Latest / Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul / Your Cycle, Your Nervous System & Your Healing: How Somatic Breathwork Supports Feminine Trauma Recovery

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Your Cycle, Your Nervous System & Your Healing: How Somatic Breathwork Supports Feminine Trauma Recovery · Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul

• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, my love.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to this week's episode of the Healing Her Story podcast.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: If this is your first time here, welcome.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: It is such an honor and a privilege and a joy to have you.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: If you are returning to the show, thanks for coming back.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for being here and for walking this path with us.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: This path of coming back to the body, of coming back to the natural rhythms and cycles of the world and of ourselves, and creating more harmony and more sustainability in our fast-paced, very busy, unbalanced, patriarchal world.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: And as we hold the intention for bringing more harmony and more balance and more love and more compassion and more healing into this world, we first have to do that with ourselves.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: And it's only when we can do it inside of ourselves that we can create that ripple effect that goes out into our families, our communities, our friend groups, our workplaces.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: And this is what creates change.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you so much for being here.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Right now we are in the waxing moon phase, and this is a time of expansion, action, and moving forward.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: And as I sit down to record this, I am still buzzing with insight and excitement from a recent master class I attended called Mapping the Female Nervous System with Veronica from Waking Womb.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: As I've been studying trauma, somatic healing, and women's reproductive health, she has been one of the few who I've seen talking about the differences in the female nervous system.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: One day I would love to have Veronica on the show.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are listening, Veronica, or if anyone listening listens to her or knows someone who knows her or has some sort of divine connection to her, please let her know.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: I would be so honored to have her on the show.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: She is a true expert in this area, who I'd love to have come talk to us about this.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: But in the meantime, I'm gonna do my best to let you know why this information is essential to your healing process and how to integrate it into the way you care for yourself and maybe the way you care for others.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you, Veronica, for the wisdom that you've shared.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: I will do my best to do it justice in this episode.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you've been on your healing journey for a while, maybe you've done talk therapy, journaling, mindset work, but still feel like something's off in your body and you feel like you're quote unquote regressing every month, then this episode is for you.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk about the female nervous system, how it's biologically different, how our capacity changes across the menstrual cycle, and why breath work is one of the most powerful tools we can use when it comes to healing trauma in a way that aligns with our natural rhythms.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Let me ask you this.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Do you ever feel like certain parts of your cycle make you more sensitive, irritable, or overwhelmed?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever tried to do something healing, like a deep therapy session or a breath work practice, and it just felt like too much?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe what worked a week ago doesn't work anymore or isn't working this week.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: If this is you, and I suspect that if you are here that this is you, please know that you are not broken.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: You live in a cyclical body, and your nervous system is cyclical too.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: What creates the distress and the disharmony is that we do not live in a world that honors this cyclical rhythm, and nor does it teach us about this cyclical rhythm.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I am here to teach you this today.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: The most important thing you need to know is that we have less capacity during the menstrual phase and the premenstrual phase, and more capacity in the follicular and ovulation phases.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: What does that mean?
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Why does that matter?
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let's say you're wanting to heal from a breakup or a falling out, and there's some deep and painful emotions that you know you need to process.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, because you have less capacity during the pre-menstrual phase and the menstruation phase, this would not be the optimal time to do it.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, by all means, I encourage you to listen to your inner wisdom and to follow what does feel most true and right for you.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if that's feeling like a good time, then who am I to tell you otherwise?
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now, on the other hand, if you are finding that you are coming up against challenges during this part of the menstrual cycle, then keep listening and maybe consider playing and exploring some of these things that I'll be sharing here today.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you do go into big sensations or emotions that are outside of your window of presence during the menstruation phase or the pre-menstrual phase, then you do risk the potential of overwhelming or re-traumatizing yourself.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about the window of presence, also known as the window of tolerance.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: This comes from Polyvagel theory from Dr.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Dan Siegel.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much, Dr.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Dan Siegel, for your work and for your wisdom.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: This window of presence is this window, this space in your nervous system where you feel safe, grounded, and capable of processing life, essentially, without going into shutdown or overwhelm.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what most people don't know is that the window of tolerance isn't static in the female body.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: That window shrinks during the menstrual and premenstrual phases and expands during the follicular and ovulatory phases.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: In your early spring, which is your follicular phase, you're like a sprouting tree stretching towards the sun with increased energy and resilience.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: In ovulation, you're in your inner summer, you're in your full bloom, your nervous system has its greatest capacity, buffered by the peak of estrogen.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: In the luteal and premenstrual phases, you're in autumn and winter.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Your roots are more exposed, you're more sensitive, more tender, and you've begun to contract back into yourself.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Trying to process your biggest wounds at the wrong phase can be like trying to bloom in a snowstorm.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's not that you're incapable, it's that the season is asking for something different.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: So going back to that breakup or that abandonment wound that you want to heal from.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Wounds, by the way, that happen in relationships are some of the most painful.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: And as women, that's because we are more sensitive to the social engagement system.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: And this is due to our biological evolution.