1. Tuning into your cycle helps you to learn about its length and frequency, noticing your unique patterns, including changes in mood. You can start tracking at any stage, however, a great time to start is at Day 1 of your period so that you can begin to understand your cycle length!

2. You’ll know around when you ovulate. Ovulation is the main event within each cycle. It is when an egg is released from the ovary. The exact day of ovulation is very difficult to pin point, however you’ll have a “fertile window” of a 5-6 days leading up to ovulation, including the day of ovulation.

3. You’ll have increased awareness of your overall health. By tracking, you may begin to see patterns. You might notice that you feel fatigued or get migraines, feel irritable or even calm during the same part of your cycle each month. If something isn’t right with your body – illness or stress for example, your cycle will be disrupted. Your menstrual cycle is your monthly report card.

4. You’ll gain insight into your sex drive. We usually feel our highest levels of sexual desire right at the end of our Follicular Phase, in the five days leading up to ovulation. This makes evolutionary sense because it’s also the time you’re most fertile, so most likely to conceive.

5. Understand and manage mood. Tracking your cycle gives you a better understanding of when you might feel happy, productive and energetic, or when you may feel tired, irritable or low. The more you know about what to expect from your moods, the better equipped you will be, to cope with them as they come! The Follicular Phase is a great time to get things done. Testosterone & Estrogen play a big role in higher energy levels and a better mood. In contrast, allow yourself a lot of self-care and downtime leading into the final week before your period. Progesterone has a relaxing effect on the body & mind and is dominant during the Luteal Phase, however, just before your period begins, it decreases drastically, often leading to feelings of anxiety and irritability.

To begin tracking your cycle, either use a paper calendar to mark your symptoms throughout the month, or download a period tracking app. ie. Clue, Glow or Flo.

It’s time to empower yourself when it comes to your cycle & wellbeing!

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A little bit of stress is good every so often, but the wrong kind of stress can be toxic and it is important that it is released. When you get a bad migraine, it’s obvious that your head is under stress but the dis-ease doesn’t just stop there. Nerves carry signals from your head to other parts of your body and these signals communicate with different organs, muscles and systems that there is something wrong. Immediately they too begin to react, perhaps your neck feels stiff, your feel nauseous, your fingers tingle… nothing in our bodies works in isolation so go ahead and take your prescribed medication to deal with the pain of migraines but don’t for a minute think that’s the end of the story.

It helps to consider the reasons why migraines occur. There are the headaches that are caused by tension, anxiety and anger. Then there are the type that are related to another part of the body – poor digestion/menstrual imbalance/sinus problems… whatever the cause, a whole body response is necessary.

Reflexology is a great tool for managing migraines as it emphasises the whole person, recognises that pain is the body’s way of signalling that it needs help and flushes out all those toxins and stressors that need to be released to allow you to have better health.
I always encourage clients to think about where they are at in their lives – what’s going on with them. The head is symbolic of our emotional and spiritual side. Think of headaches that arise at times of great stress and emotional turmoil. During these times, our body is sending a signal, an ache that we can’t ignore. It is hoping that we will register that we are not emotionally equipped to deal with a certain situation. It wants us to seek help or make changes before stress sets in and we descend into a deeper level of ill health. Our body works constantly to allow us to function at peak health and when it comes up against a problem it will signal for help – we shouldn’t ignore these signals.

If you decide to come to me for help with migraines then please know that there is no magic button on your foot that I can press to make them instantly disappear. We will work together and it will be a bit of a journey. I have had really positive results with clients. One client in particular no longer has to look to pain killers for relief, her migraines have shortened from four days to just a few hours and they reoccur a lot less frequently. She was tired of taking medication and covering over the symptoms, so she came to me for help to address the cause.

Through Reflexology I can relax your body – only a relaxed body can truly heal, and as you heal the symptoms and impact of the migraines will be reduced. But you will have to work with me because Reflexology will make you more aware of what might be causing your migraines – your feet will have a story to tell and it’s up to you to listen and act on their wisdom.

You can find my IGTV video over on my Instagram, on how you can work the reflex points on your hands to help relieve migraines and headaches. For more information, contact me by email!

Neasa x

E: info@enhancewellness.ie

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The post Migraines… What a pain! appeared first on Enhance Wellness.