Soraya Sheikh

Menstruality, originally coined by Jane Catherine Severn, and built on by my Mentors at the Red School: The Future of Feminine Spirituality and Leadership, provides a holistic framework for understanding and honouring the experiences and transitions that women go through in relation to our menstrual cycle. Menstruality acknowledges the significance of these initiations; menarche, our menstruating years, menopause and our mature stages of life, we are invited into a deeper exploration of the physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of womanhood. Menstruality embodies is a psychological death and rebirth that happens each menstrual month, opening the door to expanded levels of consciousness.

The average cycle length for most women is 28 - 36 days. Health professionals believe that anything outside of this cycle length signifies a hormonal imbalance. One of the best ways to bring your hormones back into balance is through MCA, eating a varied and whole food diet, staying away from ultra processed foods, and living a lifestyle in alignment with our natural world.

YES! If you have an irregular cycle, it's even more important for you to track your cycle. More times than not, women find that once they begin tracking their cycle, it returns to a more normal length. Regardless of the length of your cycle, you are still able to track your cycle and learn how to navigate your life with more understanding and compassion.

If your cycle has gone missing, you're not pregnant, breastfeeding, or post menopausal, you can still track your cycle and follow the moon cycle. Your cycle can disappear for a number of reasons. Bringing awareness to your cycle in such a focused way and looking at your lifestyle choices may restore a healthy relationship and attitude towards your cycle. Through my work in this field, I've observed women start bleeding again after a time of absence.

Absolutely. When you suffer from reproductive health issues such as endometriosis, fibroids and PCOS, it can often feel like nothing will help to alleviate the physical and emotional pain. In my late 20s, I developed a number of menstrual health issues and pre-cancerous cells in my cervix so I understand how you may be feeling. 

Endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS and many other menstrual related issues have been characterised as conditions of inflammation. Inflammation is primarily caused by toxins that enter our body by way of the food we eat, the air we breathe and the products we use. Stress, unresolved ancestral and our own trauma may cause the body to trigger/maintain stress-responsive systems over longer periods of time which can cause inflammation. Experience has taught me that there are natural ways to heal from this. Menstrual Cycle Awareness and looking at the foods, drinks, beauty and household products you use are the best ways to do this.

The reason you take hormonal contraception may be for contraception or to reduce menstrual problems. While it’s imperative that you have reliable contraception and a way to manage your suffering, hormonal contraception stops your natural cycle and replaces it with synthetic hormones. 

Some women say they do feel the inner seasons when on hormonal contraception, some say they don't feel them at all. You know your own body more than anyone so I would suggest tracking your cycle to try to learn more about yourself. If you remain on hormonal contraception and wish to take our course, you are welcome to do so. But please be aware that because you are experiencing a synthetic cycle, you may not be able to get to experience the fullness and utter beauty of who you are.

You may find it useful to read my article 'Hidden Dangers of Hormonal Contraception' to learn more.

A HUGE 100% YES YES YES! 

Menarche is often defined as a girl’s first period, but there is a sacred time of transition a few years around this special event. Supporting your daughter as she moves through all the twists and turns of puberty is an initiation for you too. If you've had a difficult time with your cycle, this time may be triggering for you so it's important that you acknowledge this and chose to make peace with your cycle. I feel that Discover Yourself is appropriate for girls to take but I encourage you to take the course yourself to ensure you're happy with my teachings before passing the course to your daughter. 

Congratulations Mama! What a gift you have been given to bring a future light being into this world. Currently, you're in a completely different landscape to a menstruating woman and won't be experiencing your cycle in the way you used to. However, if you wish to enrol onto Discover Yourself, I see no harm in doing so. It may help you make sense of where you're at the moment and I have no doubt that it will help you to connect with your womb space more deeply. The course has been designed to be super nourishing and calls for more rest, which you are encouraged to do, especially during this most precious time!

Whilst this is not my area of expertise, Discover Yourself includes some information and advice on how to improve fertility from trusted resources. Feel free to enrol onto the course to find out more about what may be affecting fertility. I wish you luck in being able to bring another being of light into this world. 

Wise Woman, I honour you for the elder you have become. If you're approaching menopause, you can most certainly practice cycle awareness. If you are currently going through menopause, my article 'Menopause: The Great Awakener' would be helpful for you to read. It gives some context to what you may be experiencing along with providing further guidance and resources to best support you during this new stage in your life.

Yes. Discover Yourself is designed for anyone wishing to understand and learn more about Menstruality and Menstrual Cycle Awareness. Men have taken the course as they have wanted to understand what the women in their life may experience and how to best support them. If you feel called to learn more about this innate female process, you are welcome to enrol onto the course.