Podcasts about menstrual cycle research

Jenny Chen (she/her), CEO & Founder, Catalais Consulting, and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week, we're talking about Harvard opening its wallet, a trans trailblazer owning the soccer pitch, women literally building the future, and more!Here are this week's good vibes:Harvard Slashes Tuition For Lower Income FamiliesTrans Referee Debuts in SoccerWomen Build More Than Just SkylinesA Scientific Game-Changer in Women's SoccerSilenced by Politics, Heard by the PeopleGood Vibes to Go: Bernadette's GVTG: Don't miss the full concert of the Equity Arc Wind Symphony on 60 Minutes—it's a powerful, uplifting celebration of inclusion that I know you'll love.Jenny's GVTG: You don't need to be an expert or DEI practitioner to create change. You just need to be a kind human who has a lens to see the world with clarity and accountability. When you notice gaps the next question is, you know, what's going on? Who is missing from our table? What am I willing to do to change it? 
Because systems don't shift on their own, right? They shift when we decide to stop playing small, start leading with the intention. Anyone can be a warrior.Read the Stories. Connect with Jenny Chen.Subscribe to the 5 Things newsletter.Watch the show on YouTube. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

In episode 95 of Trail Society, hosts Corrine Malcolm, Keely Henninger, and Hillary Allen sit down with two standout researchers from Stanford University—Dr. Morgan Smith and Naiomi Hunter—for an insightful conversation about the intersection of women's health, athletic performance, and wearable technology. Dr. Smith, a sport scientist, coach, and postdoctoral fellow with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford, is passionate about how physiology and metabolism influence performance, especially for women in sport. Her research is grounded in the real world, as she also coaches high school athletes, lifts weights, and enjoys time outdoors with her dog, Reggie. Naiomi Hunter, a PhD candidate in Stanford's School of Medicine, focuses on the menstrual cycle and its impact on female athlete performance through wearable tech and biometric data. With a strong commitment to reproductive justice and healthcare equity, Naiomi's work seeks to create more inclusive and personalized approaches to reproductive care for marginalized communities. In this episode, they explore the potential of wearables in tracking menstrual cycle data, the challenges in the current research, and why individualized training plans are key to optimizing performance. They also discuss the importance of mentorship for women of color in science, their passion for combining sport and research, and the exciting future of wearable technology in improving athletic health. Follow them here: @Goldenmo_ and @Nnahunter  SPONSORS We are so excited to be partnering with rabbit as our primary apparel sponsor this year! Send us some DMS about your favorite apparel and what you would like to see built for the trail running space! USE CODE TRAILMARCH for 10% OFF! -UPF Deflector: sun hoodie with a UPF 50 rating; lightweight, breathable, quick drying; new cute pink color -Leggy Smashems: 5" compression shorts w/ storage waistband so you can ditch the fuel belt.    Keep sliding into our DMs with your messages, they mean so much to us!  FOLLOW US on Instagram: @trail.society And go follow our NEW youtube channel @trailsociety_podcast   This episode is brought to you by Freetrail @runfreetrail

Yasi and Steven welcome prolific researcher and NEAMA Vice-President Dr. Tomi-Ann Roberts PhD to discuss her work on objectification and sexualization in dance. We also examine the negative effects of social media on one's mental health and how a simple three-day cleanse off of social media had surprising and powerful results. Our conversation delves into college NIL (name, image, and license) money and how this all connects with male athletes as well. For more about "ways of Seeing" by John Berger, go to https://www.ways-of-seeing.comFor more on Dr. Roberts and her work, go to https://www.tomi-annroberts.comFor more info on Athletes and the Arts, go to https://www.athletesandthearts.comBio: Dr. Roberts has been covered in many media sources including the New York Times about how her experience of being sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein while a college student motivated her work on sexual objectification, contributing her scholarly voice to the #MeToo movement. In addition to her scholarly publications and teaching, she served on the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, the Task Force on Educating Through Feminist Research, and as President of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research from 2017-2019. She leverages feminist psychological science as a consultant for reproductive health related product brands, and as an expert witness in legal cases involving objectification and sexualization as forms of gender discrimination.

