Reduce PMS with this Research Backed Guided Meditation!
I’m incredibly grateful to have never had debilitating PMS.
Yes, I’ve had cramps, and days when I could feel my hormones surging toward a good cry. But I never had the “I can’t function today because my body is so out of control right now” feeling.
It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized how much of an impact PMS can have on daily life. Living in an all-girls dorm, I quickly became aware of the difficulty so many women face each month.
Many of my friends were monthly hosts to excruciating cramps and bloating, mood and hormone fluctuations, headaches and fatigue, and so much more.
At the time, the best way we knew to address these symptoms was Tylenol, Advil, Midol, and if you were lucky with your schedule, a nap. What I wish we’d all known back then is the totally different roadmap Dr. Christiane Northrup outlines in Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom.
If you suffer from PMS, I strongly urge you to get your hands on a copy of her book. (Actually, I strongly urge any woman to get a copy of this book as PMS is just a small part of the 800+ pages of incredible knowledge it contains.)
Dr. Northrup provides a number of suggestions for holistic and lifestyle changes which, in both her practice and scientific studies, have been shown to have a major impact on alleviating PMS symptoms as well as tools for getting to the root cause of the PMS.
According to her research and experience, simply treating the symptoms will not cure the problem – you have to dig deeper. “Ultimately, when women are willing to look at the emotional issues behind their PMS, they are eventually able to change their internal hormonal status without outside hormones. The process of healing our emotional and psychological stresses results in biochemical changes in our bodies.”
Scientific Research
One of the many tools Dr. Northrup outlines is a regular meditation practice. She cites a study conducted by Dr. Herbert Benson – Alleviation of premenstrual syndrome symptoms with the relaxation response.
During this five-month study, women were divided into three groups, one of which was assigned to utilize a relaxation technique. The study results found “that regular elicitation of the relaxation response is an effective treatment for physical and emotional premenstrual symptoms, and is most effective in women with severe symptoms.”
Particularly dramatic are the study results which find “women with severe symptoms in the relaxation response group showed a 58.0% improvement”. This is compared with 27.2% and 17.0% in the other two groups.
So, if there was something which had a better than 50% chance of reducing your PMS symptoms and would only take 30 minutes a day, would you be willing to give it a try?
The Meditation
The relaxation response suggested in the study was found to be effective when repeated twice a day for 15-20 minutes. Following the guidelines used in Dr. Benson’s study I created this guided meditation for you.
This meditation is just over 15 minutes. Try using it first thing in the morning (to set the tone for your day), at lunch time (to help you reset after the stresses of the first half of your day), and at the end of the day before bed (to help you unwind and prepare for restful sleep). Consistency is key with this relaxation practice. The study saw the significant effects after three months of regular practice.
Ready to get started? Here’s the guided meditation.
Just a few notes on the meditation
There’s a background of waves on this recording. If in doubt, use the bathroom before beginning this meditation – there’s nothing worse than getting halfway through any mindfulness practice and realizing you have to pee.
As someone who’s spent a considerable amount of time in meditation unable to focus on anything other than how badly I need to pee, I’ve learned to always go to the bathroom first – regardless of whether or not I think I need to!
The ocean waves are courtesy of Luftrum via freesound and were recorded at Kalundborg Fjord at Røsnæs in Denmark.
While this meditation is based on a relaxation technique which in studies was found to be effective in easing PMS symptoms, it’s also a great general tool for helping you quiet the mind and tune into your body.
Even if you don’t experience debilitating PMS symptoms, give this a try to see if it resonates with you.
Deepening the impact
Carve out 5-10 minutes after listening to this meditation to journal.
There’s a lot of space in this meditation to listen to your body and your inner wisdom. By picking up your journal after the meditation, you continue to process and acknowledge the messages your body and your inner wisdom are sending you.
If you’re new to this type of practice, you might not feel you have much to write at first. Try writing what the meditation felt like for you – were you bored, frustrated, tired, stressed. Was it relaxing? Perhaps you fell asleep? Even if it’s just a few words, by putting down your experience and allowing it to sit on the page, without judgement, you begin to open yourself up to listening to the quieter messages your body may be sending you.
Here’s the final important part of this practice – the goal isn’t just to make the unpleasant parts of your menstrual cycle go away. This process is instead about listening to your inner wisdom and honoring your body.
By giving it the space to talk to you quietly (during meditation), it won’t have to yell at you to get your attention (with severe PMS symptoms). Read more about honoring and working with your menstrual cycle here.
[…] also created a guided meditation inspired by a meditation technique which in studies was shown to reduce the symptoms of PMS. This […]