The Cloak of Menstruation

I bet you’re wondering…

I’m happy I’m a woman. However, the build up between the 28 short days of each monthly cycle harbors so much more than I wish it did. Hormones run amuck, but regular life persists. There is a week (maybe two weeks) where I have a hollow leg. There is an entire week where I find I’m fatigued. My morning runs are sluggish, my energy fades every afternoon and I feel like a sloth acts (I’m not privy to how a sloth feels). The week where I want to rip someone’s face off is never the week my family loves. The arrival of the 7-9 days of the mighty flow, commonly referred to as the ‘blood volcano’, is the worst. This week, blood volcano week, has gotten progressively more intense with age. I want to hide under a cloak. None of it is my favorite. None. I wish I could make that one magical week, the “I’m feeling great and full of energy” week, mid-month, linger. I’m here to remove the cloak, and share some of my coping tools with you beautiful women.

Cramping is so unpleasant, I’m fortunate it only lasts a couple of days. I LOVE this homeopathic remedy called caulophyllum thalictroides. It relaxes my cramping and diminishes bloating to such a degree that I sometimes forget I even have my period. I find it at our local natural grocery store, but I’m sure there are a billion other sources. I’ll leave one here.

If you want to use essential oils to ease some of the discomforts, I have many suggestions. Dragon Time is my first pick. It is a blend of the following oils, Clary Sage, Fennel, Lavender, Marjoram, Yarrow and Jasmine. The Clary Sage, which you could use on its own (if you don’t care for the other oils in the blend), helps to balance hormones, eases cramp torture and PMS and can also help with circulation. Dragon Time has a potent aroma, but I’ve grown to really love it because of how good it makes me feel. I apply directly to my lower abdomen or lower back and sometimes use a heating pad to really drive it home. Other oils that I like to keep handy, for pain relief, are Frankincense, Lavender, and Roman Chamomile. The essential oil list is long for Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), and with differing body chemistry amongst women, there may be another oil that resonates better with you. By no means have I listed all of the oils that might work for you here. If you’d like more suggestions, feel free to contact me.

Valor is my favorite oil for PMS, anytime I’m feeling blue, and just keeping my being in balance. It makes me happy, confident, and I should really use it daily, but my brain can’t remember to do that. I feel like a million bucks when I remember to roll it on my neck though.

The cloak portion of this post was intended to be completely unrelated to the menstruation portion. I stitched up some cloaks for my boys for Halloween this year and I’m planning to make one for myself out of upcycled sweaters. Their cloaks were made from a green colored linen and this pattern.

We have a cloak on hand that I used to mimic the hood size, but the new cloaks both fit me. Simon wanted his to be a bit longer than his brother’s. They were so simple it seems a shame to not share, with those of you making cloaks (probably none of you). I found the pattern on Pinterest, and it linked here. I drew my outline freehand with chalk and cut, stitched and ironed hems. I used some gold thread on the hem and a funky elvish stitch to really spice it up. I put some buttons on the front of Gus’s and we’re waiting for the perfect buttons to come into our lives to adorn Simon’s. I spent a few evenings making costumes, but waited until the week of Halloween, time proves it really is a simple cloak.