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja talk about a topic that always draws a lot of interest: the female menstrual cycle. The pair discuss new research around athletic performance throughout the cycle, offering new angles that go beyond the fluctuations of female sex hormones. They focus on new findings that consider the importance of psychological aspects in this context. Listen in to learn some new perspectives on athletic performance and the female cycle and ways to use yoga to support your menstrual cycle. Show Notes: Assumptions of menstrual cycle-based training [3:51] New research on performance during menstrual cycle (MC) [6:52] Who participated in the study [10:44] What was tested for in the experiment [14:18] Results of the latest research [16:19] Further considerations on inclusion criteria [18:57] The complexity of studying the female cycle [21:24] Performance vs. training [23:38] How yoga can help to work with the MC [25:42] Importance of the nervous system in training [27:12] Limitations of current research [30:43] Individual experience “versus” research [33:03] Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Athletic Performance Menstrual Cycle Overview Yoga for Athletes Teacher Training Female Health Yoga Teacher Training Connect with Katja Bartsch: Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-97. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Elizabeth Franz is the Founder and Principal Mediator at Humanz Mediate and teaches the Humanz Mediation Process. She is committed to providing an Accepting, Consensual, and Collaborative mediation process for all mediation participants. She is an extensively trained mediator, who uses her conflict resolution, facilitation, and communication skills to teach, coach, and help people find solutions to their toughest problems and support people in their most impactful conversations.Elizabeth has a bachelor's degree in Peace Studies from Goucher College. She specializes in presenting and training topics, including collaboration, inclusion, problem-solving, relationships, and listening. Elizabeth is always pursuing learning skills, acquiring knowledge, and building relationships. She lives in Denver, Colorado, where she enjoys Salsa and Kizomba dancing. Currently, Elizabeth is the Director of the Professionals of Color Network. She also serves as the Vice Chair on the Cemetery Commission of Broomfield County, Platform4Women Advisory Board (a local non-profit supporting marginalized women), and The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research elected Board of Directors.Segmented timestamps:[01:38] - Elizabeth Franz's superpower- Able to get out of the way [02:27] - A time Elizabeth took the biggest risk of her life- Choosing not to become an Attorney but instead follow her dream to become a mediator[06:33] - How Elizabeth feels about her mission of positively impacting the world[09:12] -  Elizabeth's ultimate desire for her clients through the mediation practices[12:18] - Tips to have better conversations and relationships without the services of a mediator   [13:40] - What's the source of happiness according to Elizabeth[15:16] - Elizabeth's trusted mental model of making better decisions in life[16:55] - How to reach out, connect or support Elizabeth FranzNotable Quotes:“When a mission becomes bigger than you, nothing is unstoppable.” ~ Noah Scott"Asking engaging and deep questions reshapes our belief system and helps align to our purpose in life." ~  Noah Scott"Good conversations begin with effective listening. There's listening to respond and listening to understand." ~  Elizabeth Franz“Cultivate personal happiness by living the moment. Having gratitude and enjoying every minute of your life.” ~ Elizabeth Franz“Your body is the best standard to measure your decisions. Listen to how it feels and trust your gut always.” ~ Elizabeth FranzReach Elizabeth Franz on:Website: https://humanzmediate.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmfranz/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humanzmediateGet more from The Big Possible show:Website: https://www.thebigpossible.com   Follow us on social: @follownoah @thebigpossibleRSVP for our next epic retreat here

