GUILT Free Hibernation.
An article for women who experience guilt or shame when they desire to REST & are ready to practice Guilt Free Hibernation as they learn to live within their cyclical design.
Learning to live cyclically is about saying NO to the patriarchal pace and saying YES to yourself.
We are in Winter.
It’s ok to sleep longer than usual.
It’s ok to NOT want to rush.
It’s ok to not want to be social.
To NOT write that blog or newsletter.
To let slide your list of “to-do’s”.
It’s ok to not answer those emails.
To close the door and…
Take time just for YOU.
It’s ok.
We are in Winter.
It’s time to hibernate and…
It’s ok to allow that to be ok.
Are you an “Ever-Ready” battery?
We live in a world that asks to always be outward facing. To be like “Ever-Ready” batteries, always switched on, fired up and ready to go. And when we struggle to keep up or maintain the pace, a sense of shame or guilt descends, we berate ourselves and question what is wrong with us.
But the truth is… We women are NOT designed to work that way.
We are cyclical beings, designed to operate within our cyclical design and when we don’t… that’s when things go ary.
Learning to “live cyclically” is about saying NO to the patriarchal pace that celebrates endless productivity and to instead say YES to yourself.
Learning to live in a way that honours your natural rhythms, needs and desires in the outer seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; And the inner seasons of our menstrual, hormonal and fertility cycles.
We are not taught to live within our cyclical design.
Right now, here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are in the outer season of Winter. The most Yin time of the year. Connected to the feminine qualities of drawing inward, of hibernation, of deep rest and restoration. A time that naturally draws us into a healing cocoon.
Our modern world DOESN’T teach us to honour the cycle of these seasons; nor does it teach us to live within our cyclical design.
Learning to “Live Cyclically” is about learning to live in a way that honours your natural rhythms, needs and desires in the outer seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; And the inner seasons of your menstrual, hormonal and fertility cycles.
It’s about learning to say NO to the patriarchal pace that celebrates endless productivity and achievement and to instead learning to say YES to yourself.
Letting go of the sense of shame or of feeling “weak” because you can’t “keep up”. A shame that only exists because of the patriarchal pace.
There is NO SHAME in taking time to rest.
The Patriarchal pace celebrates achievement.
What if your greatest achievement today was to take a nap?
How does that feel in your body?
What emotions does it provoke?
This is an interesting exploration if you are open to it.
We prepare for each season in the season before it.
In the holistic teachings of East Asian Medicine we learn that “we prepare for each season in the season before it” and when we honour our “Winter” seasons (both outer and inner) we prepare ourselves for the coming of “Spring”.
When I first started to learn about the menstrual cycle (at almost 40… Go figure) I had been experiencing yet another burnout and was searching for answers. When my teacher at the time said “women try to stay in a perpetual spring/ summer that inevitably leads to burnout“, my ears pricked up and I knew this was something I needed to listen to.
I understood so completely that she meant we try to maintain this “ever-ready” energy without resting in the “Winter” before it. But the truth was I had no clue what it was to honour “Winter” in any cycle let alone the menstrual, hormonal cycle. I celebrated my ability to push through and get the job done no matter what the cost. The result of that however, was debilitating anxiety, depletion and burnout.
Resting in Winter prepares us for Spring.
5 element theory teaches us that “Winter” (again outer and inner) is the season connected to the Water element. The organs of the Water element are the kidneys and the urinary bladder. The kidneys are connected to our energy production and our longevity (our ability to live long and well).
When we honour our need to sleep more, to NOT be as social as we might usually be, to spend time alone, to take a nourishing bath and honour our natural desire to draw in… We nourish our Water element. And in doing so we nourish our kidneys, restoring and replenishing our energy and vitality and preparing ourselves for the productivity of “Spring”. Which let’s be honest is much needed; We are no good to anyone burnt-out and depleted.
Not resting affects our creativity.
Asian medicine also teaches us that “Water is the wellspring from which creativity flows”.
