149: Menstrual Wisdom with Nadine of Tantric Alchemy

Namaste. It's Sahara Rose. And welcome back to the Highest Self Podcast, a place where we discuss what makes you your soul's highest evolvement. This episode is brought to you by Uveda. Uva is a modernized Ayurvedic supplement company that takes certain issues that we have, such as mood, joints, immunity, digestion, and creates these custom little packets exactly for us, infusing ancient Ayurvedic herbs with modern vitamins and minerals. I take the mood formula daily. It is great if you work a stressful job, had adrenal fatigue, ever suffer from anxiety or even depression, and it really heals you from a fundamental and holistic level. So if you want to try it out, head over to uvada y-o u v e d a.com use the code Sahara and you'll receive 35% off your first order. And they now ship to almost every country globally, so check it out. If you live internationally, they may be shipping to your country too. And they just added India. Guys, if you are interested in all things femininity, menstruation, womb magic, then you are going to love this episode. I sat down in Bali this June with my dear friend Nadine of Tantric Alchemy to talk about all things feminine menstrual wisdom. She is someone who I always go to when I'm seeking more inspiration about connecting to my body tantra and what the signals of my femininity, of my menstruation are really saying deeper about not just my physical but also my spiritual health. So in this episode we talk about what menstruation really means and how various imbalances like PMS or long periods or bloating, what does that mean from a spiritual perspective? It is so important for us to honor our cycles. We are not like men who just are based off of the circadian rhythm cycle. Their circadian rhythm does affect us, but we are more affected by the lunar pattern, which is our menstrual pattern, which is why we're not the same at 4pm every single day. We are vastly different depending on the week, the day, the month, etc. Et cetera. So it's so important for us to be able to deeply connect to our bodies, to be able to tell what is going on. Are my breasts feeling tender? Is my period lighter or heavier than usual? What am I feeling in my womb space right now and what that says about what is going on within? So without further ado, let's welcome Nadine of Tantric Alchemy to the Highest Self podcast. Welcome Nadine to the Highest Self podcast. It's so good to have you here.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

So we are sitting here in Bali looking at the most beautiful view ever and already just being in Bali, I was just telling you it like makes me want to Shakti dance and get into my femininity. So I'm so excited that we're doing this conversation live.

Yeah.

Yeah, it feels amazing. Yes.

So the first question that I would love to ask you is what makes you your highest self?

Yeah, it's a really good question. I feel what makes me my higher self or brings, you know, that embodiment of the higher self is. Yeah. Having a daily practice that really connects me in with that energy. So my meditation, my yoga and creating that space for my creative expression to express through my body, through this vessel. So really prioritizing that as number one, always, every day, meditation, yoga and creating the space for my creativity to express.

And what type of yoga do you do? Do you just do a regular yoga? More of a Shakti Yoga practice.

Just Hatha and Kundalini. Yeah, that's what I'm. Yeah.

So I'd love to know more about how did you shift from. Well, your whole story, but you were more into yoga and then before that dealing with, you know, your own inner journey. So I'd love to just learn more about how you got to where you are and doing the work that you're doing today.

Yeah, so it kind of started when I was 14. I've shared on my website and in my story, you know, I share it a lot is. Yeah, I had an awakening, a Kundalini awakening when I was 14 years old.

And were you practicing Kundalini or.

No, it was just spontaneous. It was just had a surge of energy through my body and then went into like a altered state of consciousness. Kind of like what you would experience, you know, on a trip or like if you smoke marijuana or these, you know, mind altering substances. And I experienced that just spontaneously. So, yeah, shifted my reality and I had no tools to deal with it, nothing to really, you know, base it upon. And after that experience, yeah, it was like a really confusing time. You know, there was like a lot of energy moving through my body. I was, yeah, 14, you know, in high school. So the way I coped with it was kind of suppressing it. So channeling all that energy into my mind. So not. Yeah, like allowing myself to really get into a no mind state because that's kind of what I was in for these three days. And. Yeah, and I was just In a really, like, altered state and really confused state for most of my teenage years. And then when once I found yoga and meditation in my early 20s, that's when it all kind of started to make sense, like, what actually happened. And it felt like I was actually coming back into my body. So that energy came through and really took me out of my body. And, yeah, it was like a, you know, spiritual phenomenon kind of experience, but I wasn't prepared for it, you know, so the yoga helped ground it and really, you know, ground my nervous system, bring the energy into my body so it could actually function and feel, you know, that holistic mind, body, spirit, integrated.

So what did the Kundalini awakening feel like?

It was just like energy rushing through my body and then just going into, like, a. The only way I can explain it is, like, feeling stoned. Like, no mind blank for. It lasted about three days. And, yeah, it was. It was really frightening at the time, you know, so, yeah, so in the early 20s, the yoga kind of made sense. It was like, okay, this is what was actually happening and really started to balance me out. And once I kind of delve deeper into the yoga, the symptoms of that time period was depression and eating disorders and severe anxiety and paranoia during that 14 to 20 timeframe. So once I started practicing the yoga and going a bit deeper into that, I started to really tap into the root cause of the symptoms that were manifesting, like the eating disorder, the disconnect from my body, the depression, anxiety, and it was always around sexuality. So that took me on a journey into really going into a lot of the core root of my trauma, which was sexual abuse as a young child.

