by Vanessa Hawthorne, London, UK
RELIGION, PERIODS, POWER.
In Catholicism women are not allowed on the altar because they are unclean – because they bleed.
In Judaism you are not to touch anyone when you are bleeding: a quick search on google revealed this quote:
”A menstruating woman defiles everyone and everything she touches”. Hackles up.
I was talking with a young girl recently, who is being brought up as a Muslim; we spoke about being Muslim and what sense she made of their traditions. When I asked how a woman’s period was viewed, she wasn’t sure but knew that a woman could not pray while she is bleeding as her prayers would not be accepted by Muhammad; she can only pray when she is clean.
Not long ago I watched a movie ‘Agora’ – about Hypatia, a renowned astronomer, lecturer in philosophy and a woman who made a ginormous contribution to the development of mathematics during Roman Egypt. In a scene where the Christian priest is reading from what they were implying was the bible and therefore the word of God, that women should be silent, modestly dressed and not really seen – my hackles went up. In this speech he was condemning Hypatia to her death by saying she was a witch. I got angry at this point.
And I was struck by the theme that was staring me in the face:
ALL THE MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE LAST TWO THOUSAND YEARS HAVE TOLD WOMEN THEY ARE UNCLEAN.
Internalised message: “there is something God finds unacceptable about you”. I was suddenly struck by what I felt the cause of this systematic denigration of women on a grand scale was all about… fear. Fear of the true power of a woman who honours herself and her period.
But why?
BECAUSE A WOMAN WHO HONOURS HERSELF AND HER NATURAL CYCLES IS POWER-FULL.
This is something that was news to me too, not that long ago.
Let me take you back a year. It was an Esoteric Women’s Presentation and a woman presented that she had realised she was not in full honouring of herself because her periods came when she was busy at work: that if she were honouring herself fully, her cycle would support her by arriving on her rest days. So my immediate thought was “that’s bonkers!”. Then I suspended disbelief and listened some more – how she had experienced a change by noticing and reflecting on how she had felt and lived her day. Next thought… “this is for ascended masters, not little ol’ moi”.
But fortunately I decided to start paying a little more attention to my day and how I felt. The beginning stages of this process can be read about here: “Re-claiming my Relationship with my Period”. Within six months my period shifted to support me by arriving on the first day after my working week. Now, no ascended master am I, just an ordinary lady.
To say I found this extraordinary is an understatement. It is amazing to feel your body supporting you to this level! On one occasion my period moved itself about by arriving an hour after I finished work. My period has consistently changed cycle length so as to not be heavy when I have a big working day ahead.
I have come to know and experience for myself that our period is never late or early but always exactly on time for what is needed for you to clear and to support you. How beautiful and power-full is that?
So The Way of the Livingness as presented by Serge Benhayon and Natalie Benhayon to the Women’s groups has inspired me (and hundreds of other women) to honour ourselves and the true power of the menstruation to heal. I know of no other religion to do this. And it begs the question:
- Why do other religions not want women to know this about themselves and actively discourage a loving relationship with their cycles? And follows my next question:
- Why did women give up on themselves and what they knew all those years ago?
It is for us to reclaim that, and it is a returning to what we already know. It’s not about saying: ‘those bad men’ – if we had stayed in our full power and claimed ourselves fully as women, no matter what, energetic law states that a force can only push you over if you allow it.
I write this so women can have an opportunity to allow the veil to be lifted on the evil (morally wrong) that surrounds us, and to say that there is another way.
The Way of the Livingness is my religion, and I thank God for the grace that I have come across Serge Benhayon and his family and the exemplary way they live that inspires me to live in the full glory that I and everyone else is.
To say I am grateful is an understatement!
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
Any ‘religion’ which does not embrace the fact and utter beauty of menstruation is not a true one. Its understanding of life is very restricted and restrictive. The Way of The Livingness is the only true religion.
“Our period is never late or early but always exactly on time for what is needed for you to clear and to support you” – that is an amazing realization. So powerful. Kind of makes it understandable why the dominating masculine energy in the world has been in so much fear of the potential of what women’s body can bring through if its innateness is fully claimed and activated.
It’s absolutely evil and completely irresponsible for religion to portray women’s menstrual cycles as “unclean” or “a curse”, when our cycle is one of the most important keys to us knowing how sacred we truly are.
Very true. There is nobody we can blame for the current state of the world. It’s not even helpful to blame ourselves. The only thing that will lift us all out of the muck is love, responsibility and a commitment to honouring our own sacredness unreservedly.
I love everything about this article and this religion. Thank you for telling it like it is.
When I first heard about how women were viewed as unclean and couldn’t mix with men when they had their periods I was completely shocked! Completely shocked and it was current at a religious celebration I was attending. Like this made no sense at all. But then it does if the ulterior motive is to keep us from knowing the true divinity we are all a part of. If you keep men and women at war then neither inspires the other. Women have a natural connection to sacredness, a beauty and connection to divinity, which if she is taught to be disdainful of herself she will not connect to, so will live a reduced version of herself. I have been this way and the way I acted was confrontational and accepted all sorts of unloving behaviour from men thinking I wasn’t worth anything more. It’s wonderful to open my eyes to where these messages inciting shame abound so I see their true colours.
I agree it is shocking – and it sounds like something from the dark ages – not something we would have in our society today! It’s incredible that we allow current religion that actually indoctrinates in women a lack of self worth and a feeling that they are “wrong” or “unclean” – how could this support anyone to know God?
Superb article. I have come to know that each period’s timing is spot on; always there to communicate what is needed and the more I listen the less pain I have from ignoring my body.
What a stunning blog, gosh I loved every word of it, because it is raw and happening, what is being shared is being delivered with no holding back. Just as it is and how it comes. I love that, this is how we as women can just be and express ourselves all of the time, I am learning that, observing that in this blog — that actually makes me wake up to the fact that we have played games to avoid our knowing and so the following is exposing why we have possibly held back, because we know……”BECAUSE A WOMAN WHO HONOURS HERSELF AND HER NATURAL CYCLES IS POWER-FULL.”
There is no doubt that a woman who lives in connection to her essence and the cycles she is innately a part of, lives in connection to her sacredness as such effortlessly lives the graceful power of her divinity, blessing the world with the wisdom that innately flows through her. Our menstrual and moon cycle is what allows us as women to clear our bodies in order to deepen our relationship with the goddess that we all innately are and here to live. Such is the purpose and power of our incarnation as women here on earth, to restore sacredness as our (humanity) normal way of being, and to support with the cycle of reincarnation through the gift of birth, so we can return and continue to evolve back to the divinity we belong to.
Many cultures and religions I have come across sees women in menstruation as unclean. I remember the first time I heard this as a young girl, I immediately felt that being a women was seen as being less and not equal to men, and I felt myself shrink a little due to realising in our world, women and men are not treated as equals. The Way of The Livingness is the first religion I have come across that honours and celebrates the power of women’s cycles and where women and men are treated with absolute equality, respect and equally celebrate in what we reflect and bring. Now this is a religion about love and for me this is true religion, where everyone is celebrated for who we are, Sons of God.
