.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And in the red tent, it was only women allowed.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: And they would stay in here for three days nourishing themselves, nourishing each other, sharing stories, um, working on um crafts that use the hand.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: And it was so beautiful to really see how important that time was, um, all the way back then.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: And while this was a novel, it's it's historical fiction.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so you could tell, I could tell, there was a lot of research that went into writing this story.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: And so all of that to say is that what I am teaching is not anything new.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: This is something that women were doing centuries and centuries and centuries ago.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe it is part of our work in this modern world to reclaim some of that feminine wisdom and ritual.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so that is really the big intention behind these specific episodes.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: I want to give you the opportunity each week to tune in to where we are in this rhythm.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: So let's begin.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: We'll begin with a minute of silence, like we often do, always do on the show, and in these episodes specifically.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: And in this minute of silence, you are invited to come into a place of more presence with yourself, whatever that looks like.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're driving or doing something in the background, whatever you are doing, seeing what it would be like to slow down, even if it's just for a moment.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: If you're doing two things, can you do one?
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: And as you slow down, beginning to bring more awareness to your breath, maybe noticing the parts of the body that are making contact with whatever surfaces underneath you in this moment.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: And seeing if you can soften and relax into those points of contact, even if it's just a little bit.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And as you spend a little bit of time here with yourself, noticing how the body is feeling, noticing how your heart is feeling, noticing how your mind is feeling, noticing how your spirit is feeling.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: And also maybe tuning in to where you are in your own unique rhythm, whether you track your menstrual cycle or not, whether you're new to this or been doing it for a while, just tuning in to see kind of where you might be.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna give you a minute to do that now.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'll share a little bit about what I noticed in that moment.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: For me, I noticed just coming into a place of more presence.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: I noticed some yawns and just really enjoyed the silence and the space that was created.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: I also reflected on where I am in my menstrual cycle.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: And today I am cycle day 26, meaning that my bleed will start within the next couple days.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: I could really notice it last night and this morning.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: I get this tenderness just kind of on the lips of my vulva, and I get these cramps that start to settle into the upper thighs.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: It was very hard to get out of bed today.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: And last night I went to bed very early, very early.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so I know, I know she's coming.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, I've I've prepared well this time.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm feeling ready.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I've got uh a few more things I'll do today, uh, a few more meals that I'll prepare so I have those ready to go.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, really looking forward to some restful time.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be fortunate enough this time.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: The timing really worked out in my favor.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: I will be able to do a bleed of no work, or at least mostly no work.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: It'll be about maybe probably 20 or 30% of what I normally do.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm so grateful for that.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really looking forward to starting off the calendar year with um, yeah, with I don't want to say the right bleed, but it's certainly the bleed that I most desire, where I can truly take a break and allow myself to rest and restore.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm looking forward to that.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: This week we are tuning to the energy of the new moon.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: We just had our new moon of the first calendar year yesterday.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: And yesterday being Sunday, as this episode is airing on Monday.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now that we're moving towards the end of January, we're very slowly, very slowly, beginning to arrive at a place where you may be able to feel into what you actually desire for this year.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Not what you should want, not what you're told you should be doing, but what you actually want.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: And at the same time, here in the northern hemisphere, we are still very much in winter.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: You'll probably hear me say this every week during the winter season, and that's because it's an important reminder.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: This is not a time for big sweeping moves or bold action.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Until late February or March, right around the lunar new year and the spring equinox, this season that we're in right now in the northern hemisphere, that is winter, is inviting us into rest, restoration, reflection.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: Winter itself mirrors the energy of the new moon, which is exactly where we are right now in the lunar cycle.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: This is a deeply yin moment.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you think about the yin yang symbol, the yin side is black, not by accident.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: The darkness represents the lack of light we experience both in winter and during the new moon.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: And you can actually observe this in real time.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you step outside this week, assuming the skies are clear, you'll likely notice more stars.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: And that's because there is no moonlight being reflected back to us.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: You can try to find the moon, but you won't really be able to see it until the tiniest sliver of light returns.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: The darkness often gets a bad reputation.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's associated with fear, uncertainty, or the idea that something is wrong.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, you might be afraid of what you'll find when things go quiet.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: But the dark is also where seeds are planted.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: In the natural world, seeds germinate underground in darkness, long before there is any visible growth.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: Neuroscience and psychology echo this wisdom.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: Research on creativity and insight shows that moments of rest, reduced stimulation, and inward focus are essential for clarity, problem solving, and authentic intention setting.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Our nervous systems need periods of quiet to integrate information and access deeper knowing.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Those tiny seeds of light you find in the dark, they represent your hopes, desires, dreams, wishes, intentions.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's easy to get swept up in what you think you should be doing, or rather what society tells you your life should look like.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: But when you intentionally separate yourself from the noise of the world, even briefly, you might be surprised by what rises to the surface.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: Often it's the truest desires you've been pushing aside.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: If there was ever a time to cancel social plans, retreat into your winter cave, unplug from your phone, get to bed earlier, let yourselves sleep in.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: This is it.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: This is a powerful week to create spaciousness and to deeply listen.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: From a psychological standpoint, this makes sense too.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: During winter, lower light exposure affects melatonin and circadian rhythms, naturally encouraging more rest.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Honoring this rather than resisting it supports nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, and long-term energy rather than burnout.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, so this is actually a time where we have the opportunity to build our energy for the whole year.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, there will be more opportunities as the year goes on, but this is what winter is all about.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: The new moon is often talked about as the beginning, and I've come to experience it as an ending as well.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: During this week, you might start to gain clarity around what you don't want to carry forward into the new year, whether that's habits, relationships, patterns, or ways of being that no longer feel aligned.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: That clarity is important because what you release here creates space for what wants to emerge in the phases ahead.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: And to support you with this, I'm excited to share a new tool I've created.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's a one-page chart that you can download and print, or simply screenshot, that helps you understand the energetic qualities of each moon phase, menstrual cycle phase, and season.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's designed to help you orient yourself, soften self-judgment, and learn how to work with your body and the natural world rather than against them.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: And although I've said this is not the year for big sweeping moves, the calendar year did just start.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're into numerology at all, we are in a numeral year, uh collective year of one.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: And as I said, new moons, while they are endings, they are beginnings too.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so this right here, this new moon, especially, I believe if it's a new moon, new moon in Capricorn too, this is a really wonderful time to begin exploring these cycles in a deeper way.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: In addition, I've shared three donation-based trauma-informed meditations over on Insight Timer to support rest, reflection, and nervous system regulation during this new moon phase.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: You'll find everything linked for you in the show notes.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: Be gentle with yourself this week.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: The seeds are already being planted, even if you can't see them quite yet.