Chris Bobel is a scholar of social movements, an author and a professor specializing in the intersection of feminist theory and menstrual health activism. She lectures on Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts, served as president of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and has helmed a wide range of groundbreaking literary works pertaining to the menstrual movement. In this episode, Chris shares deep insights from her 20 year career in menstrual health advocacy and research – like how studying the body can provide a window into social hierarchies and norms; the consequences of corporate industry exploits period shame to sell products; and how the “pad promotion” approach to menstrual health is ultimately a byproduct of misogyny and capitalism. She also dives into two of her most noteworthy books, the beginnings of her career in social movement scholarship and much more!   Notable Quotes“Studying the body is a window into hierarchies and marginalization and just generally the values that shape our everyday realities.”“The body is…a messy place. It's a place of contradiction. The body itself is a site of power and pleasure and potential and peril. And so when you dig into understanding what we say about bodies, how we manage our bodies, whose value whose bodies we value more than others, I really think we can unpack how the world works in a lot of ways.”“The language of menstruation is really bound by the vocabulary of sexism, and the grammar of capitalism. And what I mean by that is, we think about menstruation as a woman's problem to fix, it's her burden and it's her responsibility. Because it's rooted in this idea, this misogyny, of hating women and disrespecting their bodies, and how their bodies perform. And the grammar of capitalism, which is: the body is a problem to be solved in consumer culture.”Highlights:How studying the body can give us insights into power, privilege and how the world worksWhat it means to be a scholar of social movementsHow she came to combine feminist activism with menstrual health researchHow deeply menstrual stigma, secrecy and “the necessity of silence” are embedded in our cultural fabric - and how product marketers reinforce and capitalize on that shame to sell period productsWhat inspired her book New Blood, which explores the menstrual activist movement in the global south – and key difference she’s found in low/middle vs high income countriesThe role of The Palgrave Handbook for Menstruation Studies as a helpful resource for all people in the MHH fieldThe role of silence in perpetuating violence The consequences of media and society viewing menstruation through a narrow, capitalistic and misogynistic lens Connect:Email: chris.bobel@umb.eduTwitter: @ChrisBobel Resources:Palgrave Handbook for Critical Menstruation StudiesScholarly Anthology (Be Press)Bio:Chris Bobel is Professor and past-Chair of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, USA. She finds the body, especially the body on the margins, a rich site where social norms, cultural anxieties and political agendas come to life. As a scholar of social movements, she is curious about how feminist thinking becomes feminist doing at the most intimate and immediate levels. At the intersection of these interests lies menstrual activism with a research and advocacy focus that has sustained Chris’s interest for nearly 20 years. Support the show (http://bit.ly/donatetodfg)

In our eighth episode of the JUST THREE podcast, host Catherine LaSota talks with artist Jen Lewis, who contributed a chapter to and provided the cover art for the Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies, which was developed by the Menstrual Health and Gender Justice working group at the Center for the Study of Social Difference. In this conversation, Jen talks about her artistic process in working with photography and menstrual fluid, the problems with how we are socialized about menstruation, and the importance of engaging with other people in building our conversations around social justice issues. Jen Lewis is the Conceptual Artist and Menstrual Designer behind Beauty in Blood, a bold, transformative macrophotography and video art project that confronts social taboos pertaining to menstruation and the female body. She received her B.A. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) in 2001. Her work has been displayed in group exhibitions internationally, such as Women at the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (United States), Period Pieces at the Urban Artroom (Sweden), the 9th Annual Juried Art Show at The Kinsey Institute (United States) and Art to Change the World at ArtPrize® (United States) and, most recently, the Nasty Women Exhibition at the Knockdown Center in New York City. Her work can also be seen in The Vagina Dispatches video series produced by The Guardian. Jen also curated a special theme exhibit for the joint conference of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and the Center for Women’s Health and Human Rights entitled “Widening the Cycle: A Menstrual Cycle and Reproductive Justice Art Show” in June 2015. Jen calls the Ann Arbor, Michigan area home. Learn more about Jen Lewis and her work here: www.beautyinblood.com Find out more about some of Jen's projects and collaborators here: www.wideningthecycle.com www.factoronto.org www.menstruationresearch.org Access the Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies here. Learn more about the Menstrual Health & Gender Justice working group here: www.socialdifference.columbia.edu/projects-/menstrual-health-and-gender-justice Website of the Center for the Study of Social Difference: https://www.socialdifference.columbia.edu/ Music in our podcasts is by Blue Dot Sessions, and episodes are mixed by Craig Eley. Catherine LaSota, host of the JUST THREE podcast, is Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Social Difference at Columbia University.