Yeah.

And then I started working with women with eating disorders. You know, that's how. So I started with the yoga and nutrition, and that went into, you know, helping women with eating disorders, because that's what I was going through. But then it always came back to sexuality for myself and obviously my clients. Cause it was like, whatever I was working through, my clients, I was helping them with after I'd kind of, you know, clicked something in my puzzle. So. Yeah, so from that, it kind of like shifted into the root cause of my. My journey was, like, reconnecting to my sexual innocence and reclaiming that sexual power and that erotic innocence. And. Yeah, that's been the root cause of basically everything awakening, like, you know, my creativity, my lifespan, purpose, like, feeling in my body, like, embodied, you know, bringing that spiritual energy into my body. Like, we're talking about the higher self, like, into the actual physical experience. It's been the sexual connection, like that's. And the work with the womb. So that's what I work with now directly is, is reconnecting women to their womb space, their menstruation, their bodies, their sacred sexuality.

I love that. And you totally made your mess your message. So. So a lot of people have had sexual traumas and it's outstanding how many as young children. So what often happens is you either one, totally repress your sexuality or two, act out in sexual ways to gain like attention from similar people to the perpetrator. So how did you harness your sexual energy and embody it while still not falling through that very delicate, you know, path that could lead to, you know, using it for power and feeling like you're worthy?

Yeah, I mean that's been a massive journey because it's like, it's, yeah, as you say, it's usually go one spectrum or the other, like the extreme over sexualization or then the like just cutting off like. So I've gone through those polarities like throughout my whole life and you know, it's only been recently really in the past few years that I've from a really deep relationship the past couple of years or ended a year ago. But that relationship to your container like really healed a lot. It was through that deep tantric relationship being, you know, entered with pure love and just that safe container of yeah, a relationship between two people. And it really was the missing link of really feeling my sexuality connected to my heart, you know, like consciously going into that and feeling that connection. So now it's like when I express my sexuality, it's not in a way of trying to get attention. It's just like a. It's a way of expressing like all this like divinity, all this like life force energy through my body to share, you know, like a giving energy, not as opposed to like trying to take from people. So I feel that's been the missing link. It's been like connecting the heart space with the womb sexual center and that's, you know, that balance a lot of innocence.

That's so well put because I feel like a lot of times we feel like by expressing our sexuality it's becomes this like you're trying to get attention from people or you're trying to show that like you're worthy of being loved. But seeing it as like an offering of like this is just my inherent nature for both men and women just changes the game because it doesn't matter if no one's in the room or not, you're still your Radiant sexual life force filled self.

Yeah.

And that's it. And that's what I feel the difference is it's like radiating out, you know, so that energy is like shining out as opposed to like kind of a black hole, like pulling it in. So that's been. Yeah, the missing link.

So true. I remember when I was like a freshman in college, I would like get dressed up and like try to like look super sexy. But it was such a, you know, I thought I was radiating out, but I was only reading out to pull in. And I think a lot of us, especially in our like early, like late teens, early 20s, that's all we know. Cause that's all we see on tv.

Yeah, yeah.

And that external validation and you know, it's hard. Like I often, especially with this social media world we live in, it's like such a hook or like a trap that we can get sucked into, like being externally validated from likes and whatever, like shares and everything on our social media. So it's like having to constantly check in like, okay, like, where am I coming from? What is my intention for putting this out there? And really like keeping that as a leader, you know, in this for feminine work. It's like, yeah. Keeping that intention every time something does go out. Like. Yeah, that it's like empowering others.

Yeah, totally. So I want to talk about the womb and how we hold on to traumas in our womb space. Can you speak a little bit about that? Because it's something that a lot of people have still not heard of.

Yeah.

So basically the womb is the seat of like our subconscious mind. So basically like with. Yeah, any suppressed trauma, any, you know, lodged emotions, any stuck energy in our body of our own and also our sexual partners. So we take that on into our bodies as women. We get stored in our womb space. And also in Kundalini Yoga, they teach like the arc line of the nipples. So nipple to nipple, we store our men, any sexual partner, their DNA and their karma comes into our nipples and our womb. So space. So. And also our own. So it's important that as women that we're clearing our womb consciously through our menstrual cycle each month, having a conscious practice and awareness around our menstrual cycle, like what is it we're actually releasing each month that we bleed? What are the signs that are coming up in the form of, you know, physical pains, emotional disturbances? Because all these things are this subconscious emerging during that time, during the. Just before we bleed. And then when we bleed, that's when the veil is so thin. And the subconscious is literally coming into the light and wanting to be seen and felt and heard. So, yeah, by just bringing awareness into our menstrual cycle, even just understanding that, then we can actually use that time as a powerful time to clear what wants to come up from the subconscious. So. So things that are stored in the subconscious are traumas, limiting belief systems, anything that's not our higher self, basically. So we can bring that to the light and shine light upon it and love it.

So what does it mean when some women have a lot of pain during our menstrual cycles? I know some of my friends, when they get their periods, they're in bed, especially that first day, and they feel immobile. So what is this our body is signaling?