One of the most effective ways to bury sacredness is to tell a woman that her menstruation is ‘dirty’, when the truth is this cycle of nature offers an opportunity for the woman to not only energetically cleanse and clear herself, but eventually all others also.
Vanessa, you wrote “that’s bonkers!” when you heard that the menstruation cycle needs to be in support support of women. And I must say that for me too this is bonkers as I have never heard woman express like this before regarding their menstruation. It was actually more the opposite, that the cycle was interfering with their planned life and therefore not experienced as in being in support.
Clear, concise and exposing. Thank you Vanessa. Women have been hoodwinked but as you state “energetic law states that a force can only push you over if you allow it.” I too am incredibly appreciative that Universal Medicine, Esoteric Women’s Health with The Way of The Livingness are bringing truth back to religion and connecting us to the truth of our menstrual cycle and the power and grace that it offers.
” I have come to know and experience for myself that our period is never late or early but always exactly on time for what is needed for you to clear and to support you. How beautiful and power-full is that? ”
Its so wonderful you have come to this understanding , when you consider that the first time your heard the possibility you said “that’s bonkers!”. I had a good laugh at that comment thank you.
I had the same today John, I had to laugh too but also admit that I never have heard such a statement before as in my experience with women in this life I have never heard them talking about the menstruation cycle like this.
“I have come to know and experience for myself that our period is never late or early but always exactly on time for what is needed for you to clear and to support you. How beautiful and power-full is that?” I love this! I have often thought something was wrong as my period is not clockwork like it used to be. But now I can see how I’m in rhythm with my cycle and it supports me. Super gorgeous to realise and appreciate.
Yes, women have a regular reminder, which can be very painful or inconvenient, something men lack and for them things can build up much more before they get a reminder.
We are so much more powerful then we think we are. For instance, like demonstrated in this blog, by connection to our body and the divine power and intelligence it holds, we can take care for our body by accepting the rhythm of the menstruation cycle of women while at the same time being in full service to our communities.
This raises the question and importance of understanding what true power really is. Often power is seen from the perspective of temporal authority or position but the truth is power is the authority with which one presents when exposing anything and everything in life that is not truly true.
Feeling tired and sometimes washed out is not because of what is going on around me; it is because I have not listened and paid attention to myself ignoring what is going on within and around me. The abandoning of self therefore has to show up as in this case exhaustion in my body.
Thank you Caroline. As your experience shows us that not being with our body cost actually a lot of effort, otherwise it would not exhaust us so much.
That the flow and timing of our periods can adjust to support us is evidence alone that a woman living in harmony with herself is power-full beyond belief.
This is what I have experienced and I have seen women who live The Way of The Livingness are not shy to fully celebrate and embrace their power, to living in harmony with their body and cycles, it is a joy to witness and experience. And, very power-full indeed Victoria.
This systematic denigration and denial of women means we must be on to something big. In continuing to play small, we’re playing right into the hands of those who would seek to keep us that way.
I find this extremely fascinating and very eludicating as it not only highlights more about the ways women have been suppressed in their expression of their Divine sacredness but also how men have dominated such expression by parading about the fact that God views periods as dirty. It is no coincidence this part of a woman’s cycle is viewed this way when it is also the time a woman is most connected to her sacredness and sensitivity.
“A WOMAN WHO HONOURS HERSELF AND HER NATURAL CYCLES IS POWER-FULL”. A beautiful appreciation of a woman’s monthly cycle and our understanding of our responsibility to live in tune with our own cycles and the cycles of the Universe around us.
I never understood why different religions would ‘put down’ and denegrade women, it made no sense to me. The great thing about The Way of The Livingness is how everyone is equal and the truth of the sacredness that is within us all is alive waiting to be re-activated.
What a great blog Vanessa. What you have shared around the current organised religion of not only today, but for the past 2000 years, have all been about denigrating women. What we bring, what our bodies physically bring, but also what we bring when living in our cycles and awareness of that, is our power. Many women do not feel this or live this, myself included a lot of the time. I have so much more awareness than ever before though and bring that more and more to how I live my life.
Thank you for sharing Vanessa. Its so great you have learned from the livingness and sharing of another, the power of the body when its honoured in its sacredness, which can never be taken away from you. The example of Hypatia is just one of many women who did not give up their sacredness just so men can be content in their personal folly.
It’s bizarre to me that any religion could find a woman unclean or unacceptable to God in menstruation, particularly if they view God as the body’s creator! Also, the menstrual period is part of the life cycle, the same people who say it’s unclean were actually nourished by the bloody lining of the womb when first conceived. To me there is a depth and richness to what the menstrual cycle offers, and it’s way beyond appreciating the functionality and biological purpose. Being more connected to my cycle and the gift it offers by communicating how I’ve lived that month, and the clearing it offers to allow me to live more of my essence has led to much healing and many magical moments. A woman’s period is a beautiful part of her.
If it was true that women are unclean when they menstruate, then how come there is such joy, lightness and clarity felt? How would it be true for any rule or thought to override how women are truly feeling when menstruation is actually happening to them? And why are there not more women who speak about the truth of what menstruation truly feels like? Great question for every woman, including myself, there is so much room to re-imprint what is the truth of being a woman.
The Way of The Livingness is such a blessing for us all. Both men and women are presented with a way of living that is in honour of our natural way of being and therefore allows us to return to that state where we can explore the true power of living our natural cycles once again.
What I love here is that so many men are commenting on a blog about menstruation in a respectful and honouring way, that in itself is testament to The Way of The Livingness, as a group of people. Especially on line, what is normal is for a subject like this to receive a torrent of abuse and quite disgusting vitriol. Beautiful to read all the comments here from men and women.
Thank you for mentioning this fact once again Vanessa, as indeed for it is our normal in how we live together as men and women. It is that natural respect and decency what we allow ourselves to live once again. To make that our foundation to communicate from and in that to feel that we actually are all one and the same and only differ in our outer expression which is equally important to all other expressions.
The Way of The Livingess is the only religion I know that honours women’s period cycles. I remember most of the organised religions and cultures I know portrays women who are on their period as unclean, this didn’t feel great when I discovered this when I was a young woman but I never thought to question it. Now, I would approach things very differently because I now understand that our period are actually a very sacred, cleansing and honouring time of the month for women.
It is worth sharing with the world the grace and power of a woman’s period. I have a lot of understanding and know the importance of what you have written Vanessa through Universal Medicine’s teachings also. A woman’s sacredness and stillness will restore and bring harmony back to our relationships. This is true religion – relationship with self.
It is interesting to dig a bit on the relationship between the concept of clean and religion. Mainstream religions as this blog makes clear, have an issue with women menstruating because it brings uncleanliness into the equation. And religion is way too pure to accept uncleanliness. What this reveals is the extent to which mainstream ‘religions’ do not walk with you as you walk in life.
It proposes a relationship of submission.
Great observation Eduardo, that mainstream religions do not walk with us in life, the real nitty gritty of life. Whilst aiming for a perfect image of what humans ‘should’ be, we miss the perfection in us that is already within, even amongst the mess and untidiness of life.
