LAVENDAR - PART 3 | PHYSICAL
Here are a few basic facts:
Plant family - lamiaceae aka mint family
Botanical name - lavandula angustifolia – meaning to wash and narrow-leaf
Best time to plant/sow - early spring time
Best time to pick - mid-summer through to late autumn/early winter. Hint: English lavender starts to slowly die after flowering
Heya lovely one! Thanks for being here and delving into the wonderful world of herbs with me.
If you're new here, firstly, welcome : ) And secondly I want to make it very clear that Mama Luna is a plaform for women to rediscover, reclaim, reconnect to redefine our womanhood. This is a platform for trauma transformation and healing; I do this through connecting to our inner power, intentions and understanding our body systems.
This is NOT a space to trauma bond. I repeat: THIS IS NOT A SPACE TO TRAUMA BOND.
Now, let's get to to it!
If you haven't ready part one or two, click to check them out. This post will make more sense if you do...just say'n. Also, lavender bushes are still in bloom so get to picking before they die off, hurry!
In part 1, I wrote about some body systems that lavender affects. In this post we'll touch on these parts:
our pelvic floor area
central nervous system
hippocampus - regulating learning, memory encoding, memory consolidation, and spatial navigation.
amygdala - a major processing center for emotions. It also links your emotions to many other brain abilities, especially memories, learning and your senses
basal ganglia - motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions
Please don't stress about memorising these parts of the brain and their functions - I'll be speaking about them more as these posts go on.
READY? LET'S GO!
Our pelvic floor area is a beautiful complex network of muscles, most of which are encased within our pelvic bone. The muslce external to our pelvic bone are our:
pubis mons - don't know what this is? Looks it up - self education and empowerment here we come!
glutes
hip muscles
You may have heard that stress builds up on our hips and it just sort of stays there. Well, this is true and can leave our hips feeling sore and tight.
You see, stress starts out as an emotional response which turns physical. Our hypothalamus - remember this from part one? - triggers our amygdala and basal ganglia which then triggers our hippocampus. So imagine the last three having a super quick conversation to decipher what's happening and make a decision as to how to navigate the stress-inducing situation.
They send a message to your pituitary gland - again from part one - to create and release cortisol which then flows through your body. The cortisol activates yoor hip muscles - particularly your hip flexors - ready for fight/flight/freeze mode.
Your central nervous system at this point is working overtime to reroute blood and oxygen, and alter your vision to help navigate what it's perceived as panic. If like me, you have a history of PTSD, trauma or experience chronic stress, your central nervous system will have a separate conversation with your:
amygdala
hippocampus
basal ganglia
in relation to memory and emotional responses. Basically, they'll think you'll have been triggered and will work to navigate that.
LET'S KEEP ON!
Once that particular period of stress has passed, the energy of stress is still lingering in your brain. In order for your brain to function properly and focus on regulating your breathing, evenly distribute oxygen and blood and return full eye-sight, it needs to discharge this energy. Which is does by sending it to the next strongest muscle in your body: your heart. Your heart takes this energy, multiplies it - simply because this organ acts as a generator, and similar to your brain, needs to function so dispels the energy and hormone to the next strongest muscle: your hip flexors.
Which brings us back to your pelvic floor area.
Sidenote: when I mention strongest muscles, it's more so the ones that are highly functional during fight/flight as opposed to strength.
From your hip flexors, there's no where else for the energy to go. So it just stays there; sitting on your muscles, turning them and the environment around them acidic. This can result in:
long, heavy menstruation
painful menstruation
hot flushes for those who are peri/menopausal
fibroids and endometriosis
prolonged stress
an overall disconnection from your Yoni
P.S. if you experience any of the above physical symptoms, check out the PERIOD POWER Yoni steam blend. You won't regret it, I promise!
This is where the wonderful anti-spasmodic property of lavender absolutely shines!
It relaxes your muscles and helps to break down acid just sat on your muscles, thus encouraging the flow of fresh oxygen and blood. And remember in part one about the messages your body receives from lavender? Just imagine your whole being melting into a state of calm.
The most effective way to experience this is through a Yoni steam so....
Want help or to have space held for you whilst you steam? Look no further! I love holding space and not to toot my own horn, but I'm darn good at it toot toot (d'ya get it!) As someone who lived in
Outside of Yoni steaming, why not try taking in lavender as a tea? I have a small range of teas that are hand-blended with this magical herb to help bring you back home to self.
That's enough for this post I reckon, there's a lot to digest and I truly hope it helps you understand your body as well as brings some sort of empowerment. Until next time...