Yeah, so it's basically your body's really sending strong signals and messages to you to stop and slow down and listen to what is coming through in the form of the physical pain. Because beyond the physical pain, it's linked into the emotional pain. And then beyond that, it's the spiritual root cause. The layers of disease starts in the spiritual body, then the emotional, and then the physical. So it's coming to your physical body to symbolize, hey, there's something here. So there's an emotion deeply stored in your womb, in your subconscious that wants to be looked at and addressed. And the more that we ignore it or, you know, take a Panadol or, you know, just get on with your day, then it's going to get stronger and stronger and stronger. And so that's why women experience really strong these, like, pains and symptoms is because I believe it's like they're not, like, going to the root cause and creating that space themselves each time they bleed and before they bleed, when these pains arise to really sit with what's there, because once you really feel it, like I said, it just brings it to the light and then it can just dissipate and, you know, be seen, felt and heard and release from that. Because it's like anything, the more you push it down, push it down, push it down, it's going to get more and more and take over you.

So what would you recommend for someone to kind of figure out what the root cause of this pain is?

Yeah, so it's like, I teach this a lot in my work is emotional alchemy. So it's like creating that space and with tools such as, like, breath, sound and movement and awareness going into. So when you feel the pain, like the period pain, stopping everything and really feeling it and going into it with breathing through it, sounding through it, and moving through it, and having that awareness of what you're doing during that process. But, you know, three key tools just to really. Yeah. Create that space, to actually feel what's actually there and alchemize it. So the emotional alchemy is like, going into the emotion and alchemizing it, like, breaking it up and so it can be freed up.

Mm. So really just feel into that pain. And how important is it to know, like, what is the actual cause? Like, to go back and remember when I was seven years old, this happened or whatever else.

Yeah.

So, I mean, that is, like, a process that, you know, I teach as well, is like, that inner child work. So, you know, it's usually something from the subconscious and then going back into, like, the. So the last time you felt it and then the first time you ever felt it. And it's usually something to do with childhood, you know, like, and when you can kind of, like, understand that, it can. It can make sense of it. But in a way, I don't know if it's really that important, knowing, like, having to go into an analysis of every single thing when you felt it as a child. Because it can get a bit of a, you know, a mind.

Right.

Like, you're just in a process forever. So it's kind of like, I like to just guide people into, like, drop the story, just feel it, what's present, and just move it with breathing, awareness, sounding and movement.

Yeah, totally. And I think that sometimes it can go both ways, that there's either something that happened in our childhood that we are in denial of, because when we think about it, it just brings up too much fear. But also, what can happen is when you're like, something must have happened. Something must happen, your mind can begin to create stories.

Yeah. Yeah.

And I was just reading this case that happened of this woman who was doing. She was, like, very feminist and doing a lot of female empowerment work. And then she had the kind of a dream that her father had, like, molested her when she was a child. So she came out and it caused her parents to separate. And it created, like, this huge riff. And it was a lot about what she spoke about. And then in deep psychotherapy, she realized she had created that story. And then she approached her dad, but her dad was like, I'm never gonna forgive you for this, and separated the family. So it's like, oh, my God. How do you know when it's, like, real and you're being bold or it's something that your subconscious made up because it wanted a reason to be angry.

Yeah, yeah.

And then if it's like, you know, holding on to these stories, then it's like they can bind you because, like, oh, this is why I don't. I don't have a partner because of my childhood. And then you just keep holding on to the story.

Exactly.

So it's like, okay, yeah, things happened. We need to acknowledge it and. But not, like, let the story rule us, like, totally.

Because it brings us back into that victimhood and so many people. Oh, how a butterfly just flew in the room and flew right in between us. Wow. But I so see so many people like, oh, I can't get into relationship because this happened to me as a kid. And they use. As an excuse to not grow and move past it.

Yeah, yeah.

And I feel it's like the inner child work is really important. Like, going into, like, when you felt it and creating, like, giving yourself what you needed back then, that's more the empowering, like, okay, so I felt abandoned as a child from my dad or my mom or whatever. You know, it's like a root thing for so many of us. Abandonment. It's like, okay, how can we, like, now as an adult, like, hold ourselves and give what we needed back then as a small child that's still within us now as an empowered woman or man, you know, and not let this inner child run the show? Yes. They're there, like, but it's not like that's the driving force of the vehicle anymore.

Totally. Because. Yeah, because that trauma, the abandonment could be like, you're at the bus stop and your mom didn't pick you up for an hour, and that could be the issue. Or it could be like your family literally left you.

Yeah.

But it's still this. You're still feeling that same thing.

Yeah, exactly.

So if people have painful periods, it's often that. Now, what about people who don't feel any difference when they're on their period or not? They're not feeling these kind of, like, waves in energy. What would you recommend for them?

Yeah, so it's all about, you know, as you, you know, you practice the yogas and the tantric arts, like, the more like, refining of your energy you get, the more.

Yeah.

You start to feel the subtle energies in existence. So you can just feel like, yeah, it's fine. But then once you start to kind of sensitize a bit more and, like, start to tune into.

Yes.