Taq, ਤਕਦੀਰ ਕੌਰ Taqdir Kaur Bhandal, is the CEO of @imwithperiods. She runs her small business & think tank and spends her days doing research and teaching at the University of BC. She also gets to nerd out with fellow scholars as a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. When she’s not engaging in period research & writing of some kind, she spends her days trying to follow the rays of the sun with her dog. She’s trained as a human developmental biologist, health policy analyst, and herbalist. She is now physically based in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Mi’kmaw Territories after spending many years living in Vancouver. She is passionate about nachos & nach (dance)! In today’s episode, we talk all about self care, and why it’s essential to maintaining healthy menstrual cycles! Today’s episode is sponsored by the Fertility Awareness Mastery Mentorship Program!  We start the first week of March! For details and to apply now Click here to register now! Topics discussed in today's episode: Taq’s background and what prompted her to write Self Care Down There Inspired her to focus on this area of female self-care What is the overarching message of the book? How did FAM effect Taq’s understanding of self-care and how it changed Taq’s way of taking care of herself? How being aware of emotional and energetic changes in your body can help cope with the shifts that happen in your cycle What are things we can do and useful information in the book that we may not know Taq’s thoughts on how to overcome challenges that come from outside influences How pop culture has affected how sex is portrayed and how we relate to each other sexually Taq and Lisa’s thoughts on sexual abuse and consent Connect with Taqdir Kaur Bhandal : You can connect Taq on her Facebook, Instagram, Email and website. Resources mentioned: Self Care Down There Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility (Book) | Lisa Hendrickson-Jack Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook Fertility Awareness Mastery Online Self-Study Program Related podcasts & blog posts: FFP 317 | Vaginal Steaming | Fourth Trimester Vaginal Steam Study | Keli Garza & Kimberly Ann Johnson FFP 296 | All About Menstrual Cups | Your Questions Answered | INTIMINATM | Lisa | Fertility Friday FFP 226 | Xenoestrogens in Black Hair Products | Tola Okogwu FFP 217 | All About Menstrual Cups! | Lisa | Fertility Friday FFP 202 | Vaginal Steaming for Period Problems | Steamy Chick | Keli Garza FFP 156 | Menstrual Cups & Your Period | An Interview With The Founder of Lunette | Heli Kurjanen FFP 078 | Lunapads & The Diva Cup | Sustainable, Eco-friendly & Healthy Menstrual Products | Madeleine Shaw & Suzanne Siemens FFP 026 |  Myths and Facts About Sexual Assault | The Impact of Sexual Abuse on Fertility and Infertility Part 1 | Erin Martin FFP 027 | The Impact of Sexual Abuse on Fertility and Infertility | Part 2 | Dr Erica Berman Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group. Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast in Apple Podcasts! Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic A Special Thank You to Our Show Sponsors: Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Programs This episode is sponsored by my Fertility Awareness Programs! Master Fertility Awareness and take a deep dive into your cycles and how they relate to your overall health! Click here to apply now! The Fertility Awareness Charting Workbook This episode is sponsored by my new book the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting. Click here to buy now.

Laura Wershler is a sexual and reproductive health advocate, writer, and speaker with thirty years of experience working and volunteering for pro-choice organizations in Canada. For the last decade, she has focused on menstrual cycle advocacy, supported by her membership and volunteer work with the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Laura is a fierce advocate for body literacy - in fact, she coined the term - and supporter of all menstruators enjoying regular ovulatory cycles to support their overall health.   In this episode, Laura and I talk about the protective power of our ovulatory cycles, how the misinformation around menstrual suppression makes it difficult for menstruators to make informed decisions, the big problem with the "pill for every female ill" mindset, why she feels positive about the direction menstrual cycle awareness is taking, and so much more. This episode is fire, enjoy!       To learn more about Laura Wershler, visit the show notes.

Sam Moore, a NCSU Applied Sports Scientist and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, joins BENCHED host Jules Micchia to chat about all things related to periods and their impact on performance. First, Sam takes us through her trials and setbacks faced when moving forward with her research (04:31), while explaining the science behind how menstruation impacts training (09:32). Later, can you prevent ACL tears by taking a closer look at your cycle? (17:06) The final myth busting segment will leave you baffled (28:03).

