Mindful Menstruation’ 101 by Gina Castellanos

Over the past few years the conversation about menstruation has been changing. Now, instead of being that annoying moment of the month, women are starting to see it as a sacred time, part of a sacred cycle, and breaking the stigmas associated with bleeding.

One Latina who has been a pioneer in the topic, is writer and podcaster, Gina Castellanos. Gina, a born and raised Mexican, always felt the need to talk without taboos about one of the most natural things that exist; women’s cycles. She never understood why in Mexico whenever she was buying menstrual products, they were put inside a black bag as if she was buying something she should be ashamed of, or how if your period appeared unexpectedly, you would go into panic mode hoping you would not be staining and whispering to your girlfriends if they had a pad they could give you. All of course, in the most discreet manner just because openly handing a pad was not cool.

These are just some of the many taboos that surround menstruation. Women are often made feel as “dirty” when they are on their periods, Rabbies don’t shake a woman’s hand if she is in her period and the list goes on and on.

However, no one taught us, women, how to understand our cycles and how sacred and wonderful they are. Afterall, without menstruating, none of us would be here. And that is what Gina talks in her book Menstruación Consciente. It’s an invitation to be empowered by your period, not scared, and a path to do it that is also freindly with the enviroment.

After reading this book, you most likely will never wear tampons or pads, and you would control your blood evacuation the same way you control your urge to pee. A must-read for all of us, not just women.