The joy that is felt with my every period is undeniable and it will always be unreservedly reflected. My periods do not always come on my day off, and I do not always have a day off in a week, but it is how I feel with myself when my periods come, and how my periods are whether they are heavy or light, that I know how I have been with myself that month. Whether it reflects to me my honoring to myself or whether it is showing me the blessing of clearing what has not supported me, allows me to feel an unreserved joy that is purely me, as a woman.
There is harmoniousness in our Universe that we can all tune into and align with – or we can fight it, negate it and dismiss it. Our bodies are the connection to this harmoniousness and when we start to honour them with true care and love, we experience this flow. It is our choice to make.
This is very beautiful what you have shared Richard, and this harmony is within every one of our bodies, men as well as women, it is within every one of our particles, and of all the particles in the universe. We can feel if we are on par with the universe on this or not, and our bodies are always telling us how we can move closer to this harmony.
It is truly beautiful the alignment to the universe, what fascinates me is how much most of us fight this simple alignment in order to stay in our individuality. Incredible that we should seek this over the flow of the stars in our veins.
This is a mind blowing blog, its hard to believe that this is not front page news. I can attest to the fact that my period is a completely different experience than it once was. It never comes at work and if it does, I know that it is because the way I have been conducting my day, week or month. The other day I took a couple of days off to go away to Sydney but I knew that leading up to the trip I was stressed about going away and wasn’t myself, my period came while I was there, it was my days off, so technically it was behaving but my period is way more intelligent than that, I knew this was an indication of me being off point because I it did not feel right having my period on my weekend away. It is simple really, live in a way that supports your body and your body will support you.
When my period feels to be inconvenient in any way – when it arrives and how it is, it is me that is out of rhythm, and what my body reveals is a confirmation of the way I have been living.
I am appreciative of what you have written in this blog Vanessa; it is so supportive of women to claim their equality and their bodily cycles, thank you;
“I write this so women can have an opportunity to allow the veil to be lifted on the evil (morally wrong) that surrounds us, and to say that there is another way.”
A woman who has reclaimed her own body and an ever-deepening relationship with her own menstrual cycle (or moon cycle if no longer menstruating), knows that the cleansing she experiences when menstruating is not for herself alone.
We have allowed the most insidious of transgressions here – that this truth has not be deeply valued – and rather than receive the blessing so offered by the woman at-one with her body, it has been pushed, firmly indeed, away…
Agreed Vanessa, that The Way of The Livingness does no such thing, and actually offers the complete reverse – an honouring of the woman and her natural cycles and ways at the deepest level I know.
Perhaps by institutionalised religion owning God in some way they needed to extinguish any form of true power, especially that which came from a woman’s naturalness, from her cycle, and its potential to evolve others especially if she was connected to and honoured in her sacredness. They made that which is truly sacred its exact opposite. There is a peculiar arrogance to make any part of the womb of life, that which holds and births us all, wrong in any way. A woman does not just birth life, but she can birth us all into deeper divinity through the power of her sacred body and womb, through her power to hold and cleanse us – now, that is not just a purposeful gift from God but part of true religion (religion being that which returns us to the fullness of our divinity).
And then there are the countless cultural practices of women actually removing themselves from their communities whilst menstruating… Agreed Vanessa, we have allowed the truth of the woman to be shunned if not vilified, and described as ‘dirty’ if not ‘evil’…
One cannot but ask, how powerful is the woman’s cycle then, in relation to all within her sphere? How vehemently the service she has the capacity to offer has been resisted, that such an imbalance has held sway?
It is interesting that almost all current big religions do picture women as unclean during their period. It just does not make sense how a physical normal process would make a women unclean.
To consider that ‘all major religions of the last two thousand years have told women they are unclean’ gives us a true insight of how these religions are not bringing the love of God, they say they do. God will never favour a gender as the different qualities of men and women are precisely what is needed(designed) to bring us back where we are coming from, our divinity and leave earth and form behind. Living with and in cycles is feeling we are part of the grandness and the power of love.
Fascinating Vanessa, women have been reviled for their periods for a long time and while we laugh and mock at the ridiculousness of some of these things you’ve shared, their sentiment is still alive and well today. When one connects with the fact that a woman’s period offers something deeply precious for a woman and the connection with her body, there is little in our language or actions that reflects this level of honouring. Instead we have a series of derogatory, annoying or burdensome words to mark it’s arrival or presence, including having developed a whole segment of medicine dedicated to halting or manipulating it’s natural expression, thereby ignoring the wealth of communication it offers each woman every month in support of her evolution.
Throughout the ages there has been a targeted attack on the sacredness of a woman and what she offers. A woman in her essence shows us our truth and offers humanity a marker. When women honour themselves they bring back a tenderness and depth of love that we all know.
History exposes the lies, the denigration and control of women and now exposes that we can choose the path that feels true. There is much power in the fragility, tenderness and stillness of women. I too celebrate all that Serge Benhayon and Natalie Benhayon are living now – their reflection offers a future available to us all right now.
Awesome Vanessa. There was a time, where I too would have thought it a load of absolute rubbish. Cynical I was. I now know from experience as well as from observing the changes in women around me who choose to live a life of consistency in honouring themselves, that it is 100% possible for our periods to work with us and not against us. I’ve suffered awful period pain in the past and continue to do so now, but I’m very aware at the subtle changes that happen when I reflect on how I’ve been with myself.
The ideals and beliefs that are held in relationship to women and their menstrual cycle, are very archaic and totally without true foundations, and yet religion has used it to keep women as lesser, The Way of The Livingness has very much the opposite view where women are encouraged to reclaim their sacredness and their power, and their menstrual cycle is a time for true healing.
Our human bodies have a grace that supports all of our bodily systems to work together in harmony – so how could we ever consider that a female’s menstrual cycle is any less in its support of this collective harmony of the body as a whole?
It truely is beyond belief the way in which women have been vilified and demeaned by religions throughout the ages. It is deeply appreciated that The Way of The Livingness religion is changing this attitude and belief.
It is interesting why so much effort has gone into this belief that women are lesser and unclean and why it holds such a focus in religion. To me it doesn’t make sense, if God made us then that includes that he made the menstrual cycle for women too- therefore this to is divine. Why are so many religions so focused on ‘owning’ and ‘controlling’ a woman’s body??
Is it that a woman in her true power actually exposes the falsity of the ideals and beliefs these religions have run with?
I had never realised how much other religions saw women as unclean when menstruating. I can see now why women have so little self-worth if they are made to feel different and separate to the rest of the congregation when having a period. Women feel more vulnerable at this time and so in their sensitivity they would feel the separation even more. I can also see how this keeps women from stepping into their full power and this is what the priests and rabbis’ of all these religions fear most.This is one of the reasons I love the religion The Way of The Livingness, it is leading the way in honouring women and seeing them as equal and recognising that a woman in her sacredness is what is missing in this crazy world we live in today
Shining the light on the way forward for humanity is definitely what I see being presented by The Way of The Livingness. It feels amazing to be one of those woman who is beginning to feel and honour myself and seeing and feeling the incredible impact this has on everyone around me.
Appreciation and joy are constants every time when I receive my period, not that they are always on time or perfect, but every time they show me deeper what I already know, in the way that I am living, allowing me a deeper appreciation of myself, whether my choices support me or not.