Who shows up on your menstrual cycle? Roxanne talks about paying attention to the parts of self that come up as a window to our depths, the marginalized parts of self, and our under-worldly soul. Roxanne Partridge, of Embody Period, brings Menstruality - Sexuality Embodiment “From the Depths Up & Out”. She invokes the goddess and wild self in women through luscious words, provocative and artistic expression, imagery, and the depths and darkness. Roxanne supports women in connecting back to the source of themselves and awakening their vital and essential selves, sexuality, highlighting the magic of all stages of a woman's menstrual cycle, and sharing their stories as they are. Roxanne soulfully shares about: Inner Social Justice: befriending the marginalized parts of self that don't have representation in day to day life What happens as marginalized parts of ourselves meet the waking life versions of ourselves? The painful story that created the Menstrual Backdrop to her life and mission Space and creating space, making space, living in space, taking up space… space poetry Deconstructing the pathologization and silencing of women's cyclicity and the reduction of the moon cycle to “hormones” and reclaiming the beautiful and magical context of women's lives Death and Rebirth: the potential of every cycle The sensuality of bleeding Who shows up when you are bleeding or at different parts of your cycle? How do you carry the gift of renewal and imagine it forward into your life? How Soul is revealing Itself to you through your embodied experience Dr. Roxanne Partridge, CHt is known for inspiring and guiding others into embodying their unique, sustainable, fullness. Women, menstruators, and individuals seeking a safe, healing, and inclusive space to explore menstruality, sexuality, and embodied identity, are empowered through Roxanne's in-depth and creative approach. In her private practice and workshops, as well as in her writing and speaking engagements, she is an advocate for equal rights to imagination for images of female embodied experience. As a healer-scholar-activist, Roxanne has lectured and facilitated workshops at conferences for the Society of Menstrual Cycle Research, Seeing Red, Jungian Society of Scholarly Studies, International Association for Jungian Psychology, and the International Association for Analytical Psychology. Roxanne received her Ph.D. in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. Informed by feminist Post-Jungian, liberational, archetypal, and eco-psychological theory and practices, Depth Psychology is inherently holistic. Depth Psychology attends to the nuances of experience in the context of daily life, cultural and familial backgrounds, and manifestations of the unconscious, such as dreams. Importantly, this paradigm sees troublesome emotional and behavioral symptoms, suffering, and questions of identity as invitations into a deeper and wider understanding of personal purpose, potential, healing, transformation, and embodied autonomy. Roxanne received her Clinical Hypnotherapy certification from the Santa Barbara Institute of Hypnotherapy and trained with revolutionary sex therapist Gina Ogden in her medicine wheel method of relational sexuality. Roxanne's background in holistic therapies and the arts forms a creative container for deep and catalytic work. Additionally to this episode Roxanne also provides an experiential which is EP100a or available on CandiceWu.com/roxanne.   Links, Article, and Resources All Show Notes for This Episode

