At the age of 18, when I became sexually active, I started taking hormonal contraception and stayed on it until I was 32. During those 14 years, I developed a number of health issues which ranged from heart palpitations, digestive issues, severe mental health issues and suicidal ideation, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive and a disconnection to myself. In my late 20s, my smear tests came back with abnormalities and showed pre-cancerous cells which resulted in a small part of my cervix being removed where the abnormal cells were located.

At 35, when studying holistic and traditional health, I was introduced to Menstrual Cycle Awareness and the dangers of hormonal contraception. I learnt that they suppress the signals from our brain to our ovaries and are replaced with four times the natural estrogen and progestogen that we create. They lower the amount of testosterone produced by our ovaries and adrenal glands, which can impact our libido, and vaginal lubrication can be reduced, therefore making sexual intercourse painful. Additionally, they build up toxins in our lymphatic system, they deplete our gut microbiome, and they increase our risk of depression whilst taking and after we come off them.

I started to see how many of the health issues I suffered during my 20s and early 30s may have been because of the Pill as well as a complete lack of understanding of my menstrual cycle. When I visited the GP or hospital, no doctor or nurse suggested that hormonal contraception may have been causing my health issues despite all the evidence out there. In 2020, it was estimated that around the world, 1 in 5 women were taking some form of hormonal contraception and the number of women with chronic conditions has been growing rapidly, but health professionals can't tell us why.

For 2 years after having come off the Pill, I was experiencing extreme highs and extreme lows, to the point where I thought I may be suffering from Bipolar Disorder. After 3 months of tracking my cycle, I identified very clear patterns and could see that these extreme highs and lows coincided with the rising and falling energy of the two parts of my cycle. I realised that I was living a non-cyclical life and going against my inner nature rather than in alignment with it. As I started to say 'yes' to myself more and 'no' to the world, these extreme moods began to loosen their grip and I was able to find balance and peace within.

Understanding my body's daily fluctuations, learning how to navigate them; knowing when to rest and when to show myself changed my life. This opened the door to me connecting to a higher consciousness and helped me to experience my menstrual cycle, especially my bleed, as my own spiritual practice. My direct experience is that Menstrual Cycle Awareness is the foundation to physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Every day, I'm able to experience my menstrual cycle as a source of magic and my bleed as medicine. It's my vision for all girls and women to be introduced to the art of Menstrual Cycle Awareness so they can return to wholeness.

I have 15 years experience in charitable strategic leadership, specialising in homelessness advocacy, focusing on creating pathways out of poverty and homelessness. During this time, I mentored and counselled people with lived experience of homelessness, addictions, mental health issues and those in the UK prison system. I've spent the last decade quietly walking, studying and observing the spiritual and holistic health path. I've been initiated as a Menstruality Mentor, a Cellular Detoxification and Regenerative Specialist, a Meditation & Mindfulness Teacher, and a Reiki Healer. I recognise that women are in need of reconnecting the fragmented aspects of themselves to reclaim their health and regain access to universal knowledge and wisdom. Not only will this improve their own lives, but it will have a ripple effect to their communities and to Mother Earth.

My intention is to embody and build a structure of Spiritual Truth, grounded in Menstrual Cycle Awareness, cellular detoxification and regeneration, fasting for women and consciousness studies. I love being the 'witness' of transformation in women because for me, there is no greater gift than seeing a woman return to wholeness. As more women choose to awaken to Menstrual Cycle Awareness as the foundation to vibrant health and feminine spirituality, we will consciously create a fairer world in which all of humanity will thrive and prosper. This is part of our evolutionary journey; the only vision I choose to hold and what we will manifest into existence.