3 Overarching Reasons for Menstrual Issues From an Ayurvedic Perspective
There are a number of factors that might contribute to an abnormal menstrual cycle, and getting to the bottom of your own hormonal blueprint can be a long and challenging journey. When we feel the physiological and emotional impact of hormonal imbalance, it’s normal to become overwhelmed and frustrated. But it’s important to remember that hormones are an effect, not a cause; they’re messengers, pieces of a bigger puzzle that can help us to understand what the body needs to find better balance and inner harmony.
Looking at our hormones through the lens of Ayurveda might offer more clarity into our imbalances and the paths we can take to begin addressing our hormonal issues, naturally and holistically. A core principle of Ayurveda is a belief in the body’s innate intelligence and resilience; when we bring body, mind and environment back into harmony, we can begin to heal. Ayurveda also teaches us to listen to the messages that start as whispers and begin to address the early signs of imbalance before they advance into disease.
This ancient wisdom looks at the individual as inextricably connected to and intertwined with all of nature, containing some combination of elements found in the natural world: air, fire, water, earth and space. You personal elemental constitution is known as a “dosha”, and will fall into one of three categories - kapha (primarily earth and water, embodying qualities of groundedness, strength, cold, softness and slow-steadiness), vata (primarily air and space, embodying qualities of movement, change, lightness and dryness), and pitta (primarily fire and water, embodying qualities of heat, sharpness, competitiveness and oiliness). You can learn more about doshas and discover your own personal constitution here.
Let’s look at some possible reasons for hormonal imbalance and menstrual issues from an Ayurvedic perspective.
One or more of your doshas are out of balance - Once you’ve completed the dosha quiz and have gathered a better understanding of your Ayurvedic profile, you’ll want to consider how any potential doshic imbalances might be influencing your hormones. For example, a woman with a vata constitution who’s experiencing menstrual issues or hormonal imbalance may not be getting enough rest, going to bed at irregular times, or overextending herself in her day-to-day life. To bring her dosha back into balance, she should aim to achieve deep rest on a regular basis and more consistency with her sleep-wake cycle, make time for meditation, and commit to practices that support her parasympathetic nervous system. Kapha dominant women with hormonal imbalance might benefit from incorporating more movement into their routines, utilizing herbs, and decreasing proinflammatory factors. The herbs you might need will be individual, but might include chaste tree or ashwagandha (please get in touch for personalized guidance). A woman with a pitta constitution can find more balance by incorporating regular cleansing throughout the month, eating detoxifying and liver-cooling foods, and practicing yin yoga or grounding meditations.
Your biological rhythm is off - When your cycles of rest and activity are out of balance, it’s very common for your hormones to be affected. For example, if you’ve been traveling and changing time zones, going to bed at a different time each night, staying up late (or waking up much earlier than usual) a few days in a week, your biological rhythms will be thrown off balance and you’re likely to feel it in many areas of your life. Sleep hygiene consists of all of the habits that affect our sleep patterns, and there are a number of tools and practices you can incorporate into your routines to clean this up - check out our podcast on sleep biohacks to learn more. Consider your ayurvedic constitution when balancing your rest and activity rhythms: vata people should gravitate to nourishing foods, avoid exercising at night and ensure their room is very dark; pitta people can have a light snack in the evening, make sure the room temperate is not too warm and sleep with a light blanket; and kapha people can go for a light walk after dinner, be sure they’re exercising frequently enough and set their alarm for a relatively early wake-up time each day. You can read more sleep guidelines by dosha in this article, but no matter what your dosha, the more you balance your daily rhythm, the easier it is to balance your monthly rhythm.
Build-up of toxicity - An accumulation of toxicity in the body will confuse your hormones and make them work overtime to try to achieve better balance. Consistent use of toxic beauty products, cooking products, and consumption of non-organic and overly processed foods can quickly lead to a toxic build-up in the body. This increased toxicity can create a hormonal imbalance and causes more severe periods and premenstrual symptoms. When our internal environment is inundated with these endocrine disruptors, we may face a host of problems that extend far beyond our sex hormones. Daily (or as regularly as possible) cleansing will help flush the system of these toxins: drink lemon water in the morning, include enough movement in your daily routines, sauna 2-3 times weekly (if you have access), and incorporate any other cleansing practices that will support your pathways of elimination.
Now that we’ve explored some potential causes of hormonal imbalance from an Ayurvedic perspective, it might be helpful to get to know your individual hormones and learn about what they could be telling you in this blog post. If you think you may be experiencing estrogen dominance, you can learn more about the common signs and symptoms here, along with different options for determining and addressing hormonal imbalances through testing, detox protocols, and lifestyle changes.
If you suspect you’re dealing with a significant hormonal imbalance and could use more personalized care, reach out to get started on your healing journey, create harmony with your hormones, and find more vitality through all stages of your life.