Rose has been charting her own cycles since 1998 and has been a Fertility Awareness Educator since 1999. She has been a facilitator of the non-profit Fertility Awareness Charting Circle since 2005 and completed a Master’s thesis of original research on Fertility Awareness in 2006. She is a certified Justisse Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner and a faculty member at the pioneering Justisse College. She is a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and the Assoc Rose has been charting her own cycles since 1998 and has been a Fertility Awareness Educator since 1999. She has been a facilitator of the non-profit Fertility Awareness Charting Circle since 2005 and completed a Master’s thesis of original research on Fertility Awareness in 2006. She is a certified Justisse Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner and a faculty member at the pioneering Justisse College. She is a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals. Rose has a diverse practice that serves gender and sexual minorities as well as those who are polyamorous or have alternative relationship structures. My Fertility Awareness Programs are designed to help you to master Fertility Awareness and take a deep dive into your cycles. Gain confidence charting your cycles, and gain deep insights into the connection between your health, your fertility, and your cycles. Click here for more information! Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE FAM 101 video series. Click here for access. Topics discussed in today's episode: Clarifying the appropriate terms and defining LGBTQAI The benefits of fertility awareness charting for all women regardless of gender identity or sexuality Using your menstrual cycle as a diagnostic tool How using fertility awareness can help improve your chances of conception outside of the context of a heterosexual relationship What is necessary to conceive for gender & sexual minorities What is social infertility? How can a couple access sperm? What are the options for sperm donation? How can fertility awareness be utilized to optimize the chances of conception for a home insemination with either fresh or frozen sperm? What is the difference between fresh and frozen sperm? What supplies are needed for a home insemination? What are the steps? What is the role of cervical mucus in conception? What are the special considerations to be aware of when using frozen sperm for a home insemination? How can ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) be useful in timing home insemination? What are the barriers to accessing sperm? Are gender and sexual minorities more likely to be offered artificial reproductive technology for conception? The application of fertility awareness to support trans or non-binary persons with natural conception Fertility Awareness charting for trans men and trans women The benefits of charting your cycles even when using artificial reproductive technology The importance of having an informed consent and support for the options that you chose Body literacy and reproductive choice Connect with Rose: You can connect with Rose on her Website, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Resources mentioned: A Guide to Fertility for Sexual and Gender Minorities Charting for Gender and Sexual Minorities Fertility Awareness 101 FREE Video Series Fertility Friday Facebook Group Related podcasts & blog posts: FFP 002 | Fertility Awareness Method Cycle Charting | Rose Yewchuk FFP 003 | Identifying Menstrual Irregularities with Fertility Awareness | Special Charting Considerations | Rose Yewchuk FFP 015 | Fertility Awareness Method Cycle Charting Q&A Session | Common Charting Questions | Rose Yewchuk [On-Air Client Session] FFP | 113 Fertility Awareness Reality Series | Hypothalamic Amenorrhea | Making Fertility Awareness Work for You | FAM & Breastfeeding | Managing Your Fertile Window | Sarah, Lisa, & Rose Yewchuk FFP 088 | IVF Using Donor Eggs | Egg Donation | Infertility | Donor Egg Bank USA | Heidi Hayes FFP 109 | The Reality of Aging & Fertility | IVF & Assisted Reproductive Technology | The Future of Fertility Treatments | Dr. Marjorie Dixon Fertility Awareness Reality Series Episodes | Fertility Friday Fertility Awareness Podcast Episodes | Fertility Friday Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes! Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic A Special Thank You to Our Show Sponsor: Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Programs This episode is sponsored by my Fertility Awareness Programs! Master Fertility Awareness and take a deep dive into your cycles and how they relate to your overall health! Click here for more information! iation of Fertility Awareness Professionals. Rose has a diverse practice that serves gender and sexual minorities as well as those who are polyamorous or have alternative relationship structures. My Fertility Awareness Programs are designed to help you to master Fertility Awareness and take a deep dive into your cycles. Gain confidence charting your cycles, and gain deep insights into the connection between your health, your fertility, and your cycles. Click here for more information! Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE FAM 101 video series. Click here for access.

  Leslie Carol Botha has been involved in holistic health and prevention for over 30 years.  She is a graduate of the National Institute of Whole Health whose educational model is based on wellness and the integration of mind, body, and spirit. She has spent most of her career educating women and men about body literacy. Botha is a sought-after speaker and has presented her seminal research at many conferences. Her platform focuses on the need for menstrual cycle evaluation in medical and psychological interventions for women of all ages. She is the co-author of Understanding Your Mind, Mood, and Hormone Cycle (2013) -a primer on the vital functionality of endocrine health and mental health.  She is a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and an advisory board member for the Cycles Research Institute. Botha’s passion has been working with at-risk youth (13-17) and educational programs on body literacy and empowerment to prevent self-destructive behaviors and suicidal ideation. Her work with young women in helping them understand the connection between their mind, mood, and hormone cycles has become internationally recognized by researchers and educators.  Leslie Carol Botha