Thank you for exposing these religions for how they look at women and taking away the veil over my eyes to what we accept as normal and acceptable when it should actually be not accepted at all.
Wow! That’s incredible! I have to say there was a period of time, that I too was being blessed with my period on days off work. And now reflecting back on the times when I wasn’t so ‘lucky’, it makes perfect sense, given how completely dishonouring of myself I was in that time. I will definitely be paying close attention moving forward.
Vanessa I could feel myself reacting to what you were sharing at the start of your blog. For it has been true in countless cultures and going back centuries if not longer. But perhaps it is our reactions that have made this as ridiculous as it is now. And reacting to something does not actually turn anything around and never challenges firmly held beliefs. It’s only been through re-learning to love my own body that I treasure every part for it is constantly communicating to me something much deeper than what I could ever think.
Thank you Vanessa for exposing the evil that supports the abuse and denigration of women, it is no surprise that these lies were conjured about the menstrual cycle when this is a time when a women is actually very clear and more deeply connected to herself. Instead of embracing and honouring the magic that comes with this, some Religions seek to further reduce the woman and the true power she holds.
To make women feel ashamed of being a woman is the ultimate form of abuse. From there the woman discounts herself, makes life about hiding, need, recognition and doing, which continues the abuse in the way she lives. Reclaiming the power of our cycles and honouring everything we feel is supporting the changes that humanity needs to make when it comes to how we view women.
Thank you Vanessa for a very beautiful blog, the women of today are missing out on so much understanding and healing by not realising the true purpose and power behind our menstruation. much appreciation goes to Natalie Benhayon for bring through the Our Cycles app that allows women to track and support themselves during their cycle.
Modern religion in its various forms has sought to diminish the role of women in all their varying capacities, and so it makes sense why the cycles of women have been bastardised and looked down upon as being something to be ashamed of. However, I am pretty sure many ancient religions honoured the menstrual cycle, particularly Paganism, which was a religion very honouring of the female form.The Way of the Livingness is therefore certainly not the first religion to honour women in all their ways, but certainly perhaps the most honouring that I have found. That being said, it is also worth remembering that the Way of the LIvingness is not actually a new religion either, but merely a new name given to a religious way of being that is as old as the ages.
Thank you for writing this Vanessa. it is one of the most amazing articles on the menstrual cycle that I have ever read. I have an amazing relationship with my periods thanks to Natalie Benhayon and I have found that my period supports me every single time it arrives, it knows when I will wake up before I do, it knows how busy my week is and it knows exactly what will come up in my life.
The fact that women’s cycles have been made to be dirty to me shows the power they hold. A reclaiming of this power will see a great shift in humanity.
‘BECAUSE A WOMAN WHO HONOURS HERSELF AND HER NATURAL CYCLES IS POWER-FULL.’ And this includes going into the mooncycle when we go into menopause and opening up to the true power of an elderly woman who knows she can bring her wisdom and her beauty of aging naturally.
I love your blog Vanessa. Even though it was almost 60 years ago I can still recall feeling a huge feeling of injustice when my mother was not allowed to go inside the Russian Orthodox church whilst my baby brother was being christened – she had to wait outside all alone because she was still bleeding which is normal for women post natally – my mum was regarded as unclean in the eyes of the church! Apalling to put it mildly!
Wow that is quite something to read Tamara! To feel the impact of being made to wait outside is horrendous. The more this is exposed and shared for what it is the way we have allowed ourselves to be suppressed and disconnect from the power of our periods is literally revolutionary in the true sense of the word not the empty force of feminism.
Thank you Vanessa for sharing such a powerful blog showing how the religions have over the last 2,000 years denigrated women all out of fear of the power a true woman connected to her cycles and deeply honouring herself can bring to this world. We are so blessed in this day and age to have the truth brought to us by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
Vanessa what you’ve shared is very powerful… and exposing. It is so true, women and menstruation is considered unclean in many of the major religions… in fact most religions I can think of consider women to be the lesser sex in some way or another, if not in their overt scriptures then in their actual practices.
I absolutely agree Susan Universal Medicine does remind us the true woman that is in us all waiting to be reconnected to and to be lived in full.
An beautiful blog Vanessa which exposes the ridiculousness of the ideals and beliefs that surround menstruation and women in religions; that is except for The Way of the Livingness. Like you I am eternally grateful to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for presenting the truth and Ancient Wisdom around these matters; and so many more.
Vanessa, this is a very revealing article. How insidious is the denigration and degradation of women in a huge percentage of our world. I have discovered a much lost warmth and immense care for humanity, this I have only felt since I too began to accept and then honour the woman that I am.
The whole world misses out when we do not realise and live the immense beauty we hold as women.
“I have come to know and experience for myself that our period is never late or early but always exactly on time for what is needed for you to clear and to support you. How beautiful and power-full is that?” Truly amazing Vanessa. Women in their true power are so awesome – no wonder the authorities way back – and even now – try to suppress and silence women. Time for us to claim ourselves with our full authority and deeply honour who we are and what we can bring to the world.
..’ “there is something God finds unacceptable about you”. I was suddenly struck by what I felt the cause of this systematic denigration of women on a grand scale was all about… fear. Fear of the true power of a woman who honours herself and her period.’ To see and feel how women were and still are treated as less and need to make themselves subservient to men. And we have all allowed this to happen, women and men. I have always felt the truth of our power but lived it like it couldn’t be shown and then manipulation kicks in instead of living true power.
Until learning about the Way of The Livingness, it had never ever been brought to my attention that women’s periods have been so dismissed. I knew it, but I knew it in the sense that I accepted it because I didn’t know any other way. But to actually appreciate the fact that for eons, we have been living with the misconception that women are less, unclean and impure is really quite outrageous.
Awesome Vanessa! What a miracle. I absolutely love that you experimented with the concept of honouring you and as a result your body listened. What a beautiful example of what we are all capable of. Due to being under a lot of stress this year, my periods have stopped. I’ve since made some significant changes to my life and feel quite strongly about the fact that it will return once I’m settled in my body again. Whilst not ideal from a physiological point of view, it has felt like a blessing as until now my periods have been extremely painful and not something I would have coped well with given everything going on. I can feel a shift is in process, and I’m ready to take a closer look at my attitude towards my period.
The cycles of the universe are there to support us -it is just that we have never been told how we can live in this way and when there is not understanding, ignorance grows, and we all lose out big time.
The power of a woman truly living in full in a woman’s sacred body and honouring her menstruation is certainly a light in the darkness of the subjugation of woman that has gone on for centuries.
How better to subjugate and entire sex than by condemning the sacred and powerful menstrual cycle as being unclean and rejected by God.
I agree that the root cause of the systematic denigration of women could indeed be from the foundational beliefs about women evident in all the major religions. There is no doubt that women who honour and embrace their cycle are indeed powerful and we are blessed to finally have a religion that presents that rather than bastardises it and in doing so perpetuates the inequality of the sexes.
It makes sense for religions to condemn periods, if periods make women more aware. It is ugly but it makes sense if you need to keep people suppressed.
This shows us, Vanessa, that our cycles are always there to support us in our living not to hinder or inconvenience us. We only feel the latter when we lose appreciation for the women we are and what we can bring to the world.