When we take time to rest, we cultivate the space for our creative juices to flow and if we rest enough then come Spring (again… outer and inner) we will have the energy we need to formulate plans to take those new creative ideas forward and bring them to tangible form.
Not resting in Winter impacts our Menstrual Cycle.
On the physical level, stress (resulting from lack of sufficient rest and also remedied through rest) affects the menstrual, hormonal cycle on multiple levels. One of our sex hormones, Progesterone is used to balance the stress hormones when needed — Aka when we are stressed.
Progesterone also keeps its sister sex hormone Oestrogen in check. These two support and balance each other. When Progesterone is used to support our stress hormones, Oestrogen goes into excess which can cause irregular periods, increased PMS, breast tenderness, fatigue, weight gain, headaches, hair loss, depression plus much more.
In 5 element theory, many of these symptoms link to deficient Wood. We say when an element is deficient, we look to the Mother in the creation cycle, to nourish its child. The Mother of the Wood element is Water and so this cycle story continues….
All great reasons to REST more!
Practice GUILT FREE Hibernation.
So take time this Winter my love, to practice “GUILT FREE Hibernation”.
Spend that extra hour in bed.
Take that afternoon nap.
Run that bath.
Or whatever your body calls for you to do.
The creations wanting to be birthed through you will be forever thankful as will your amazing body, your health, your menstrual, hormonal wellness, your family, your friends, your community, your clients and really… Every aspect of your life.
When we say YES to ourselves, we say YES to something so much bigger than ourselves… This is a reclamation of our true nature, our cyclical design and our connection to the great Mother!
It’s time my love.
Happy Wintering!
Love,

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Niamh is a Feminine Embodiment Coach, Somatic Womb Worker & Women´s Wellness Practitioner & Educator. She is passionate about supporting women to navigate life through the wisdom of their feminine, feeling body & innate intuition.
“Become the woman you know you came here to be!”
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GUILT Free Hibernation.
An article for women who experience guilt or shame when they desire to REST & are ready to practice Guilt Free Hibernation as they learn to live within their cyclical design.
Learning to live cyclically is about saying NO to the patriarchal pace and saying YES to yourself.
We are in Winter.
It’s ok to sleep longer than usual.
It’s ok to NOT want to rush.
It’s ok to not want to be social.
To NOT write that blog or newsletter.
To let slide your list of “to-do’s”.
It’s ok to not answer those emails.
To close the door and…
Take time just for YOU.
It’s ok.
We are in Winter.
It’s time to hibernate and…
It’s ok to allow that to be ok.
Are you an “Ever-Ready” battery?
We live in a world that asks to always be outward facing. To be like “Ever-Ready” batteries, always switched on, fired up and ready to go. And when we struggle to keep up or maintain the pace, a sense of shame or guilt descends, we berate ourselves and question what is wrong with us.
But the truth is… We women are NOT designed to work that way.
We are cyclical beings, designed to operate within our cyclical design and when we don’t… that’s when things go ary.
We are not taught to live within our cyclical design.
Right now, here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are in the outer season of Winter. The most Yin time of the year. Connected to the feminine qualities of drawing inward, of hibernation, of deep rest and restoration. A time that naturally draws us into a healing cocoon.
Our modern world DOESN’T teach us to honour the cycle of these seasons; nor does it teach us to live within our cyclical design.
Learning to “Live Cyclically” is about learning to live in a way that honours your natural rhythms, needs and desires in the outer seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; And the inner seasons of your menstrual, hormonal and fertility cycles.
It’s about learning to say NO to the patriarchal pace that celebrates endless productivity and achievement and to instead learning to say YES to yourself.
Letting go of the sense of shame or of feeling “weak” because you can’t “keep up”. A shame that only exists because of the patriarchal pace.
There is NO SHAME in taking time to rest.
The Patriarchal pace celebrates achievement.
What if your greatest achievement today was to take a nap?
How does that feel in your body?
What emotions does it provoke?
