For centuries, the ancient Indian Ayurvedic system of holistic health has looked upon menstruation as something sacred and transformative. Far from being viewed as a monthly inconvenience, the menstrual cycle is seen as a vital expression of the basic life force of a woman: the cyclic dance of creation, purification, and renewal. The message of this view is one of nurturing and supporting women through their cycles, bends, and unique needs and challenges of these times.
Understanding the Ayurvedic Perspective on Menstruation
Ayurveda perceives the menstrual cycle to be under the control of the same three doshas understood to be at the fulcrum of their ancient wisdom—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The doshas represent energetic principles in the body that regulate a wide range of activities and affect our overall well-being.
Vata represents movement and controls the nervous system. During menstruation, vata is increased, leading to variations in mood, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
Pitta is related to fire and digestion. An imbalance in the pitta may cause more heat, inflammation, and irritability during menstruation.
Kapha is related to water and the structure of the body. When Kapha goes out of balance, bloating, fatigue, and feeling sluggish are common symptoms that arise.
Menstrual Problems in Women
Women generally experience a lot of problems caused by the menstrual period, and these interfere with their routine lives. Commonly, the ones told about are as follows:
Menstrual Cramps (Dysmenorrhea): These are uterine contractions that cause menstrual cramps and are thus painful. They are caused by the uterus due to the release of prostaglandins, which stimulate the uterine muscles to contract. For some women, they may be severe enough to inhibit a daily activity like missing school or work.
Heavy Bleeding (Menorrhagia): This excessive flow during periods is accompanied by conditions such as anemia, generalized weakness, and fatigue. Heavy bleeding is associated with the expulsion of large clots and often persists for more than seven days. Menorrhagia may be caused by hormonal imbalance, fibroids, polyps, or other systemic diseases. Women who experience menorrhagia often experience great discomfort, which, due to the need to change sanitary protection very frequently, disturbs normal activities.
Infrequent Menstruation (Oligomenorrhea): Irregular periods can hammer on worry and anxiety in a female, thus affecting her general personality. Numerous conditions may result in irregular periods. Some may be stressors, significant weight loss or gain, polycystic ovary syndrome, or thyroid problems. This may make it very hard to know when ovulation is going to take place, which will in turn affect fertility and even family planning.
PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome): With its arrival, one has to confront issues such as mood swings, irritability, and bloating, which really make it very hard to stick to a normal course of life. PMS is a cluster of physical and mental symptoms that arise during the luteal phase in women, just before menstruation. Breast tenderness, headaches, tiredness, food cravings, and changes in mood, typically depression or anxiety, are common complaints.
Menstrual migraines: These are some of the most unbearable headaches, directly connected with a woman's menstrual cycle. In most cases, the changing level of estrogen might be the root cause of these menstrual migraines. Quite often, they turn out to be of higher intensity compared to ordinary migraine attacks and may be joined by other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, or even sound intolerance. This can alter the comprehension level and day-to-day activities of a female significantly.
Ayurvedic Principles of Menstrual Wellness
Ayurveda looks more toward a holistic approach to menstrual health by focusing on:
Dietary Changes: A balanced diet, but preferably one with plenty of whole grains, fresh vegetables, and fruits, can balance hormonal changes and generally keep a person in good health. Warm, nourishing foods are especially good at this time of the month. For Vata imbalances, take warm soups and stews; for Pitta, even cooling foods like cucumbers and leafy greens; and for Kapha, light, dry foods like legumes and steamed vegetables.
Lifestyle Practices: Regular exercises, sufficient sleep, and stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises help balance the doshas and alleviate menstrual symptoms. Gentle yoga and meditation work very nicely for Vata pacification, while cooling pranayama practices work well for the pacification of Pitta. For Kapha, it is regular exercise.
Self-Care Rituals: Activities such as warm baths, soothing music, and being in nature evoke good feelings of relaxation and can help with emotional well-being. Such practices bring balance and de-stress, which is important in maintaining periods.
Nettle Leaf and the Magic of Healing During Periods
In fact, nettle leaf, also known as Urtica dioica, is one of the most helpful herbs in Ayurveda and holds within it an array of benefits for women. Here's how nettle leaf and nettle tea can enhance menstrual wellness and solve common menstrual problems:
Nutrient-Dense: The leaves of the nettle have long been regarded as a rich source of vital vitamins and minerals. Iron fights anemia and related tiredness, which has become quite prevalent in women losing a lot of blood during their periods. Magnesium relaxes the muscles, relieving cramps and spasms. Vitamins A, C, and K foster good health and wellness.
Anti-inflammatory Properties: Nettle exerts a natural anti-inflammatory effect over menstrual pain and discomfort. This herb helps reduce menstrual cramps, pain in the lower abdominal area, and endometriosis.
Purification of blood: It is said to purify blood and thus support the proper functioning of the liver. It balances the hormonal level in the body and promotes healthy blood flow during menstruation. It promotes healthy blood circulation to its authorities, allowing proper oxygen and nutrition supply.
Balances Hormone: Nettle leaves balance hormones and support the nervous system. They regulate the cycles and reduce the symptoms of PMS, which include mood swings, irritability, and bloating.
Uterine Health: Nettle generalizes a uterine tonic, which strengthens the uterus and supports reproductive health and function. It allows for the rebuilding of the uterine lining after menstruation.
Menstrual Migraines: The anti-inflammatory constituents of nettle tea help in reducing both the intensity and frequency of menstrual migraines; hence, it is a natural way to seek relief from headaches.
How to Consume Nettle Leaves in Your Daily Life
Steep nettle leaves in hot water for 4-5 minutes. They can be consumed regularly for good health. It can also be added to soups, stews, and other dishes after cooking.
Ref: How to make nettle leaf tea? Buy dried nettle leaves online
Make Ayurveda your ally for period problems.
Bring into reality a healthy, balanced menstrual cycle by applying Ayurvedic principles to your lifestyle and integrating powerful herbs like nettles leaf. This holistic approach by Ayurveda seeks health and harmony in balance by treating not only symptoms but also the root causes associated with menstrual issues.