Heavy bleeding and flooding periods
A few years ago I had a bit of a wake up call. I finally understood what heavy periods where like.
Obviously, I have had clients complaining about heavy flow and we worked to balance their periods. I have several friends complaining of not wanting to leave the house or certainly know that they would always be close to a nice loo during the first few days of their periods.
But you don’t really know until you know.
Hormonal changes, stress, exhausting… there are many reasons for heavy periods and this is what I will talk about.
For me, I believe it was depletion. I was just exhausted. And I’ll share why this might be a cause for the Niagara Falls situations (as my friend kindly refers to her bleed). A few years later I feel my hormones are shifting again Hello Perimenopause and again my bleeding pattern is changing.
So why heavy periods?
First off: I am not a gynaecologist. Please always get a proper exam if anything changes and if you have super heavy flow. Just in case. What I’ll share is from a general menstrual cycle awareness perspective and from Ayurveda. I am an ayurvedic practitioner (BSc, PGDip) and I have a passion for female/womb wellness.
Know that we are all individuals. In Ayurveda nothing is a cookie-cutter approach. But I hope that the concepts and ideas might offer some support and inspiration.
Pitta Periods
Pitta is a combination of water and fire elements. There is fluidity (think blood) and heat (fire). We all have those elements in our being. But for some Pitta Dosha is more prevalent or perhaps you have a Pitta increasing lifestyle or diet.
Pitta periods can be heavy, profuse very red or even a yellow tinge. It can feel hot. Same with the emotions: anger and irritation.
Kapha periods
Kapha is the heaviness of earth and water. It is slow and stable. In a Kapha vitiated flow the bleeding can be heavy and long. Maybe accompanied with bloating, water retention and a dull ache with feelings of depression or feeling low.
Vata Periods
I’ll mention Vata Dosha too. The elements of air and space. Erratic and sudden. Generally, Vata vitiated flow won’t be heavy but light and painful. Often irregular.
The change
Perimenopause, and any change, is also attributed to Vata which is why we might experience very erratic bleeds at this time. As well as other Vata associated issues like: insomnia, dryness, coldness, anxiety. Perimenopause is not just Vata although as we grow older we move into a more Vata phase. As Vata becomes unstable it may also express heat and hot flushes as it moves Pitta Dosha out of its seat.
This time of life can also be a time where our periods change.
The erratic unstable Vata
It’s easy to say that all problems stem from Vata Dosha. It’s not entirely true but it’s a good bet.
Vata is movement. If Vata is out of balance it will highly likely move and push the other Doshas out of their seat (their natural places in our being).
Also, think of the subdivisions of Vata. Apana Vayu is the downward movement of energy responsible for menstruation. And also poo and pee. In Ayurveda, we talk a lot about poo because it gives us a good picture of general health. Including Apana Vayu. Same with our menstrual flow.
Too much downward flow can be seen as diarrhoea. There is no support. All the energy just flows out.
Energetically consider when you feel drained, unsupported, not having enough grounding or substance. When the energy just flows out. When we are burned out and can’t hold it up any longer. I do believe this is one reason so many of us may suffer from heavy flow. There is no energy for our womb to support us. This is definitely what happened to me when I started getting heavy flow some years back. I was depleted and my body didn’t have the energy to “hold” the flow.
This is also why I feel menstrual cycle awareness and womb wisdom are so interconnected. Just taking that time to connect to your womb space, to your pelvis – even just resting the hands over the womb area to connect to our inner wisdom. (Learn more about your Sacred Pelvis here)
Increasing and building up excess Kapha
Perhaps there is an obstruction to Apana Vayu. Maybe we are tense, or Vata Dosha is not balanced. Things start to build up. If we have a tendency to excess Kapha or have an increase in Kapha qualities in lifestyle or food things build up. That is what Kapha does. It’s building. Kapha can cause stagnation, stickiness and denseness. This could lead to growths or obstruction including tissue (endometrium) which would then lead to heavier flow.
One consideration is any other type of growth such as cysts, fibroid and endometriosis which are often a considered cause for heavy flow.
Hot fire flow
Obviously menstruation is both the endometrium (Kapha like) and blood which is very much Pitta and heat. Or rather: excess Pitta likes to move into the blood, or Rakta Dhatu,.
Our bleed is Rakta Mokshana, or a “blood cleanse”, if we have too much Pitta our body will try to release it. And this could be through our period. Hence heavy Pitta periods.
Balance your period
I appreciate that this post is referring to a lot of Ayurvedic terms and concepts. And it is only a small peek into Ayurveda and menstrual cycle. I have a lot more information in my Feminine Seasons & Cycles Course too including yoga practises to align with our monthly cycle.
In Ayurveda a simple principle is: Reduce what you have excess of.
Too much of a Vata lifestyle leading to Vata symptoms?
Calm down Vata, reduce too much erratic fidgeting or moving around, reduce too much coldness, roughness, lightness. Instead get grounded, enjoy warming easy to digest foods with a bit of warming spices. Slow down, breathe…
Typically Type A (Pitta) personality or lifestyle?
Reduce the stress, reduce the “doing” and try “being”. Cool down and reduce hot spicy foods. Relax and ease off the hot power yoga or excess heating exercise. Instead find movement to use your strength and focus yet not your ego or too much ambition. Slow steady breath.
Too much heaviness and Kapha lifestyle?
Sedentary, heavy, comfort food and stagnation… Reduce that and get moving, get out of the house, walk briskly, get the blood and lymph flowing, get the breath moving. Get exercising. Enjoy lighter warmer meals.
Womb Wisdom + Ayurvedic Wisdom
As you start to listen to your body and listen to the wisdom of your womb you will make the right changes. You may still want support from a qualified ayurvedic practitioner. You may still need some clarification from scans or blood tests.
You may want to look into herbs, tea or supplements. Perhaps specific practises like castor oil packs or steams. Yoga poses for different issues or the phases of your cycle. Because this is not just about your period or your bleed. This is your fifth vital sign. This is about the full monthly, or lunar, cycle.
Rest your hands over your womb. Take a deep breath. Release completely. Repeat slowly. Again. Now close the eyes and listen to your womb.
To learn more about your Menstrual Cycle, Ayurveda and Yoga please have a look at my Feminine Seasons & Cycle online immersion here.
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