This is an interesting exploration if you are open to it.
We prepare for each season in the season before it.
In the holistic teachings of East Asian Medicine we learn that “we prepare for each season in the season before it” and when we honour our “Winter” seasons (both outer and inner) we prepare ourselves for the coming of “Spring”.
When I first started to learn about the menstrual cycle (at almost 40… Go figure) I had been experiencing yet another burnout and was searching for answers. When my teacher at the time said “women try to stay in a perpetual spring/ summer that inevitably leads to burnout“, my ears pricked up and I knew this was something I needed to listen to.
I understood so completely that she meant we try to maintain this “ever-ready” energy without resting in the “Winter” before it. But the truth was I had no clue what it was to honour “Winter” in any cycle let alone the menstrual, hormonal cycle. I celebrated my ability to push through and get the job done no matter what the cost. The result of that however, was debilitating anxiety, depletion and burnout.
Resting in Winter prepares us for Spring.
5 element theory teaches us that “Winter” (again outer and inner) is the season connected to the Water element. The organs of the Water element are the kidneys and the urinary bladder. The kidneys are connected to our energy production and our longevity (our ability to live long and well).
When we honour our need to sleep more, to NOT be as social as we might usually be, to spend time alone, to take a nourishing bath and honour our natural desire to draw in… We nourish our Water element. And in doing so we nourish our kidneys, restoring and replenishing our energy and vitality and preparing ourselves for the productivity of “Spring”. Which let’s be honest is much needed; We are no good to anyone burnt-out and depleted.
Not resting affects our creativity.
Asian medicine also teaches us that…
“Water is the wellspring from which creativity flows”.
When we take time to rest, we cultivate the space for our creative juices to flow and if we rest enough then come Spring (again… outer and inner) we will have the energy we need to formulate plans to take those new creative ideas forward and bring them to tangible form.
Not resting in Winter impacts our Menstrual Cycle.
On the physical level, stress (resulting from lack of sufficient rest and also remedied through rest) affects the menstrual, hormonal cycle on multiple levels. One of our sex hormones, Progesterone is used to balance the stress hormones when needed — Aka when we are stressed.
Progesterone also keeps its sister sex hormone Oestrogen in check. These two support and balance each other. When Progesterone is used to support our stress hormones, Oestrogen goes into excess which can cause irregular periods, increased PMS, breast tenderness, fatigue, weight gain, headaches, hair loss, depression plus much more.
In 5 element theory, many of these symptoms link to deficient Wood. We say when an element is deficient, we look to the Mother in the creation cycle, to nourish its child. The Mother of the Wood element is Water and so this cycle story continues….
All great reasons to REST more!
Practice GUILT FREE Hibernation.
So take time this Winter my love, to practice “GUILT FREE Hibernation”.
Spend that extra hour in bed.
Take that afternoon nap.
Run that bath.
Or whatever your body calls for you to do.
The creations wanting to be birthed through you will be forever thankful as will your amazing body, your health, your menstrual, hormonal wellness, your family, your friends, your community, your clients and really… Every aspect of your life.
When we say YES to ourselves, we say YES to something so much bigger than ourselves… This is a reclamation of our true nature, our cyclical design and our connection to the great Mother!
It’s time my love.
Happy Wintering!
Love,

FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST
We don’t realise how much we hold in our wombs & pelvic bowls until we are so weighed down with emotions, trauma & grief that we can’t ignore the heaviness we feel.
It can feel like you’re going round in circles & can’t see our path forward. Your menstrual cycles may be disrupted or perhaps you sense a heaviness or stagnation in your pelvic bowl.
Liberating these emotions, trauma & grief to restore balance to your bowl & your cycle is the deep journey of Somatic Womb Work. Learn more…


Niamh is a Feminine Embodiment Coach, Somatic Womb Worker & Women´s Wellness Practitioner & Teacher. She is passionate about supporting women to navigate life through the wisdom of their feminine, feeling body & innate intuition.