My name is Alisha Emslie and I am a yoga teacher, a student of plants and a student of birth.
this is my period practice
I just started yoni steaming more regularly, as I've gotten more comfortable with my plants and herbs. I usually steam the week before my period 2-3 times, it's not recommended to steam while you are bleeding or if you are pregnant (@earthmamamedicine on instagram is a really amazing woman who teaches how to steam safely)
I'll intuitively pick out the plants that are calling to me, you can get different mixtures online or make your own but just make sure they are organic and you trust the source.
My cycle is also synced up with the moon so I bleed every new moon, it's so beautiful to realize how connected we are to nature.. once I made that connection I couldn't go back.
I started to get more comfortable with touching my own blood once I owned a diva cup, it got me interested and curious.. like my blood was some sort of health report every month and it could send me messages of what was going on inside. After getting pregnant on a copper iud and a few other experiences that left me feeling really out of touch with myself it was my mission to be knowledgable and in tune.
My mom had a midwife to deliver me and I honestly think that was the seed that started my whole path.. I've been fascinated with birth my whole life and hope to be a brith practitioner in some fashion. I've been lucky to learn yoga and be in the float community (sensory deprivation tanks) and the people in these communities have taught me so many ways to come home to yourself. These are just some things that work for me they help me feel connected and aligned so I can be my truest self in all ways.
into my practice..
I will set space by smudging or starting my diffuser, I chose a cinnamon stick for grounding and abundance today, make sure you have a window open if you are smudging so the energy has somewhere to go. After I've smudged I do a rapé session .. I was introduced to this amazonian snuff by a healer and I've found it to be super helpful in my practice. It clears your chakras and can help you release emotion, sometimes I cry or purge even.
"Rapé is the preparation of powdered medicinal herbs, often with a tobacco base. Hapé is typically made with mapacho - Hapé elicits a feeling of alertness and elevation that surpasses most other natural plant-based effects. " - https://natural-medicine.co/pages/what-is-hape
Then it's time to move my body, slow cat stretches and I usually refrain from inverting when I'm bleeding just to keep the natural flow of things. This woman I follow on instagram has playlists for each phase of your cycle and they are amazing (@flowwithyourflow) so I usually put one of those on and just move and sometimes journal in between.
I like to make myself a nice tea raspberry leaf to help with cramping, also raspberry leaf also has the magic of love and protection. I set an intention over it and for me it helps knowing what sign the moon is in, this month the new moon was in Gemini so I set my intention to enjoy being both introverted and extroverted in all the ways I express myself.
I like to have baths with my plants and herbs and usually a reusable tea bag will help you get all the magic with none of the mess haha. I have calendula to help with anxiety, lavender to be calm and relax, roses for love, and a bit of white angelic essential oil to protect my crown chakra. Deep breaths and thankful energy to the womb space.
I use a reusable pad (luna pads) but honestly these days at home have had me free bleeding and I love it. I rinse my pad or panties and use the water for my plants, I thank mama earth a let go of this cycle.
You are a different woman every day of your cycle, it's a blessing to get to know yourself intimately.
Love Alisha