Slowing down and feeling the subtle energies, you do actually feel these rhythms and I would suggest for women, you know, to track their periods. So when they. Yeah, like the 28 day cycle or 30 day cycle, whatever your cycle is like every day just writing down, journaling, like how you feel that day and really, you know, taking the time, being honest with how you feel and noticing how your moods change, how your physical body feels different. Because it does, you know, it's. We're not like flatline. Like the feminine is the cycles, you know, she's like nature. So the masculine is more that sun energy, straight. Like they still have moods and fluctuations, but our hormones literally, like biologically ours go in a full like peak and trough, like really spike up and down. Whereas the men's hormones are more flatline.

Right. And 24 hours circadian for the men. And we are more like the lunar cycle.

Yeah, exactly. So when we're ovulating, you know, that's when we're at our peak. Like that's when we're in the Yang phase the most. Like our hormones are at their peak so we're more outward at that point. And then when we're bleeding, that's when our hormones are at their lowest levels. So that's when we're in the yin phase and more inward. And you know, as you start to like, yeah, take note of this, you start to kind of realize, oh yeah, like I do feel more, you know, I just want to be alone when I'm bleeding or when I'm ovulating. I'm like just out there and I'm on a mission and I'm doing my thing in the world, you know.

So can you tell us like how we can arrange our schedules to be in tune with our menstrual cycles?

Yeah, so like I teach with the menstruation magic work. So yeah. Understanding the four phases of the cycle. So there's four weeks, you know, obviously in the menstrual cycle if you're on a 28 day approximate. So the four phases, understanding what they.

Are and can you tell us what they are?

Yeah, so the first week is day one to seven. So that's when you're bleeding. So this would be like the winter phase or the. Yeah, that like inward priestess energy phase. Or if you're looking at goddesses, like Saraswati, you know, in Ayurveda is actually, you know, the vata. So I'm sure you.

So they would consider vata when you're bleeding?

Yeah, like that's.

Yeah, because I would think it's like when you're like out doing all of.

These things when you're bleeding?

No, when your vata would be like more of a ovulation or a luteal phase. That's how I would imagine my. In my mind, I would feel like when I'm bleeding, I'm kapha.

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah, that's interesting. Yeah, it's just like one perspective. It's more like. Yeah, like what I feel, I feel very like. Because the veil is so thin when I'm bleeding.

You feel your most creative.

Yeah.

And really, like, because you are very sensitive energetically and your aura is very, very large when you're bleeding. You know, that's why women aren't allowed in like, you know, group ceremonies and in many temples because of that reason. It's like, because their energy field is so strong, it's like affecting the group prayers and the group ceremony space. So they need to be connecting in with their channel and collecting information, you know, for how they can serve the community and their families and their work. So that first week when you're bleeding because of that, that energy is very. Yeah, like that yin phase, like really internal. Taking that time, especially the first two days, to really just be with yourself and listen and create that space. Yeah, listening what's happening in your body. Listen to the messages and the inspiration that's coming through. Because you're so sensitive at that time, like energetically, as I said, the veil is thin, you know, between your spirit and physical and.

Yeah.

And so then after that week, you know, day seven to 14, this is when we move into the second phase. So the second week that would be, you know, when the hormones start to pick up and it's the, like the spring phase. So you know, it's like after the winter, you've gone into the hibernation, then you start to come out and these like fresh ideas have started to bloom from whatever inspiration you got from that first week. Yeah. So really like taking advantage of that week to. And because your hormones are rising up, the left and right hemispheres of the brain are balancing and quite balanced. So it's a good time to be doing a lot of analytical thinking stuff. So research. And so if you've got any ideas in the first week, that would be the week, the second week to research them and not fully actioning yet, but just researching things. And then so after that week we move into the third week, which is like day 14 to 21. So around day 12 to 15, 16, that's when you're ovulating. If you're on a 28 day cycle, and so that's when your hormones are at their peak, and that's when your energy's at its peak. And, yeah, it's that summer phase this week. It's like you're out in the world. This is when you've got the most energy. You're out doing your thing, the most Yang energy, really taking advantage of that week. Yeah. Like, you know, any speaking engagements, any, like, workshops or retreats I'm running, I always kind of plan it to be that week because that's when I'm, like, on point and really, like, you know, communication is the most.

Would that be like the Durga?

Yeah, the Durga. Like warrior. Warrior. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, from day seven to 21, it's. It's meant to be like, kapha. Like that. Yeah, A grounded energy.

Yeah.

And then, like, the last week of the cycles. So day 21 to, like, just before you bleed.

Right.

So 28. 21 to 28, that's the season of autumn. So it's like, you know, as your womb is starting to shed, if you don't get pregnant, obviously the womb lining is starting to shed. And obviously what is like, wanting to be released and shed emotionally and energetically is also starting to fall away. And so, you know, autumn, like, it's when the leaves are falling and dying to be reborn. And so with this phase, it's like, it's said to be like, the pitta phase is the fire. Like, the transformation is, like, meant to be happening now.

So would that be Kali?