‘ALL THE MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE LAST TWO THOUSAND YEARS HAVE TOLD WOMEN THEY ARE UNCLEAN.’ Imagine if this could be the cover page headline on all the major newspapers – your message here is huge and needs to be heard worldwide – our bodies and our cycles are immensely powerful and should be celebrated – not oppressed.
It certainly would be news worthy Meg, I agree it is something that needs to be seen for what it is oppression of the sacred in not just women but in all of humanity as men are sacred too, we can’t shut one down without the other being shut down too.
It is not often as a man you ponder about periods and them being a religious or cultural tool being used to suppress women. However beyond that atrocious history, I did connect with the sacredness in the process of having a period and the power of healing that it brings to the planet, as half of the human race undergo that process. It is a clearing for all that women undertake and what a bizarre turn around to ostracise women for being unclean rather than celebrate them?
In the past, it was true to say that I would have perceived liking myself as a miracle. Sure liking my job, popularity, financial success and qualifications but not myself. Thanks to the great support of Serge Benhayon and his work through Universal medicine, I have been able to turn that right around and now, if I am not in a caring and loving connection with myself and appreciating feeling who I am, then the activity I go into in my day hardly seems worthwhile.
It is amazing Leonne and every woman can have access to this level of support and wisdom in their bodies, the sheer magic of feeling this connected to our cycles didn’t happen with lots of work but simply noticing and spending time checking in with how we are feeling everyday. I would love every woman in the world to know this truth. One day this will be so, in the meantime we keep connecting and knowing this and living this to inspire others.
A woman’s cycle is an essential and natural part of who she is as a woman and to live in disconnection to your cycle is to not appreciate the true woman that you are.
Beautiful Mary to not honour our cycle is to “not appreciate the true woman that we are” so true and what is amazing is that appreciation is so simple when we start and allow ourselves to see and feel what is there to appreciate.
‘The Way of the Livingness is my religion, and I thank God for the grace that I have come across Serge Benhayon and his family and the exemplary way they live that inspires me to live in the full glory that I and everyone else is.’ – Beautifully expressed and claimed Vanessa, what this true Religion offers humanity is powerful and amazing and is changing peoples lives in profound ways.
I would say that miracles are normal, not the walk on water, blind can see type of miracles but the no longer have asthma, sinusitis, thyroid imbalances, chronic heartburn to name a few conditions that I know people live free from but more than being healthier and more committed to life with less depression than the average community – significantly less, we are willing to make lasting changes to our lives that can inspire anyone we know. The Way of the Livingness has a foundation of love and support to reconnect to the fact you are a son of god equal to all it is a blessing to be a part of this religion.
Our bodies are always working for us even when we think they are not.
I have travelled in countries where there are signs up on Temple gates forbidding menstruating women to enter and even back then thinking how outrageous this was. Why have many religions sort to keep women in a lesser state when if we truly want to evolve we all need to take part equally.
To me there is no mistake that women have been placed in a position of shame and disgust over their periods as it harks back to the days when women oppressed men and abused their power, so it makes sense that men will continue to try and keep women from living in touch with the innate power which is in the heart of their reproductive system in the cervix. Women have bowed down, allowed and colluded with the suppression fearing their own power. That is what is so important about The Way of the Livingness women are reconnecting to their power not with a drive or need for supremacy but to be equal to men which is lived in our community with ease.
Great writing Ness, the message very powerful and the importance of the cycle for both women and men is so over looked. Just by you writing this very powerful and straight shooting blog, the wheels of change just speed up a notch.
This blog is a great expose on why women are denigrated in society. But equally Vanessa’s question asking why women gave up on themselves and what we knew so long ago, is equally as important.
Beautiful Beautiful Vanessa, real loving message to hear again – and you are so right! We as women carry an enormous strength that is feared by many and even ourselves – the reason why we had given this knowing power away at the first place. But what if, like you shared with us Vanessa, are able to claim it back today – to return to our nurturious power – I guess this whole ‘shaming, unclean’ conscious would fear itself and drift away. So I am on to it – lets claim it back very today!
Vanessa what you have presented here blows me away – ‘ALL THE MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE LAST TWO THOUSAND YEARS HAVE TOLD WOMEN THEY ARE UNCLEAN.’ This is massive and so insidiously evil, because like you I have found that the more I connect to my cycle the more deeply I know myself, the more deeply I know my body, and the more powerful I feel as a women. I can’t help but feel that this blog should be globally available, I wonder how many women have been affected by this? This really needs to be talked about by every woman.
That is really true Meg how many woman have been affected by this, I would say conservatively everyone! I love how you describe deepening your relationship with yourself with the connection to your cycle. That is all that is needed is more and more of us living this and our true power will easily change what is the current status quo.
I don’t think ‘everyone’ is an over-statement! What we are taught and have accepted as normal when it comes to our cycles and menstruation is so far away from the amazing relationship with them that’s possible.
That is a key part to own that we as women have gone along and facilitated this perception of women being powerless and less than men, we have been active parties to it energetically. My understanding now is that it is an avoidance of responsibility for our power preferring to be anything but the true light and power that we all naturally are. Power comes with responsibility.
We most definitely are all equal in light! Everything this exposed as being an illusion in this understanding of life.
Vanessa this blog is powerful, thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences with your menstrual cycle. It certainly feels like a challenge for women to honour their bodies at this time but when we do our true self and our part in the bigger cycle is revealed.
It is interesting the use of the word challenge as it implies a struggle, and that is our perception that it is too hard too change the status quo, institutions etc but from my experience outline above no effort or difficulty was experienced in the changes occurring it was in fact very natural and effortless what was required was my dedication and willingness to turn up everyday and notice and then write about how I felt and my body felt. It is simple really the fact we create mountains out of mole hills is a saying that sums this up well. We are so much more powerful than we can even imagine with our minds.
Yes like a pearl that is coming out of its shell – we as women are so deeply beautiful, like a shining pearl but even more beautiful. This beauty is not defined by outer appearance but by inner rest. Love your blog Vanessa, I will recommend it to read to my sister woman friends.
Yes it is no mistake that pearls are loved by woman the world over, it is a beautiful symbol of what we are naturally effortlessly spherically beautiful.
We are absolutely amazing and I am in awe of the way we can honour our bodies and they honour us back. Also I am so grateful that I am right where I am and am able to reimprint myself with the gorgeousness of being a woman.
Having a religion that holds all equally and honours the wisdom and Livingness within all of us is a blessing beyond any I could have imagined and gets deeper every day.
The Way of the Livingness is my religion too and I never thought I would call myself religious after my experience with the Catholic Church, giving my power away to an institution which places God outside of us. Knowing the Way of the Livingness is knowing God is inside me and my connection with God is felt in my body.
You are still exactly the same women regardless of what time of the month it is and whether you have your period or not. For any person or religion to claim that a women is unclean or less in anyway simply because they are menstruating is absolutely absurd to me.
Further, if women are considered dirty while they are menstruating by so many religious beliefs, how do theses same religions explain the how and why they get ‘dirty’ in the first place???