Understanding Your Mind, Mood, and Hormone Cycle was written for women who want to understand the sometimes, confusing physical and psychological changes they experience each month. It is also suggested reading for men who deal with hormonal women daily; and for educators, healthcare and social welfare professionals who support women of all ages that are struggling with physical and behavioral issues caused by hormonal changes. Leslie Carol Botha is a Women’s Health Educator and consultant, and an internationally recognized expert on women’s hormones and their behaviors. She is the co-author of Understanding Your Mind, Mood, and Hormone Cycle. Her work appears in three other books, The World According to Cycles- How Recurring Forces Can Predict the Future and Change Your Life, Teenage Girls: The Guide for Health, Wellness & Self Esteem, She Rises: Why Goddess Feminism, Activism and Spirituality? Botha serves as a consultant for the Focus for Health Foundation. She is also member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, an advisory board member with the Cycles Research Institute, and sits on the board for the National Association for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. She is the host of “Holy Hormones Honey!” on the Liberty Beacon Media Network. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to www.provocativeenlightenment.com

Laura is a veteran sexual and reproductive health advocate who has worked for and volunteered with Planned Parenthood-affiliated organizations in Canada since 1986. She was a Columnist for Troy Health Media, and she is the new editor-in-chief for Re: Cycling, the blog of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. As many of you know, I recently interviewed Holly-Grigg Spall, and in that interview, we spoke about her book Sweetening the Pill or how we got hooked on hormonal birth control. Laura actually wrote the forward to this book, and she has also publicly shown her support for the upcoming documentary that Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein are doing based on the book. And she has also charted her cycles for 27 years. Today we will be talking about the health implications of using the Fertility Awareness Method that go beyond the practical aspects of having a hormone-free method of birth control, why rejecting the pill is actually not "anti-feminist" and why it is important for women to have access to accurate information about all forms of birth control regardless of what method they eventually decide to rely on. Topics discussed in today's episode Is it possible for women to learn to use the Fertility Awareness Method confidently and accurately? Why a "possibly fertile day" is actually a fertile day The role that intention plays in the effectiveness of the Fertility Awareness Method The role that the Fertility Awareness plays in helping women to learn body literacy The implications of placing young women on the hormonal birth control before their menstrual cycles have fully matured The importance of helping women transition off of hormonal contraceptives successfully Why questioning "the pill" is not actually "anti-feminist" The benefits of having the ability to understand and interpret your fertile signs Why the pill doesn't "regulate" a woman's cycle or "mimic pregnancy," and what it is actually doing to your hormones Why Laura has publicly endorsed the upcoming documentary Sweetening The Pill by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein In this podcast episode, Laura described the hormonal changes that a woman experiences naturally throughout her menstrual cycle, and how that changes when a woman is taking hormonal contraceptives. For reference, here is an image of the hormonal cycle during a healthy menstrual cycle. You'll notice that a woman has high levels of estrogen in the first half of her menstrual cycle before ovulation, and high levels of progesterone in the second half of her cycle after she ovulates. Connect with Laura You can connect with Laura on the Re: Cycling Blog for The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and on Facebook and Twitter! Resources mentioned re: Cycling | The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research Coming off Depo-Provera Can be a Woman's Worst Nightmare | Laura Wershler Six Things Women Need to Know About Their Fertility | Laura Wershler The Value of Ovulation to a Woman's Health | Laura Wershler Why I'm Backing the Sweetening the Pill Documentary | Laura Wershler Sweetening the Pill: or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control | Holly Grigg-Spall Sweetening the Pill Movie - Preview | Youtube Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

On this week's episode of The Crimson Wave your hosts Jess Beaulieu and Natalie Norman travel to Boston to attend The 21st Biennial Conference of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research at the Center for Women's Health and Human Rights. While they were there they did a live podcast recording with Chris Bobel, a co-chair of the conference and Jax Gonzales, an organizer of the conference who both shared period sex stories. They also spoke to sex educator Lucy Madeline, ceremonialist Giuliana Serena, authors Sheryl Mendlinger and Yael Magen, owner and director of Sustainable Menstruation Australia Rosie Sheba, doula Iris Josephina, comedy writer Chella Quint, and the ladies at Lunette Cup Heli Kurjanen, Caron Rohman, and Cathy Chapman. They discuss #periods #menstruation #menstrualcups #pregnancy #sex #condoms #syncingup #leaking and other wonderul topics with each of these fantastic women!    To learn more about The Crimson Wave follow us on twitter @TheCrimsonWave   For Jess @msjessbeaulieu and Natalie @stalkingnatalie