Yeah, Kali phase. So it's like, bringing in that energy of transformation. Like, Kali is all about, like, shedding, slaying, like, the ego slaying, releasing what's not serving you anymore. And so, you know, they call it, like, this syndrome, but it's like pms, but it's actually not a syndrome. It's like the most powerful time of our month as women that we really get to actually embody this shamanic death and rebirth. Like, we're dying, like, to an old part of ourself. Our womb is, like, releasing. So the next month we can rebirth, literally ourselves into, you know, more of our higher self and more in alignment with what we're here to actually do and from, like, the soul space. And so this week is really, really powerful. And this is what I teach, like, with a lot of the emotional alchemy and the inner child work, these processes of, like, holding space for yourself, navigating the shadow, the things that are coming up from that week. Because if you notice, if you start to track it, and take note. You notice that, like, it's usually similar themes that come each premenstrual phase. It's like, because it's. Yeah. Until you really look at it, it's just gonna keep popping up, you know, and then once you've fully face it, go into it, then it's. Yeah. Dissolves. So true. Yeah, like, I've noticed that. Just like, oh, okay, this is the same thing. Some, like, not really, like, going into this. The root of it, you know, and then once you do, it's like, once I did, it's like, yeah, it's gone. So it doesn't have that hold over me anymore for sure.

Yeah. I think that for a lot of us, like, maybe we don't realize, but the same things are coming up at certain times. Like, I, like this week is I'm in my fall phase of letting go, and I'm like, oh, my God. I'm like, I'm just realizing all of these things that I've been kind of doing, but, like, dealing with that actually, like, are not serving me or annoying me. Just like, you know, being on social media, the influx of messages and the influx of emails and comments and like, like, I deal with it, but I've been realizing it's just so not serving me. And like, so recently I've been been. I, like, announced. I'm like, I'm not responding to all of these personal questions and DMS and stuff. Like, I have my frequently asked questions here, like, refer to that. So I'm. And this comes up for me a lot. But this time it's like, very in my face. So I'm wondering if it's like every, like, luteal phase that it's like, okay, shed, shed, shed. So I'm gonna keep. I have the daisy, which is the thermometer to track your ovulation, which is an amazing tool. Have you heard of it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It basically will tell you once you start using it regularly, it tracks, like, to the, like, second decimal of what your temperature is. So it will tell you exactly, like, what are your, like, red light and green light days. And green lights are days that you could have unprotected sex and you're not gonna get pregnant because you're not ovulating or near that window. And then your red light are the days that you might be. So it's like a really simple tool because I used to try to write down my temperature every day and track it, but I would never keep up with it. With this, you just take your temper and it tells you.

Yeah, that's good.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's amazing. And that's the thing, like, once you get also more aware of your own body and your cycles, it's like you don't need to be on the pill and these artificial because it's like you can actually. I can actually feel when I'm ovulating now and you know, the women I work with, it's like your discharge changes.

Yeah.

And you know, like, like every woman should track their cycle. Like, you know, I suggest getting these apps. There's so many apps you can get, like, so track, you know, when you're bleeding and then it sends you a notification you're ovulating now, you know, so it's like so easy now with all this technology and just knowing your own body as well. It's like, oh, yep, I can feel like I'm a bit bloated now or like discharge. So it's like I'm ovulating. It's all about bringing more body awareness, more self awareness.

Have you heard of Adaptogens? I mean, if you're listening to the Higher Self podcast, probably, but have you actually tried them and used them as part of your daily life? Well, if not, I have the exact solution for you. It is called we are Rasa, a coffee alternative made with seven Adaptogens and two mushrooms. This adaptogenic blend is absolutely delicious. I've been having it with my breakfast, with lunch, in between meals, with dinner, and it essentially gives your body what you need need, providing you with stable, calm energy without any caffeine in the morning, but also helping you sleep at night. And this is the beauty of Adaptogens, which I talk about with the founder of Rasa lopa on episode 133, adaptogens 101. You've gotta listen to that episode. But Adaptogens give your body exactly what you need. So they are very intelligent herbs and work differently on your body at different times of the day. So whether you're looking for hormonal balance, anti stress, adrenal fatigue, whatever it is, Adaptogens will provide it with. You got to love these herbs. So head over to wearesa.com eat feel fresh for 20% off your blend of rasa. Again, head over to wearesa r.com eat feel fresh for 20 percent off your rasa coffee. So what do you notice in your body when you are ovulating?

Yeah, it's like just lots and lots of energy. So, yeah, I've got like so much energy and yeah, like the discharge, like there's it's thicker. And I also feel like in my ovaries, like which one it's coming out of.

Wow.

Yeah, yeah.

And I'll get like. So this month there was, it was in my left. There was a lot of activity. And then I got like some pimples on the left chin, you know, that area of the ovaries. So there was a lot of stuff happening in the left ovary this month. Normally it's the right. So something different was happening.

That's so fascinating. You could tell which side.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm sure if we all tune in, we can do that.

Yeah, yeah.

So I'd love to know more about what about women who don't get their periods regularly. They have longer cycles or it's just, it's not the same. How can they do this?

Yeah.

So I mean, if you don't have a cycle, if you're menopause or just if it's gone missing, if you've just come off the pill, that's usually a time when it leaves. Mine didn't come for a year and a half after I got off the pill because it has to adjust. I just suggest to work with the moon cycles. So when it's the full moon, just act as if that's your ovulation time. Because it's kind of like when most women were either ovulating on the full or new moon. So that full moon where there's. Is when the light in the sky is the most bright and there's a lot of energy. So if you pretend that you're ovulating then, and then when it's the new moon, that's when you're bleeding phase. So kind of going into your own little retreat space just for a couple of days around the new moon. And even if you're not bleeding, just like taking that time that you would do if you were bleeding, like reflection, self reflection, like journaling, you know, take yourself on a mini retreat for like one or two days. So yeah, that's. I find that's really beautiful. And that I did that for that year and a half that I wasn't bleeding. And then. Or for the last kind of five months of that year and a half and it synchronized straight up with the moon after I started doing that, like just practicing with the moon, then it came like on the sixth month. So.