Rowena as I see it, we became very attached to family and invested in how the world is and once we did this we became separated from love and started to shy from truth, and from that point we walked a path away from our hearts and then we had to deny our power as we would have to feel the fact we chose to be less than our divine origins.
Thank you for sharing Maryline and your awesome recognition of what was coming. I too was very sick with flu at the start of the millennium and it felt like an amazing clearing of the old that left me ready to embark on a new path that ultimately led me to the beauty and all encompassing nature of Way of the Livingness
Thank you Vanessa for exposing the harm perpetrated by religions down the ages that have tried to suppress the power of women connected to their menstrual cycle. Thank goodness for the Way of the Livingness and the opportunity to expand our awareness and honour our bodies whether still menstruating or not.
The Way of the Livingness holds that men and women are equal and that cycles, menstrual or otherwise, are a key part of our natural rythmn, there to be observed, respected and worked with. I know of no other religion that brings explanation to the natural laws of things as a way to support ourselves in our evolution.
This is an amazing and powerful blog Vanessa. The Way of the Livingness is the only true religion I know of that respects men and women equally and honours the menstrual cycle and all it offers women. I am also grateful for meeting Serge Benhayon and experiencing The Way of the Livingness as my religion also – it has been truly beautiful and life changing.
I have started to see that we are always living within cycles not just our menstrual period but everything is governed by a cycle. There is a natural order and rhythm to us opening up to this had made me feel supported and develop more of an understanding of how everything has the potential to work in harmony.
Nicole I too am feeling that more and more, I suddenly became very interested in the stars and the dance of the moon and venus across our night skies, amazing. To be rediscovering this magic around and in us is what Universal Medicine has given us back, eternally grateful!
I agree and a woman’s period is one of the most obvious, opening the door to other cycles that are also there.
Vanessa you really have stripped away some mistruths here and exposed a force that has been allowed by women to dominate us for eons. I have been aware of my cycles but will bring a fuller understanding to honouring my rhythm now as I deeply feel the responsibility to the power and Wisdom I bring as a women.
It’s hard to believe in this day and age there are still these beliefs about women and their periods – not a lot of change since the days of Hypatia, it would seem.
I think one of the biggest things I realised when I read this blog and when we say “period” is that we believe it is some mystical thing. But when you speak about how it became lighter when your next working day is heavy, it made sense. It is the one body- it knows what it is doing and it knows how to support us the best, our body does everything for us- it is just for us to listen more closely and return to the natural rhythm of what our body feels. And to re-claim our power and no longer accept our periods to be denigrated by anyone. I love what you have written here about the power of women. It is what the world needs.
This is a great article Vanessa exposing what women have allowed and the potential they are denying. One by one, the Way of the Livingness is inspiring us to reclaim a loving relationship with ourselves and our cycles and bring forth the extraordinary beauty and power we all possess.
Yes Samantha bring forth all that extraordinary yet innate beauty and power that we ALL possess, everyone no exceptions.
Yes, as women it’s time to reclaim our menstrual cycles (or the full moon cycle in the absence thereof) back from the lies the major religions would have us believe. A woman honouring herself within her cycles is incredibly powerful and has an enormous amount to bring to humanity. The Way of the Livingness is a religion which fully supports and encourages women to honour themselves.
What you have written here Vanessa is so true; “. . . a woman who honours herself and her natural cycles is power-full.”
Your whole blog is very powerful and revealing; it is shameful the way other religions view and treat women.
The Way of the Livingness is also my religion; what a divine blessing.
This whole article is very powerful Vanessa, thank you for sharing. The deceit concerning woman and their cycles is deeply entrenched in society “I was suddenly struck by what I felt the cause of this systematic denigration of women on a grand scale was all about… fear. Fear of the true power of a woman who honours herself and her period.” We as woman are powerful and as you say it is not about blaming men for this not being expressed, however it is great to state where this deceit has taken place. We all have a choice everyday to live in full who we are and honour our natural cycles and ways of expression. An empowering and illuminating subject to ponder….
Vanessa, you ask some very pertinent questions here that point to choice, responsibility and even the dis-honouring of a woman’s own power that only opened up fear and subjugation; of man over woman in many of the organised religious belief systems of today. Reading your post, it is clear to me that this suppression has been but allowed and condoned by both sexes such that it has today become ingrained in the psyche of many. And that when we re-connect back to the naturalness of us, and our cycles, and stand firm in our ground, that a re-claiming of the truth is possible for both genders who honour each other equally. The Way of The Livingness is the vehicle for this, because it reverses back towards the natural seat of Love .
Great call, Vanessa, so needed!
Vanessa this is an amazing and powerful blog, I feel expanded just from reading it!
Thank you! There is so much in this blog. Religion, discrimination, women’s health and so much more. Girls are rarely told that their periods are something amazing. They are rarely told their periods are a support and a time to rest and honour themselves. Thank you for writing this to share with others the blessing of being a woman (with or without a period I might add) and to undo the curse of those who would have you believe otherwise.
Hear, hear, Vanessa. “Our period is never late or early but always exactly on time for what is needed for you to clear and to support you” – this does confirm my experiences of my period arriving at a perfect timing, but I was only seeing it from ‘oh, how convenient’ point of view and never really appreciated the full extent of what it meant, and how truly powerful it would be when this is fully claimed. So, thank you.
Reading your blog as a man brings tears to my eyes, as I feel moved by the truth of what your saying and honoured to be able to read about women and the truth about their menstruation cycles. I feel the power of women connected deeply and honouring their bodies, tenderness and beauty. As men we need to support this, as we desperately need women to be all that they are.
Wow Vanessa what a great joy to read your powerful blog – it is so empowering!!! All veils were lifted . . . I have to admit that I am a bit sad that I could not find out by myself about the possibility and power that I can change my period cycle because I am in menopause. So I have to wait for this wonderful experience until my next life – but I can live a life as a menopause woman in true sexiness.
I can relate. I feel bereft that I spent 30 years without any awareness of the beauty that lay within, it is extraordinary to me that we chose to just not pay attention to something so amazing! It is one of the most amazing things that has come out of being a student of the Livingness.
Yes Vanessa I totally agree and therefore I love to watch and listen to the women who are still having their periods – it is so mind-blowing wonderful what they have to share!
This is so powerful Vanessa, the way that we as women can reclaim our power through honouring our cycles still amazes me. I can feel how supportive our bodies can be if we treat them with true care and this is what the way of the Livingness offers, a true opportunity to develop a loving relationship with ourselves and through that we have the opportunity to inspire others.
It’s interesting that the very thing that keeps a woman clear and connected to herself and God is defiled as unclean. I have had a history of amenorrhea and skipped periods and now that my periods have returned and I pay attention to my menstrual cycles recording any symptoms and feelings in my body I have so much more understanding about who I am. Having this intimate relationship with my menstrual cycle has allowed me to understand how to care for myself. This is what the Way of the Livingness has taught me – how to develop a loving way to look after myself and it is this that has allowed my periods to now be regular.
It’s amazing what truly caring for ourselves can bring about with our periods and bodies, I truly am continually loving the magic that the body holds and starting to see that magic is me.
