SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN
This is Part Two of a two-part series. To listen to Part One with the founders of the Red School go to episode 37 here.
Women have our own inner calendar based on the menstrual cycle, and when we honor that cycle, we access our feminine power. But we simply can’t unlock that power if we don’t stop to rest when our body needs it. So, how might we use yoga nidra to hone our menstrual cycle awareness – and post menopause - and tap into our power as women?
Barbara Dopfer is a Certified Daring to Rest Facilitator and the Founder of Yogarten, a studio in Bavaria, Germany. She is also trained in the Red School tradition of using the menstrual cycle to awaken our feminine power. On this episode of the podcast, Barbara joins me to discuss the connections between menstrual cycle awareness and the practice of yoga nidra, explaining how she is applying the three maps of the menstrual cycle in her work as certified Daring to Rest facilitator.
Barbara describes why it’s challenging to access our power as women in a via positiva-driven society and walks us through the map of the inner seasons, sharing how the rest-release-rise cycle of the Daring to Rest method echoes our monthly cycle. She also offers an in-depth look at the five chambers of inner winter, discussing why rest is crucial in capitalizing on the opportunity for renewal in each menstruation. Listen in for insight on using the Daring to Rest concepts of intention-setting and soul whispers as part of your menstrual cycle awareness and learn what YOU can do to tap into your own inner calendar and develop the feeling of being right in your body—just the way you are!
Key Takeaways
How learning to rest during menstruation changed Barbara’s life
How postmenopausal women can follow the cycles of the moon
Why it’s difficult to access our power in a via positiva-driven society
An overview of the map of inner seasons
· Inner winter Day 27—Day 5 (Day 1 = first bleed)
· Inner spring Day 6—Day 11
· Inner summer Day 12—Day 19 (ovulation)
· Inner autumn Day 20—Day 26 (pre-menstruation)
The heightened spiritual awareness women experience during menstruation
The parallels between inner spring and listening for our soul whisper
Why inner summer is the time women are called to express themselves
The connection between holding tension and holding opposites
How menstrual cycle awareness can help women with fertility issues
An in-depth look at the five chambers of inner winter
1. Separation
2. Surrender
3. Renewal
4. Visioning
5. Clarity/direction
How Barbara is applying menstrual cycle awareness in her work
What we can do to start tapping into our own menstrual cycle awareness