So what about if your period is not synced with the moon? Does that mean there's an imbalance going on?

No, like I don't like to. Because then women can get really like, oh, is there something wrong with me? Because I'm not at the moon? And it's not about that. It's just like, yeah, you know, in. In the olden days, they talk about that. It's like in. When all women were living in nature, in villages, we would all be synchronized with nature, so we would naturally, you know, adjust with the moon cycles. And I. I feel, you know, that is the way we should be living, like, in accordance to nature. Obviously. It's like the Ayurveda teachings. It's like the Dao. Everything has just come back to the way of nature. And so until then, I mean, there's nothing wrong with women if they're not. It's just like, yeah, don't hold that, like, guilt or shame around, because that's gonna, like, create the opposite effect in your body.

Totally.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, I've definitely been like, oh, why aren't I in sync? And I have, like, I've spoken about this on my podcast. When I got off the plane, I didn't have my period for two years. And it was also because of. I was very vata. Vata imbalance in a relationship that wasn't serving me. My body didn't want to reproduce and, like, practicing a lot of Ashtanga yoga, which is a very masculine practice. So, yeah, my femininity essentially just, like, shut down.

Yeah.

And it's also, you know, it can be in times of really strong spiritual energies because your blood is like your life force energy. So if you'll lose. If you need that energy for, like, other pursuits, like you need it for spiritual surges through your body or, like, creative energy, if you're a phase in your life where you're needing to use that energy for other things, then it can stop in a way. And so it's. I've kind of been looking at it from that perspective, like, yeah, maybe it's just these times, because when I look back on that time when I came off the pill as well, it was like a time of huge awakening and changing my path radically. So it's like my body needed that energy to do what I needed to do, and then it came back. So, yeah, just for women who don't have a period, if they come off the pill, just know that there's nothing wrong with you. Like, it will come back. It adjusts when it's ready, and just like, maybe it just. You need that energy at this point of your life to just keep it for your creative energy, your spiritual energy.

Yeah, that's a really good perspective. I haven't heard of that before. I remember when I wasn't getting my period, I would go on these like raw vegan forums and they were like, if you don't have your period, that means you're at like the heightened state of purity. And like, yeah, women and tribes in Africa don't get their period because it's so. They're so pure. So I was like, oh, really? So do you think that that's the case or do you think that that is maybe because of the actual malnourishment that is going on there?

Well, yeah, I mean there could be two things. Like, yeah, if you're underweight, obviously, you know, it stops because yeah, you don't have enough energy to reproduce a child. So you're holding on to that life force energy for yourself. But also. Yeah, I believe, I mean for myself and with women I work with, like over time doing these like clearing practices, looking at like the things that are coming up from the subconscious over time, like the blood gets like less lighter and lighter. Like so I bleed for one day now and there's no problems with my iron or any, you know, anything with blood levels or vitamins. It's purely that, like, I know it's that it's because I've done so much conscious work with like clearing the stuff that yeah, I don't need to lose all that life force anymore. Like, I'm also doing the tantric practices like recirculating my life force energy every month. So every day you're using 40% of your energy to produce eggs. Every day is like 40% of your life force energy is being used to that. So if we're not circulating that through our body with like practices like you know, tantric practices, breathing yoga, then your periods are going to be heavier because all the energy is just getting stuck there and it's not being redistributed through your body. So these practices help. Yeah, like diminish like the period, but like it's more like about, yeah, retaining your life force energy because you don't want to be leaking out. It's like a man. Same as their semen. If they're ejaculating like five times a day, they're going to have no energy. And if we're bleeding so much, then that's why, you know, you're losing all that life force energy. So we need to be circulating it through our body.

So do you think women who, because I know some women have like eight day heavy periods, is it like, their body just has a lot that they're trying to release.

Yeah, that and. Yeah. And probably just not. You're having a practice around circulating that energy. Yeah.

Yes. One of the practices that I learned, it's a Taoist practice from my yoni yoga teacher. It was called the upward draw.

Yeah.

And so you kind of like, it's not like a kegel. Like, it starts like one, but then you work upwards, like the inner vaginal walls and, like, all the way up. And you synchronize it with the breath to literally kind of like scoop the energy up the body. And another one was this breath that kind of moves, like circular from your back to your front.

Yeah.

So can you explain some Tantric practices or Taoist practices that people can do at home?

Yeah, like, that's two of them. Like, basically the main one I share is that is the circulating one. It's the ovarian breathing. So drawing the energy from your ovaries into the base of your spine and then breathing it up the back of your spine into your tongue, like the roof of your mouth. Like, this is where, like, that circuit seals and then drawing it back down the front of your body. So you know that simple ovary breathing. So it's like building the energy in your ovaries and then like taking it into the base of the spine and breathing it up your spine and back down.

So you start. So you start with your ovaries, then you bring it down to the base of your spine, and then you would bring it up your spine, then over, through. Over your head, third eye. And you put the tongue on the top of the mouth.