Hasn’t it always been that people reacted with rejection on what they can’t understand? A body bleeding in it’s own rhythm, every four weeks, and stopping after a few. That’s a miracle. Hair grows constantly. Physical reactions are caused by stimulation. But the period? Maybe that’s another aspect why the rejection comes across. Whatever scares needs to be killed? Why not simply look at it’s beauty. And any religion that denies or excludes another isn’t a religion – in my eyes. It an exclusion of some having common interests. And in many religions it’s the power of men that is defended. A true beauty to me to see the truth that Universal Medicine delivers.
Wow this is such a powerful blog Vanessa, ‘I have come to know and experience for myself that our period is never late or early but always exactly on time for what is needed for you to clear and to support you.’ This is amazing, I have been aware recently of how this is happening to me, that my period seems to be coming when i have a rest day, i have only made the link and been aware of this because i read your article previously, otherwise i would not have noticed.
Very powerful, truthful and strong statement straight to the point, Vanessa.
It reminded me of going to new age Christian church some years ago. The image of woman there – the bride of Grist – was one of no make up, no trousers, no haircut, no even slightest indication of sexuality. And of course nobody ever spoke about periods, cycles or stillness.
So far from what is presented by amazing Natalie Benhayon-truly beautiful and sexy-super wise and connected to her femininity. The app Our Cycles, the Secret Movement for women, all the presentations, Women in Livingness Magazine-everything is there to honour women, to support them in re-claming their power and work together with men toward harmony.
I follow this religion.
You live this religion, not follow, as there is nothing to follow, rather everything to live, learn and connect to.
This is a super powerful blog Vanessa – thank you. What you have delivered has invited me to deepen my awareness with my cycle and honor even more how powerful we truly are. How our bodies are such a beautiful and divine instrument that guides us to live harmoniously, if we chose to listen and honor the truth that it offers. The Way of the Livingness as presented by Serge Benhayon has also inspired me to re-claim my love and truth in so many ways including honoring the power of our cycles, in that they are always offering opportunities to heal and return to who we truly are. Yes indeed, a religion that truly empowers all, as equals. As even within our own cycles, on this earth we are all part of the same one eternally unifying cycle.
What a marvellous gift the menstrual cycle is for women. A time to reflect on how we have been living and a time to clear and support ourselves, provides a great opportunity to bring us back to honouring our fragility.
What I also love Deidre is that this isn’t just for women who menstruate but for everyone, men and women who can follow the full moon cycle, which is in itself a powerful cycle to connect to and heal with.
It really is Vanessa, as when I had amenorrhea (absent periods) just resting as much as possible when the full moon was present to connect with my body and reflect on how my life had been over the previous month and what changes needed to be made going forward, was a pivotal part of my periods returning. I got to understand myself so much more.
Vanessa I absolutely outstanding expose of the attitude of religion towards women. I love the line that women who honour their cycles are powerful and it make me think no wonder there has been a deliberate lessening of women in religions. The Way of the Livingness understands the true power women offer which I too am very grateful for.
I remember well during my visits to Nepal, where I went to visit a temple and there was this sign saying that I could not enter when I had my period, how dishonoring and disrespectful this felt. Of course I had my period on the specific day. And yes, I did enter the temple. It made me realize how religions have no honoring for a woman’s cycle and how ingrained this is within religions. But not only in regards to our cycle, because saying no to a woman’s cycle, is also saying no to all that we are and the enormous power we carry within us.
It is for us to reclaim that, and it is a returning to what we already know. I love this line as it is so simple yet the key in understanding that all I am doing is returning to something I know and that is held deeply within, not running around looking for an epiphany from something outside of myself.I have to remind myself of this constantly as I get caught up and distracted.
Wow. How power full are we to be blessed with cycles. I have secretly know this and have never shared this beautiful knowing with others. When reading your words Vanessa, I also had a similar experience when I was to give birth. My body waited for my husband to finish his work and then I went into labor. The cycles brings a stillness and a sacredness to a woman. A true connection. Could this be what is feared and needed to be hindered under the false beliefs of unclean and defiles in her touch. Could the opposite be really true. In her stillness she is healing,cleansing and blesses everything she touches.
.
I feel Concetta that we are only at the tip of the power that is truly in all women. A powerful woman, can as you share, heal, cleanse and bless everything and everyone she is contact with, and beyond that the whole universe, as everything is connected.
This statement that you have made is so true Vanessa “. . . a woman who honours herself and her natural cycles is power-full.” and why she is powerful is because honouring one’s natural cycles is honouring and connecting with God and true power.
I have come to understand my body and my periods in a whole new way since studying with Universal Medicine. This understanding has led to a much healthier supportive way of living.
“I write this so women can have an opportunity to allow the veil to be lifted on the evil (morally wrong) that surrounds us, and to say that there is another way.” – You certainly have shown here Vanessa that there is another way.
You’re so right Vanessa, every other religion diminishes women and their periods. This has always had me in disbelief. I think that is why the Way of the Livingness just felt so normal and natural- as it’s not imposing on anyone that they are wrong or right…you just being you and loving it!
‘our period is never late or early but always exactly on time’, This is my experience also, when it does happen like this it allows me to feel the depth with which I support myself in the way I live. It is awesome.
I totally agree Lisa. All our cycles are very supportive and according to divine timing.
Awesome article Vanessa…I love your expression and could have kept reading and reading. I too have experienced months where my body has altered my menstruation start date so it comes at a time when I do not have too much on and can rest. I am in awe of the wisdom of the body and am finding the more love and deep care I bring to myself, the more my body responds in turn by supporting me on a deeper level. We are in constant communication with our bodies and simply need to give ourselves permission to listen.
I too are in awe of my body and how much it wants to support me to clear to be all that I am! Recently I started deepening my commitment to noticing how my body is daily, just simple checking in and once again I am blown away with how much impact this has on my actual period being less heavy, less painful etc. I am my own n=1 experiment and the more we pay attention to that our body the more amazing simple day to day living can be.
This is a cracker of an article Vanessa, so many questions you have raised the most poignant I feel is ‘Why did women give up on themselves and what they knew all those years ago?’.
It is crazy that inside all men and women know and feel the truth of who we are, we can connect deeply with our bodies and we have a clarity with the way we move through our days if it is so allowed, accepted and lived. And yet at some point women gave up on themselves, on their power and the misuse of man over woman becomes the norm.
What is even crazier that with reincarnation being a truth we don’t just come back as men or women but both sexes so we all know how powerful women are. There is much more at play here than we realise – Vanessa your article starts the deeper pondering and reflection.
Absolutely Lee reincarnation makes our take on inequality really peculiar! Much more at play as you say. The only way forward that I see is the ever deepening relationships with ourselves what ever the gender we enhouse!
Its true Vanessa, both genders are subject and aligned to the cycles of the planet, all through life, from birth to death. We all have the opportunity to deepen our relationship with ourselves, all the time. Amazing and beautiful.
I am so grateful for teachers such as Serge Benhayon and Natalie Benhayon that have presented the truth of a woman’s menstrual cycle and how healing it is for the whole of humanity. I am also grateful to call The Way of the Livingness my religion for the equality it brings to us all.
