Issue #7: rest. PERIOD.

period PARTY, cycle synching, and why rest matters.

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my arms grew tired
from constantly reaching
so I wrapped them around myself
and allowed them
to rest
L.E. Bowman

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Today’s Five Senses Friday is inspired by PERIODS and menstrual CYCLES! We are coming off our cycle synching workshop last week and are excited for this coming weekend’s PERIOD PARTY hosted by @milwaukeeperiodparties in support of Milwaukee Diaper Mission’s Period Program! Stop by Sunday and support their mission to break stigmas, erase shame and end period poverty!

TASTE: The Moon Cycle Cookbook. In The Moon Cycle Cookbook, bakery founder Devon Loftus and nutritionist Jenna Radomski empower women to nourish themselves with recipes for sweets, savory meals, and snacks, organized around each of the four phases of the menstrual cycle, that can be customized to suit their bodies’ fluctuating needs.

SEE: Plum Paper Planners. OK so not necessarily cycle-related, BUT this planner allows you to customize the pages and categories SO you could easily add some cycle synching and planning to your layout! We are not due for new planners until 2025, but may have to make the jump early! Thank you to Lisa from @orchidchinesemedicine for always sending the best planners our way!

SMELL: How Ovulation Affects Your Sense Of Smell, Libido, & More. Did you know that around ovulation and peak fertility your voice may get a little higher, your sense of smell sharpens, and the smell of your sweat may even change? Shifts in hormones at this point in the cycle can cause a variety of things that from an evolutionary perspective are believed to increase our potential for mating.

HEAR: Period Repair Manual + Hormone Repair Manual on Audio. At the cycle syncing workshop last week, one of the questions was what books would you recommend for period problems? And what about perimenopause? These books from naturopath Lara Briden are a great starting place! She also has a podcast with episodes under 15 minutes that tackle topics such as PCOS, endometriosis, hormonal birth control, perimenopause, and more.

TOUCH: The Best Period Swimwear of 2024. OK, we are going to admit that we are late to the game here! Did you know that period swimwear existed? We did NOT! We were going to find an article on period underwear to share and up popped this article on period SWIMWEAR!!! Super curious, maybe a little skeptical, but given we are heading into summer had to share;) We would love to hear your thoughts/experience!

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Episode 2:
Dr. Mia Cowan + IW Board Member Genyne Edwards

Stay tuned next Wednesday for the full episode!
Until then, catch up on episodes you missed on our website, here on Substack, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

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my (rebecca) CHALLENGE: cycle synching + rest

Coming off of Women’s Entrepreneurship Week last week (which was so inspiring and supportive) my body was calling for REST! The discussions on the invisible load of motherhood from Theresa and Caitlin’s workshop and committing to the cycle synching tips that Sara and I shared pointed directly to my need for more intentional rest in my life. I love that cycle synching offers a template to align with your body’s needs and hormonal shifts–to live a full life, but also build in time for rest and reflection. Interested in learning more? Read on to download our Cycle Synching Guide and learn more about why rest matters from Rest Easy by Ximena Vengoechea.