Last year, my spiritual healing clients started to notice something fascinating: When they consistently saw me for an appointment (1-2 times a month), they found that their menstrual cycle was much more manageable. Some experienced less pain, others a shorter menstrual bleed, and most felt more in control of their stronger emotions that are often lumped under the umbrella of “PMS.”

They usually ask me, “what did you do?” But the truth of the matter is, I didn’t do anything. They did. They created space for themselves to talk, to unburden, to release what isn’t serving them well anymore.

And the direct result of that is a more mild and manageable cycle.

Contrary to what you may have been taught, your period isn’t supposed to be horrible, something you just suffer through and then forget about for 3 weeks.

Unfortunately, we aren’t taught that our emotions, our view of and care for ourselves has a direct impact on our physical health. So does our perception of the role we play in this world, and the health of our relationships. And our menstrual cycles, and the symptoms they come with, actually serve as a diagnostic for our spiritual and emotional/mental health.

The only trick is to look at your cycle with curiosity instead of judgment or resentment—and to know a little about the energetic design of your reproductive system.

You may already know that your womb sits within the second or sacral chakra. This means that it is aligned with your creativity, joy, pleasure, sexuality, playfulness…you get the idea. But a closer investigation offers even more information. Everything within your reproductive energy is directly related to your experience with money, sex, and power. Stress, trauma, manipulation of any of these areas of your life will have a direct impact on your menstrual cycle and the organs that play a role.

We can get more specific about distinct organs, too. The energy of your uterus is connected to your relationship with yourself. This means that the relationship you have with yourself is unbelievably important to the health of your cycle, not to mention your ability to conceive and carry a baby. Heavy bleeding, painful cramps, endometriosis pain? All might be stemming from a poor view of self. This might feel intense to read. And if you’re like me, you’re maybe sliding down far into your chair, covering your face with your t-shirt or tempted to close this tab and avoid any further calling out. But the beautiful thing is, this can be a relatively easy fix, that’s free and won’t require any medications. The key to healthy uterus energy is being kind to yourself. Start to notice how you talk about yourself in your head. Notice what pieces of you you look at when you are in the mirror. Notice your response when you get a compliment. Look at those things with curiosity and then start to say kinder, more loving things.

It’s by no means a quick change, or any easy feat. But consider the fact the gestation time of a uterus is roughly 9 months. So it will likely take 9 months to change your perception of yourself. To love yourself more fully. And that’s just really good to know. It won’t happen overnight. But those challenging period symptoms aren’t life sentences either.

Now let’s talk about ovaries. The energy of your ovaries directly connect to your perception of how you fit in the world. It’s about your perception of how people view and interact with you. This means, when relationships are healthy and happy and you feel you are putting good into the world, your ovaries are able to be totally aligned with you and create incredible things. However, if you’re struggling with purpose, work, or relationships with others (not just your partner), your ovaries can be energetically impacted. This might present as irregular cycles: maybe too long, too short, or inconsistent durations, continuous bleeding, etc. This also may present as fibroids or cysts on your ovaries, or PCOS.

Healing this energetic imbalance or dis-ease is a little more challenging because it’s not just you involved. But it is absolutely possible. I always encourage clients to first look at your calling or your purpose. Are you able to work in a field you feel valuable in? Do you love what you do? Do you love who you do it with? What is the energy like at work? Do you come home fulfilled or emptied out? Then you can also look at your relationships. With your parents, your significant other, your friends, your children. Do they value you? Do you get to be yourself in their presence? Is it a one way relationship or does everyone get and give in amounts that feel sustainable?

The trouble is, the relationships that can be wreaking havoc on your ovary energy might actually be past relationships. This is where I highly recommend working with someone. A therapist, a spiritual director, or reiki practitioner—someone who can walk with you through this healing and help you to navigate and implement healthy boundaries. And while the energy of your ovaries is a little more complex to heal, the gestation of that energy is only about 28 days, so you’ll notice a shift a lot more quickly.

If you are a relatively symptom free menstrual cycle, this is important to note for you as well. Because keeping an eye on what your cycle is telling you will allow you to catch an energetic imbalance before it becomes a full blown diagnosis. Whether you have a cycle you love or a cycle you dread, this information is an opportunity to learn a little more about your inner workings and feel a little more love toward yourself. And that little bit of love is a beautiful step in the right direction.