Yeah.

So, guys, you put your tongue on your top of your mouth. Like you're like.

Yeah.

And then breathe down. So do you do this all in one breath or how do you do it?

I usually just so place my hands over my worm, like in the downward triangle. And breathe. So breathe in and just start to build the energy in your womb. So bring awareness. And that's where your pinkies are, is that of your ovaries. So it's kind of like breathing the energy into the ovaries Kind of.

Yeah.

Your awareness and energy. Like, building the energy and then imagining or visualizing that once you've kind of built that energy through the ovaries, drawing it down into your tailbone, into the base of the spine, and then inhale up the back of the spine, tongue onto the roof of mouth, and then exhale out your nose and draw it down the front of your body back into the Tailbone. So it's like you're building it, building it through the ovaries. Draw it out and then circulate it through. So that's like.

Do you call it the cosmic orbit? I think that's what she would. Yeah, yeah. So if you guys Google cosmic orbit breath, you'll probably find tutorials. I always found it really hard because I'm such a chakra person that whenever I breathe up, I just want to breathe up through the front of my body, through the chakras because I'm just so used to it. So the moving down and backwards and up over my head was like I was losing sight of the energy, you know?

Yeah, yeah.

And there's also, you know, the practices like, I mean, the Kundalini yoga practices are all about drawing the energy up, you know, circulating. So Kundalini yoga is amazing. Yoga in general, I mean, that's just like what yoga is all about is just awakening the chakras, moving the energy through the body. And then another is the jade egg practice. That's, you know, I teach that as well.

Yeah.

For women as another supporting to really, you know, help clear stuff. Anything that's in the. In the womb, in the yoni and also. Yeah. Bring that awareness to that mula bandha, you know, the pulse of the PC muscles, which, you know, if we have like weak PC muscles, then that vital energy, our life force energy is going to be leaking out. So the jadec helps tone those muscles, not tighten them, but tone them. Like, you know, you tone your muscles like lean muscles so then that energy is contained and it's not getting leaked out every day. So jade egg is really powerful for that. And even just mula bandha practice, like doing when you're sitting in the car. So mulabandha for anyone who's listening is just that. Yeah. Like squeezing for women, like you'd be squeezing like a pee, like you on the toilet, like weeing and you're just squeezing, stop and then release, stop and release. So it's like sucking up the sex organs. That is really powerful, you know, just to tone that whole area and bring awareness to that area even, you know.

And I've also heard that you shouldn't be doing these exercises while you're bleeding because you don't want to be moving up that time. And they even say don't even practice yoga, like especially the first day or two. Don't do anything that you're upside down. Like, really let the energy move downwards.

Yeah, exactly.

Like, yeah, especially first two days, just shavasana or like just hip openers. I feel really just to like, you know, circulate. Like I tend to just do more like dance on those two days. Like circular movements through the hips.

Yes, yes.

Get the blood flowing, shaking, that helps also just move any.

And I feel like that's like the next phase of what yoga is going to look like. Because a lot of the yoga that we practice is so masculine and structured and there's like no hip movement. And you see a lot of these like super hardcore yogi women turn almost like super masculine and because, you know, yoga originated as a practice for like young pre pubescent boys to like keep their hormones down so they can really sit in true asana and sit in stillness. So I feel like the next phase of yoga is going to be bringing in that shakti and that like creative movement and flowing and like, you know, using your arms and your eye expressions and like bringing that element in.

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Yes. So I'd love to also talk about jtag because a lot of people in the US have heard about it. They're not really sure is it, how does it work? So can you tell us a little bit about that?

Yeah.

So it's just a semi precious stone. So the jade, it's nephrite jade.

And do you recommend always starting with jade or obsidian?

Yeah, I just come from more of like the traditional practices and just what I've resonated with. And it's usually starting with jade because black obsidian is very strong. You know, it's like usually start with the J that's more of a balancing neutral and then go into black obsidian, like for deeper work, you know. Yeah. So it's, it's a stone that you insert into your vagina or your yoni. And you.

Do you recommend they start with the drilled one so they could put the floss in?

Yeah.

Yes. Yeah, for sure. Just until you get the hang of it. Because it can be a bit scary, like, oh, where's it gone? But it can't get lost.

Obviously I still use the one with the floss. I'm scared.

Yeah, I know.

The first time I, I was like, I thought it was like, I'm going to the hospital.

What am I going to explain to them? There's a crystal in my vagina right now.

Yeah, yeah.

So you just insert it and, and even just meditating with it to begin can be really powerful. Just doing some mulabanda practices and just meditating. Because even what I've noticed is just having it in with an intention and you know, setting an intention of what you're working with when you insert the egg is important. So what you want to release or what you want to clear or heal, you know, and just meditating, when you meditate with it, it's doing little micro mula bandhas anyway. Like just really subtle micro mula bandhas just by sitting with it. And that is very powerful in itself. And then moving into some basic practices, you know, some basic yoga practices that are all around like toning the pelvic floor and you know, like leg lifts and cat and cow spinal flexors. That helps really move the energy. So, you know, I teach a lot of that in my online course and in my retreats and stuff.

Yeah.

And so it's like, it's just a really powerful way to just like bring awareness to your yoni. Love your yoni. And so yoni is the Sanskrit word for vagina. I don't know who's listening.