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: It was developed by mothers through breastfeeding, and over time we developed this new part of the nervous system.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: So it makes sense that breakups and abandonment wounds are so difficult to deal with for so many of us.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: You might know that you need to process these emotions, but when would be the best time to do it?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: Well, when your window of tolerance is at its biggest, that's during the late follicular phase and the ovulation phase.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Well, because estrogen is at its peak.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: And if you listen to our episode on how trauma affects the menstrual cycle, you might remember that estrogen acts as a buffer to the nervous system.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Our heart rate variability, also known as HRV, also increases during this time.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: And this increased variation gives us more capacity.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Fun fact: breath work helps to increase your HRV over time, helping you to have more capacity overall when done consistently.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: How helpful is that to know?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: And how wild to think that every care provider who works with women doesn't know this and isn't teaching this.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: The truth is, we're only just now starting to see more research being done in these fields.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: In the 1970s, women were banned from scientific studies, and it wasn't until decades later that they were welcomed back in.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And it's only recently that the studies have started being done.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: I also learned that oxytocin is the primary regulating hormone for the female body, while for male bodies it's dopamine.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be super curious to know, by the way, if there's any research being done on trans bodies.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk a little bit more about oxytocin.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Oxytocin is a hormone that's produced in the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: Its main function is to facilitate childbirth, which is one of the reasons it's called the love drug or the love hormone.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oxytocin, like endorphins or serotonin, is a type of hormone in your body that promotes positive feelings.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: Oxytocin both stimulates the muscles of the uterus to contract and also increases another hormone which supports this contraction process.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Women whose labor is slow to proceed are sometimes given oxytocin to help speed the process.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: Once the baby is born, oxytocin helps to move milk from the ducts into the breast, into the nipple, and to foster a bond between mom and baby.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: Our bodies also produce oxytocin when we're excited by our sexual partner or when we fall in love.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why it's earned the nicknames of love hormone and cuddle hormone.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: One of the best ways to boost oxytocin naturally is with exercise.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: One study noted that a jump in oxytocin levels measured in participants' saliva after high-intensity martial arts training.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Music also seems to have the ability to increase oxytocin levels, especially when people sing in a group, which adds to the element of bonding, which explains why I absolutely loved singing all week with my kiddos at my performing arts program that I'm running.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: Really looking forward to getting back to that next week.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Just the simple act of touch also seems to boost oxytocin release.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: So giving someone a massage, cuddling, making love, giving someone a hug, or even practicing some self-touch can all lead to higher levels of this hormone and an increased sense of well-being.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: And in women, because this is our primary uh, or more specifically, in the female body, because this is our primary regulator, this also supports our regulation process.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: Truly potent and potentially life-changing information.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know that this is something that I myself have really prioritized in my self-care.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: While I do engage in self-touch quite frequently now, I never used to.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this was because I grew up in a home where there wasn't a lot of affection, and there wasn't a lot of touch.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's really, it gives me a lot of hope to know that just by continuing to practice self-touch with myself, and by just inviting in more touch in my relationship, safe touch, hugs and cuddles, and just holding hands and just a loving tap on the shoulder with consent, of course, that this can really make a big difference in our body's ability to regulate ourselves.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: As far as exercise, I will say that Veronica did mention slower movement over vigorous exercise.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: I, however, don't have more to share about the specifics of that at this time.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: What I do know is that as a practitioner, I will be taking more time to understand where my clients are in their cycle in order to best understand how to support them.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: For example, many women come to me wanting to process deeper emotions and wounds, and one of the most effective ways to get them started is through breath work.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: If a client is in their premenstrual phase, menstrual or even early spring, early follicular phase, I would create space for a more gentle and resourcing session.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: If a client is in the late spring or in the ovulation phase, or maybe even their pre-early premenstruum, then I might create space for a more activating session with big emotions and emotional release, all of course within the window of presence.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: Understanding how our biology works is a radical form of care that goes beyond cold plunges, which by the way, Veronica had a lot to say about, and manicures.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: We cannot outthink or out care our biology.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: We must understand it so we can learn to work with it, much like we must learn to work with the rhythms and cycles of the natural world.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: So when you're visiting a new doctor, a new energy healer, or new therapist, they may not ask you where you are in your cycle, but I hope that you can know and maybe you can teach them how to best care for you.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about doing all of the right things, it's about doing the right things at the right time in the right way for you.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: If this is new to you, please know you're not alone.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Generations of women never had access to this knowledge, but that is changing, and we are a part of that change.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of August, I'm hosting a free weekend immersion called Mending the Mother Wound.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's a sacred space to tend to your early wounds, regulate your nervous system, and start showing up for yourself in the ways that you have always needed.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: You'll find the link in the show notes along with a few free somatic meditations, as well as my free trauma recovery mini course to support you this week.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: Until then, love, be gentle with yourself.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: And may I remind you that you're not too much, you're not broken.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: You are simply learning how to care for yourself in a world that never taught you how.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: And that, my love, is revolutionary.