Cycles… Ladies, this one is for you ❣️(gentlemen, this is for the women in your life)

Seasons.

Cycles.

Rhythms.

.. Flow.

They are foundational.

Nature moves in seasons and cycles.

Our bodies move in seasons and cycles.

There is a rhythm and a flow to all things in balance.

When flow is stagnated or rhythm is disrupted, we feel it.

We feel it when it occurs in Nature.

We feel it when it occurs in our Communities.

We feel it when it occurs within our own bodies.

Although I could go in numerous directions with this thought of rhythms and cycles, I would like to go in the direction of cycling women today.

*I understand that there is a good possibility that you fall into one of two groups: you’re not female or you’re a female who is no longer in your fertile/cycling years. Even if you find yourself in one category or the other, I encourage you to read on - I am sure you have a female in your life who is in her cycling years and this may be exactly what she needs.

The menstrual cycle is a gift.

The human race wouldn’t exist without it, afterall.

And yet so many women see their menstrual cycles as a nuisance at best and horrendously dreadful at worst.

Even more, so many women go through their fertile years unaware of what is happening within their bodies and are therefore often unable to trust the innate rhythm of their body and hormones.

So many women don’t know…

That there is so much more to their menstrual cycle than the week they bleed.

That there is only a short window each month in which they can conceive.

That they can confirm whether or not they’ve ovulated at home, without any expensive test strips.

That ovulation is for all cycling women, regardless if they desire to bear a child.

…That their menstrual cycle carries wisdom and that symptoms are messages.

The menstrual cycle is a gift.

I dream of a community in which pre/young teens learn about their bodies and their cycles in a way that prepares them for their teenage years and beyond.

I dream of a community in which women in their peak fertile years understand their cycle well enough that they feel empowered, regardless if they choose conception or contraception.

I dream of a community in which women have access to resources and practitioners who can support them when their cycle is out of sync in any way.

In elementary and middle school, I vaguely recall having special one-off health classes which were intended to educate us on our menstrual cycle. Although I don’t remember much about them, I do remember that they generally felt overwhelming, impersonal, and (as I eventually started my menstrual cycle) incomplete.

Despite being an attentive student, these classes didn’t even come close to preparing me. I still had so many questions - most of which I didn’t have the words for, especially in my teen years.

If any of this resonates with you (or you think would resonate with someone you care about), I invite you to join me at Understanding and Tending the Rhythm of the Menstrual Cycle on February 26th, 2026 at 6:00pm in Mankato.

Within this offering, we gather as women to discuss and lean into the rhythms and wisdom that is the menstrual cycle. We will explore the menstrual cycle from a scientific lens as well as from an embodied lens - as each perspective offers its own value in better understanding our bodies and our cycles.

In addition to diving deep into the phases and flow of the menstrual cycle, we will discuss how to track one’s cycle, foundational nutritional components, and how herbs can be supportive.

It is out of my own journey with my menstrual cycle as well as the journeys of so many women I’ve worked with that this offering was created. I wish there were an offering such as this one I could have attended years ago, but what an honor it is getting to hold space for other women now.

-:-:-

… And just as a woman does not bleed forever, neither does winter last.

The cycle must continue, Spring must come.

I hope you and your loved ones are well. Do remember to get some sun on your face, the warmth and the light of the sun seems to be (slowly) growing by the day now.

~ Kara