The Revolution will be Bloody
How does that make you feel?
What thoughts or imagery does this title conjure up for you?
As a woman who has been bleeding for well over three decades, I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was when I discovered Stasha’s work.
In school we are taught there are two phases to your cycle. One where you are bleeding, and one where you are not. That’s it…..that’s all. During the one week where you are bleeding, you are expected to make sure no one knows and you act the exact same as you have the other three weeks prior.
For a long time I didn’t think about this. I just accepted the status quo. Which is sort of funny since I am a questioner by nature, but somehow this particular aspect wasn’t on my radar. Perhaps it was a taboo I wasn’t willing to look at.
About a year and half ago, I was introduced to Stasha. She was a guest on a podcast I was listening to and she talked about many things, but one that struck me and still is fresh in my mind was the idea around sex and having dinner after sex rather than before. As I listened and considered this idea I could feel in my body how much more amazing that would feel. Not being full (even if the meal was amazing) but allowing that pleasure and connection to come first – this was when she hooked me. .
When I discovered that she is actually a business coach who coaches women to work with their cycles it seriously nearly blew my mind!
The Revolution will be Bloody
Right around the time I started following Stasha’s work, she ran a Kickstarter campaign to get her book published. I knew with every fiber of my being that I wanted to be a part of bringing this book to life, so I jumped in.
Waiting for the book to arrive was hard. Luckily, Stasha sent little tasters out to her backers on a regular basis.
So let me tell you about the book…
Sidenote: I believe that every single woman who has a period needs to read this book. We all need to know that there are numerous phases to our cycles. We need to know that three weeks out of each month our hormones change. Pushing through to do the same things with the same vigor is not serving us as women.
The book is broken down into three sections.
Each section has various chapters to help you understand and connect into your cycle, because our hormones fluctuate throughout our cycle.
Section 1
Section 1 talks about the Patriarchy.
As someone who studied Women’s Studies in University, I’ve known for a long time that things are a bit out of balance.
Stasha shares the science as well as some of the long lost mythology and oral histories that are challenging to find. She gives you the information and you get to decide if you want to only stick to the science or allow a bit of mystery and mysticism in.
Section one also includes information about the Witch Trials and eventually makes it’s way to charting.
Having used an app on my smart phone to track my cycle for years, I had no idea the difference taking a few pencil crayons to paper would make in terms of the connection and understanding I felt with my body. If you have never tried charting on paper I highly encourage you to try it out for six months. I guarantee you will be surprised and awed by what you discover.
Each chapter comes with a summary. The quote below was one of my favorites from the first section:
“The greatest trick the patriarchy ever pulled was convincing women that they’re less than men, and that other women are competitors for scarce resources.”
Want to grab a sample of Stasha's Book?
Section 2
This is where we start talking about the real nitty gritty of our cycles. Each cycle has a chapter dedicated to it. Did you know we have four stages to our cycles (five if you include deep luteal)? Once again, Stasha shares the science of our hormones and what is actually happening as well as what this means for you in a real practical sense.
In my work, I had noticed that there was a particular time each month when everything felt like it was just too much for my clients. When I started to ask them where they were in their cycle it opened up a connection for them to see what was actually going on.
I now know my own cycle so well that when I get to that place where it just feels like nothing is working, I know it’s day 19 or 20. Instead of throwing my hands up in despair, I grab a good book and head to the couch. I have learned through this work that in a day or two everything will be back to normal. Instead of feeling a sense of frustration, I will actually feel full of solutions and ideas.
Section 3
This is where we start a revolution. This is where everything comes together. We begin to really connect the dots on understanding our cycles and knowing where we are helps us live a life of flow and ease.
Some of the amazing bite sized nuggets in this section include:
“Your mindset, your stubborn refusal to let the patriarchy separate and create hate and shame, is what will ultimately change the world.”
“Our society has forgotten how to transition and really move through gateways. That’s never more obvious than in how we respond to a woman’s first menarche (first period) or menopause (last period).”
“Make space for yourself whether it’s literal or figurative.”
This last quote struck me hard since it’s something I have been talking about for years. I know that all the things I’ve been able to do in my life are because I have given myself space. I have been blessed (and I’ve made it a priority) to have space.
Space to think, to see, to observe, to understand.
I know that this is definitely part of my privilege.
My hope is that after reading this post you are inspired to read this book as well. I am hopeful that you want to know your body. That you too are tired of acting like it’s just another week.
I am hopeful that you are ready to live in flow.