I fully agree with what you wrote Vanessa. Menstruation is something that a lot of women themselves do not like. They consider it as a “monthly bother” (or something that slows them down). If all girls (boys as well) are shown how important menstruation is, perhaps a lot of women will start to look at it differently. And this shift will lead to many people starting to question why is it that some religions consider women, when they are having menstruation “un clean”.
Wow! Being a man, I had never really thought too much about how the religions viewed menstruation. I am aware that most religions view women as second class citizens who can’t lead a religious service or can only play a supportive role. I have often pondered on why this is in religion and the broader community also. I feel that a women who is truly connected to herself is so powerful and strong that men feel threated by this, rather than admire this, and therefore try to suppress women – and women have allowed it. A revealing and thought provoking blog Vanessa. Thank you for sharing this.
Lee I hadn’t given it any thought until it was staring me in the face one day! Amazing isn’t how these things can escape our radar and be happening with apparently no real awareness it is going on. I agree with you Lee that not only are men threatened by a women’s power so are women afraid of their own power!
It is not surprising that men have found a way throughout history to ‘condemn a woman’ during her menstruation – it has become perfectly clear to me that a woman who honours who she truly is in every aspect of her life is truly power-full in the stillness, grace and fragility that she reflects – which allows me as a man in her presence, to forego the illusions of what I thought it meant to be a powerful man, instead realising that my true power rests in my similar qualities of stillness in motion, tenderness and love.
That is beautiful Greg how you share the influence of how a women in her essence is supportive to others to be in theirs.
Wow, I have gotten so much out of your blog Vanessa. Particularly my realization that I have not once been considered unequal, unworthy, or unclean in my religion, The Way Of The Livingness. In fact I am celebrated to bring my full power out as a woman and to not hold it back to make others feel comfortable.
Wow, Vanessa this is so absolutely amazing. Reclaiming the true power of women is a pending task and very much needed as we have been reduced to a bodily object with good or bad functioning and our body has mainly been seen under reproductive qualities and never in the fullness that it brings. Most of the teenagers I work with have painful periods and they feel like being victims of the female cycle instead of appreciating it and understanding the truth about it. It is crucial to raise awareness about the truth of our bodies!
It is crucial as you say Rachel that we bring the truth of how amazing our bodies are and share with those who want to know. It is truly remarkable how our bodies really respond to us paying attention to how we feel.
Once again, I’m honoured to have read a blog by an open author, who’s sharing on a subject that fascinates me, but that I have little experience with. Cycles are in all that we do, it makes wonderful sense that menstruation occurs at a most empowering moment for a woman – of course encouraged, if not dictated by the level of honouring and connection to their rhythm.
Love your blog Vanessa and I love your quote in this comment. So much that purports to be love in many of the major religions has not an ounce of love in it. Fighting in the name of God, denigrating women, anything that keeps people, races, sexes, cultures, nations in separation of, or opposition to, each other is not love. That simple.
Amazing Vanessa. I felt pulled to read this today as I’ve been really enjoying getting to know myself on a deeper level through listening to and honouring my cycles. As a result my sleep is much more sound as I am not fighting as much against what my body is saying and providing it with the rest that it needs. I always enjoy reading this blog as you’ve written it with such wisdom and it is an eye-opener really. We as women give our power away by not honouring our cycles, the world is then dominated by lies about who and what women are.
Thanks Shevon, I too have re read this blog and it is really powerful. It is amazing, simply amazing how much our bodies respond to the very very simple task of paying attention to ourselves and our feelings. It never ceases to amaze me, and what is deeply sad, is there are literally millions of women walking around with no awareness that they are this amazing! Time for a change.
Well said shevonsimon. Menstruation is the completely natural cycle of a women that occurs according to their own divine rhythm. Honouring your body and your cycle is one of the most nourishing and empowering things a women can do not only for themselves, but for all woman and all others equally.
Wow Vanessa, what a power full blog exposing the current religions and their view on women having their periods and in general. It is so awful to say that women are unclean when they have their period and it really does not make sense to accept it either. Thank God for the Way of the Livingness, a true religion that honours women and their periods in a way that makes common loving sense.
Only a true religion could honour both men and women equally as we are all equal! It is extraordinary how far we have wandered off this path of equality and into separation – we can see the effects everywhere, it is truly time for another way!
Yes, we are all equal and I find it extraordinary how much religions are able to preach and legally act contrary to that.
Absolutely agree vanessahawthorne, and I find it quite shocking how people obey to all those often self abusive rules even though they know they are not true. We have gone so off track that we don’t even realize how we are ruled by those forces. It is absolutely time for another Way!
Well said Lieke. Even though I do agree menstruation is both very cleansing and clearing for a females body this does not mean they are dirty in anyway before their period. The true concept of clearing, cleansing and being clean has been completely reinterpreted and misinterpreted in this belief.
The religion I was born into didn’t say that woman were not allowed to take communion or were unclean during their menstrual cycle, but I do know women were not allowed to be Ministers at that time but some are now accepted. I was aware that woman had the supporting role the stay at home Mother, child carer , housewife, lover and many more roles that made the life of their husband “easier”. It took 60years,( until I became a Student of Universal Medicine} and The Way of The Livingness for me to really feel that I am a valued member of the human race and that just being myself is OK, actually more than OK. Being a woman is divine even in the elder years we don’t have a use by date, that we are considered to have wisdom we can share that is appreciated and valued. Thank you Serge Benhayon and Natalie Benhayon for the teachings you share. Thank you Vanessa for a great blog.
Two things have stood out in your comments Lyndy as I read and they are:
1) the fact that men cannot help but love the power of stillness in a woman and her nurturing ways as they have that in them too and
2) that it is WE (women) who have lessened ourselves as we side with the belief that we are anything but Divine. WOW! Just like Vanessa’s blog both reveal that there is so much more to us and so much more we could be living. I feel so open to finding out more through getting to know my cycle more intimately.
Wow! This is a powerful blog Vanessa!! The fact that The Way of the Livingness is all about healing and healing is about cycles and what happens in the body sets this religion apart from the other ones. The fact that this religion promotes adjusting your life to the cyclical reality we inescapable belong to sets it apart as well. Going back to Vanessa opening remarks, this is also a unique religion in appreciating women for what they truly are; for their unique qualities. In addition to my own reasons, what you bring forth in this blog reaffirms and expands on why The Way of the Livingness is also my religion.
More than that, The Way of the Livingness supports women in their strength. Their cycles are a strength in their life – if they get ignored they become a weakness but only then.
Thank you Christoph. Before The Way of the Livingness and Universal Medicine I had no awareness of cycles. Yes I had my period and bled, but there was not a way of living in rhythm with my menstrual cycle, taking notice of my body and adjusting accordingly. Now I love having the awareness that my menstrual cycle is an integral part of being a woman and that there is so much I am learning about myself and my body when I take notice. For example I know when my period is coming as I feel a subtle change in my body. When I checked my calendar recently I was spot on and it was just 8 days before. I found myself asking “OK, how can I look after myself best in these next 8 days in preparation for my period coming – what do I need?” Just asking this question and acknowledging that my body has entered a different phase of it’s cycle allows me to look out for and take notice of subtle messages that will support me e.g. It might be more sleep, certain foods, more quiet time