I dream. You dream. Let’s dream together.

Martin Luther King proclaimed, “I have a dream” and led a revolutionary movement that changed a nation’s and people’s history.

And he also said, “Now is the time.”

I share with you that I too have a dream.

My dream is that EVERY single young girl and woman be honored and encouraged to take a day of restorative rest, ease and comfort on the first day of her period.

This in no way signals weakness but rather honors the cyclical nature of women that ebbs and flows like the tides, like the changes of the moon and the seasons of the Earth.

Women are not separate from nature in this way, but rather a profound part of it.

In what has been a predominantly masculine driven world, many women have lost this powerful connection with their bodies. And I was one of them.

Take note, the expansive masculine energy is very positive and heightened at the beginning of a new cycle.

But when it is not retired so that the nurturing feminine energy can also flow, physical and emotional disturbances are manifested.

And this is the root of so much hormonal imbalance and menstrual and reproductive dysfunction.

To live in a world where people support each other’s well being in community…

Where the elders pass down their traditions and teachings to the young…

Where both the divine masculine and divine feminine in each person are fostered and permitted to grow without judgement or impositions…

This would be a dream come true to me.

And all of this is not so far off.

For thousands of years, indigenous cultures and our ancestors practiced such a lifestyle.

So this is an invitation to return to the basics, to return to our essence.

Most of us have probably heard comments such as “She’s so moody. She’s probably on the rag!”

Such comments have penetrated the fabric of our modern society casting a shadow on the sacredness and importance of cycling through each phase of the menstrual cycle and allowing the body proper rest, especially during the first day of a woman’s period.

Anita Diamant’s bestselling novel, The Red Tent depicts a practice where women take rest in a red tent and help each other in sisterhood and community during their moon time. This practice is accepted and respected by the entire community and served better as a result.

For many women, during the first day of their period, they feel low on energy and less focused. Many even experience acute pain, cramps, migraines and nausea. 70% of women in the US, experience harsh symptoms and PMS, according to Dr. Mark Hyman.

Working and carrying on like it’s just another typical day when it’s not just any other day, only perpetuates the cycle of pain and discomfort.

And usually, everyone around them is affected by their mood as well.

If a woman has a regular period, this would ONLY be one day a month at minimum. That’s just 12 days a year!

It doesn’t seem like much to allow for and yet make such a positive impact on quality of life, productivity and compassion in the world.

At the Akila Yoga Wellness Center in Panama that I own with my husband, we encourage the women on our staff to track their cycles, understand their bodies and plan to take the first day of their period off to rest and restore at home.

As we approach Thanksgiving, if you’re feeling charitable, if you share this dream of mine and if you want to contribute to such a movement, please visit Days For Girls International, a non profit organization that has a mission to “empower girls and women worldwide to have access to sustainable quality feminine hygiene, health, education and dignity by 2022.”

A small donation of just $10 provides a washable feminine hygiene kit a young girl can use for up to 3 years!

$10 also buys you an organic green juice. Some perspective.

Click here to donate. Just $10 bucks.

I invite you to dream with me… and as Gandhi famously said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

And share this vision with your daughters, nieces, sisters, mothers and all the women in your life.

With love + gratitude,
Tisha

Tisha Lin is the Creator of Pleasurable Periods, a blending of both science and spirituality that invites ease, connection and flow in a woman’s body and her life. She is also a Certified Holistic Health Coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Tisha connects with women from all over the world, leads group programs, teaches workshops and hosts retreats. She believes deeply in creating community and change in the world through empowering women to embrace their cyclical nature. Together with her husband, she also owns the Akila Yoga Wellness Center in Panama.