Reclaiming Your Hormones with Lunaception
One of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins wrote “Still Life with Woodpecker”. Amongst this self described sort of a love Story, Robbins mentioned something called Lunaception. It was a fascinating concept that I wanted to know more about. Come to find out, this concept had intrigued many women over the years as to find out what this concept was and how they could use it.
Female bodies already sync with the ebb and flow of the tides and the moon cycles, happening around every 28 days. This part is all science.
My personal belief is that over time science will discover that men have similar cycles and triggers that not only regulate their hormonal health, but their link with sexual health as well.
To understand all that I did to take back my hormones, you first have to understand what each of these components are. I started by ditching my birth control, practicing Lunaception, getting a Lady Comp, removing any personal care products that contain estrogenic ingredients, and eliminating any food ingredients that have been linked to mimicking estrogen.
Louise Lacey is the original inventor of the word Lunaception. It’s conception and definition has changed over time but the intention has not.
“The basic theory of Lunaception is that our bodies evolved to respond to the light and dark of the moon’s rhythms, menstruating at the new moon and ovulating at the full. To reproduce that rhythm in western civilization, we must shut out all light while sleeping except in mid-month, when we add a small night light to reproduce the effects of the full moon. What often happens is that your body will get in tune with the actual moon’s cycles, and at that point you can simply throw open your drape. Either way, your body gains a higher level of reproductive function.”
Lunaception has not been scientifically prove, however light pollution is real. We as humans produce melatonin, which regulates our hormones through our circadian clock. Recently, we have also seen the difficult news about LED screens and the dreaded phone before bed… it really could be causing us quite a bit of harm in regards to our health. Ron Chepesiuk explains this in his article, “Missing the Dark: Health Effects of Light Pollution” which can be found on the US Library of Nation Medicine.
“The 24-hour day/night cycle, known as the circadian clock, affects physiologic processes in almost all organisms. These processes include brain wave patterns, hormone production, cell regulation, and other biologic activities. Disruption of the circadian clock is linked to several medical disorders in humans, including depression, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, says Paolo Sassone-Corsi, chairman of the Pharmacology Department at the University of California, Irvine, who has done extensive research on the circadian clock. “Studies show that the circadian cycle controls from ten to fifteen percent of our genes,” he explains. “So the disruption of the circadian cycle can cause a lot of health problems.”
I was in a downward spriral of not knowing how emotionally stable I actually was and insurance not covering the only birth control that didn’t make me feel insane. Out of pocket birth control for 16+ years and living in fear of my own body was finally enough. At the time I chose to try a hormone free birth control method (also known as basal body temperature charting), I was in a long-term relationship and had been living in New York City for so long I felt a disconnect both from myself and from nature.
I also chose to get a fertility monitor because I didn’t trust myself to properly chart my own body cycles. I believed the lie that I was not capable of understanding my body. The Hairpin blog has a great read by Justine Garrett and her experience using the Lady-Comp. I also had a similar experience with it. I began to visually see lights, red/yellow/green, letting me know I was aligning better with the moon; it was ok to listen to and trust my body.
Along with all of these changes, I researched and removed all products from my daily routine that contain estrogenic mimicking cell structures or known nurotoxins. These included plastics, parabens, formaldehydes, hexanes, etc. I started carrying my own travel sized bottle of liquid castile soap to work. Even the soap in a public restroom was tainted with plastic containing fragrances and propylene glycol. I admit it was a little over the top, but it made a big difference. Within months, I could visually see (thanks the the lady comp) myself syncing back up to the moon. I had been on birth control since I was 17. For the first time in a long time I felt emotionally stable and clear headed. I also had fewer acne outbreaks and what seemed like more energy throughout the day to stay physically active.
Another main focus was food. My sister had just received a double mastectomy for breast cancer that was hormone sensitive. This meant it could be genetic for me and it was time to educate myself. I learned about edamame vs. soy protein isolates and which health foods contained hexane processing and GMO soy ingredients. I made my own decisions about what felt right, which was to me to continue eating as a vegetarian, yet focusing on organic and grass fed egg/dairy products and organic minimally processed tofu products- if any at all. I focused my diet on home cooked meals as much as I could and found that this worked for me. I was lucky that I really enjoyed cooking and used this as a way to get more creative in the kitchen.
After years of making these shifts in my daily routine, I had also been making most if not all of my own body products. I was having trouble finding products that both worked well and were as natural as possible. My company, ‘Keven Craft Rituals was born out of this aspect of my findings. Its been a long haul over the years and a ton of work. However, I feel good. My skin looks great, my fertility is in my control, I’ve kicked hormones that don’t belong to me, and I feel like I owe some of that to Tom Robbins and his book that intrigued me about Lunaception.
I’ve suggested these concepts to friends and they have had better chance with getting pregnant and seem to feel better and in control of their lives. I am not a doctor and don’t suggest this information replace a doctor’s advice. I do however suggest you make your own decisions about what feels right, and living a healthy happy lifestyle in the process.
‘Keven’s pregnancy safe Rescue Balm for nursing, belly butter, eczema, diaper rash, and an overall moisturizer.
