Does It Matter If You Get Your Period During The New Moon or Full Moon?

November 18, 2017

Because of the New Moon happening tonight I thought I'd address a question that comes up for so many women in my community:

What if my period doesn't come during the New Moon? OR...What if it comes during the Full Moon instead?

So when you hear me talking about the elements, the seasons, and the menstrual cycle, you might notice that I talk about the New Moon energy aligning with the "Menstruation" or "Period" phase of the menstrual cycle.

This is because, historically, the majority of women would get their periods around the New Moon. For thousands of years we cycled with the moon because we didn't have the kinds of things that throw us out of sync with nature like we do today:

Artificial lights. Tall buildings blocking the moonlight. Screens from our electronic devices. Our stressful lifestyles. And even the traditional 9-5 workday (more about this another day).

But because we have all of those things today, in addition to all of the synthetic hormones we're constantly exposed to now, some of use rarely sync up with the new moon when it comes to our periods.

However, I will say this: it kind of doesn't matter.

YES, it does feel good to know when you're perfectly synced up with the moon. The energy feels congruent. But, with that said, as long as you have a regular cycle (meaning your cycle is around the same number of days each month - and the average cycle is between 25-31 days - and it comes without complications) then you really have nothing to worry about.

If you have wild fluctuations in the number of days your cycle lasts, your period doesn't come at all, or you have severe symptoms - then there may be some other possibilities to look at such as pregnancy, endometriosis, PCOS, or perimenopause.

I don't always sync up with the moon. My cycle is usually about 26 days long and the moon cycle is a full 28 days, so I may get my period on the New Moon this month, but 6 months from now I'll get my period on the Full Moon.

Let's talk more about menstruating on the Full Moon.

Back in the day, women who normally bled during the Full Moon (or the "Red Moon" as it's often called, while bleeding on the New Moon is called the "White Moon") were thought to be on a different journey than other women who bled on the New Moon.

Red Moon women were considered to be healers and helpers and rather than dedicating their lives to bearing and raising children they were driven by healing and empowering the community. And, they would facilitate Red Tent ceremonies to help the other women who came together to menstruate during the New Moon (see the Red Tent Yoga Nidra practice here).

Both of these feminine energies were celebrated in different ways. One woman (the White Moon woman) was celebrated as a representation of the fertile Mother earth. The other woman (the Red Moon woman) was celebrated as a representation of spirit and medicine — shamanism. It's important to note that neither was, or is, better than the other, but had different intentions.

Additionally, because our intentions change throughout our lives (sometimes our intention is to heal. Sometimes our intention is to bare children. Other times our intention is to self-explore) our menstrual cycles can change with our intentions.

So, if we DO want to cycle with the moon, what can we do to get back in sync with it?

Here are a few tips:

1. Spend more time in nature. This one is pretty self-explanatory. You know whether or not you're really getting outside into nature as much as you can. Practicing mindfulness by walking in green spaces or on beaches really helps. (Or join me for a forest bath event)

2. Assess your stress levels. If you have a ton of things going on and your cortisol levels are high, try doing what it takes for you to experience more rest, pleasure and play. Every day.

3. Sleep when it's dark. Rise with the sun. This isn't always possible for everyone during the winter months, or if you're a woman who works odd hours. But when you're in tune with your natural circadian rhythms you'll get back in sync with the moon.

4. Lights out. Screens off. Turn your screens off at least an hour before bed. Even better, don't have any electronic devices in the room with you while you’re asleep. Even better again, try not to use an alarm clock or any kind of electronic device to wake you up in the morning. Waking to the sounds of nature gets you back into rhythm with your natural cycles and feeling more alive.

5. Eat with the moon. The foods you eat affect your hormones and your hormones affect your period. When you eat healthy, whole foods, at certain times, you can get any potential period issues back to normal and start syncing up with the energy of the moon.

6. Get your lifestyle synced. If your period comes at random times or doesn't come at all, you can start by planning your life (and work) activities according to the moon phases. Because each phase of the moon has a different kind of energy and different daily, weekly, and seasonal activities are better for you during each of those phases.

If you're interested in getting your body (and your period) synced up with the 4 phases of the moon, this is something that I can help you with! Check out my Menstrual Moon Magic Bundle.

But for now, just know that your cycle is something magical and getting back in tune with your body and your own unique biorhythms, regardless of what the moon is doing, is the best thing you can do to start leveraging the benefits of each of the phases.

Korynn xx

THE ZEN FEMME™

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