Yeah.

What's a yoni? Yeah, so yeah, to just bring awareness to yoni. Love your yoni. And like, and also to really.

Yeah.

Tone the pelvic floor and circulate this vital energy, this life force energy through our bodies. This is like our, you know, power source that we can't be just leaking it out and not have any awareness around.

Yeah, totally. Yeah. I mean, it's in charge of our creativity, our abundance, our sense of pleasure. Like all of the things that we want more of stems from this one area. And we're so afraid of activating it because we're. It's like almost like the black magic that's been done around it. Like using the sexuality in dark ways that we're like afraid of the power that the yoni really has. And when you can like harness that and anchor it in and like use it for like your creative potential. It's. I mean, I talk about like manifesting through orgasm. Like all of these things are like powers never waste an orgasm. Like, there's so much potential in there.

Yeah, exactly. It's like, you know, we're creating life with this energy and through that portal of our womb. So. Yeah, it's exactly that. It's like, so what are you focusing your attention on, you know, and what are you creating? If we're creating from a muddled womb space, like with. Filled with our traumas and all these negative belief systems, then we're just going to be creating more of that in our lives. So if we work with the menstruation, work with like.

Yeah.

Like healing some of these root cause Traumas and circulating our own energy, we start to, yeah, become that full vessel for our higher self to create through our womb space, what we're here to create and birth in this world, not only children, but like what we're here to birth. Creative projects and, yeah, our reality.

Absolutely. So what would, like, a practice, like a morning practice or something look like for healing the womb?

Yeah, just bringing your awareness to your womb. Like, just really keep it simple. Just taking your hands over your womb. Like even if you've, you know, you wake up in the morning, if you do yoga and then go into Shavasana or if you just wake up and just want to just go into Shavasana or meditation, just placing your hands over your womb and breathing in and expanding your womb, really taking deep belly breaths. You know, most of us don't breathe that deep. Like everyone's just breathing very, very lightly. And so our nervous systems are fried, basically. So that deep belly breath, like a baby does, you know, it settles the nervous system. And when your nervous system settled, that energy can flow freely through you. And so, yeah, breathing into your womb, breathing into your belly, expanding it and exhaling out your mouth, like so, really just coming into the body, deep into the body, into the womb. And that in itself is clearing. You know, it's breathing, it's sounding, it's moving. So that's really simple practice that anyone can do.

I love that. And something that we can all just do right now while we're listening to this podcast.

Yeah.

Okay. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for sharing all this incredible womanly arts with us. And where can listeners connect with you, join your programs and retreats.

Yeah. So you can follow me on Instagram. So I'm Tantric Alchemy on Instagram and my website is tantricalchemy.net also I've got a retreat coming up in Thailand in December called the Dance of Shakti. So that's, you know, bringing in the womb practices and also, yeah, the feminine tantric arts and the embodiment of like the, the feminine archetypes through, yeah, Tantric goddess deities and. Yeah, just really deep, creative, like, yeah, epic work.

So, yes, that sounds amazing. Well, thank you so much for your work and for sharing this out there in the world. It's so needed that women are just awakening to right now. And I'm so excited to see, like, what's going to happen with all of these empowered womb mans who are like just rocking it and the world is going to be such a more balanced place for both men and women.

Yeah. Yeah.

Well, thank you. Namaste. Wow. That is an episode you may want to go back and listen to. To take some notes, especially the seasons and what that's saying about our menstrual cycle. I absolutely love that because sometimes when you're thinking, oh, am I in the follicular ph or ovulation stage or luteal phase or menstruation? It's so scientific. And I think instead looking at, I'm in my summer right now. Oh, I'm in my spring, I'm in my fall, I'm in my winter. That just makes so much more sense on an intuitive level. And I love correlating with the doshas too, which we talked about. But I definitely find that menstruation, when you're really out there, that Durga energy, that is very pitta. Whereas when you're menstruating and you're inwards, that is very kapha, but also lakshmi, because it is fertility. The fact that you're menstruating is a sign. Sign that you are fertile. So that's what it feels like to me. And then I see the follicular phase, especially being vata, because it is when you're sparking with new ideas, new interests, you're kind of like the sprouting flower doing things. And then the luteal phase, which is after your ovulation, when you're going into your menstruation, that is sort of like a saraswati, but more of an internal, deeper one with the shadows. So, again, we can all have our own interpretations of it, but that's how I see it. And the fun thing about intuition and connecting with your body is there's no right or wrong answer. And I think think we need more of that. We need less of the duality and more of, like, what does the period feel like for you? What do you feel like? I mean, I know some women are hornier than ever on their periods, and I know some women who refuse to have sex on their period. So it's so different. It's so bio individual, and that's the beauty of it. So thank you, Nadine of Tantric alchemy. Be sure to connect with her. If you loved this episode, I would love to send you a free gift, which is the first half of my eat right for your mind body type ebook. This is an unreleased book, different from my book Eat, Feel fresh. All you gotta do is leave a review on itunes, take a screenshot before you hit send, and send that screenshot to me at Sahara S a H A r a@eatfeelfresh.com and I will send you back the first half of my unreleased book Eat right for your mind body type Namaste.

Dancing.