June 11, 2024 • 50 mins
Let’s take a deeper dive into the inherent wisdom of the menstrual cycle. Like the seasons of the year, the menstrual month moves through an inner cycle of winter, spring, summer and autumn. We will explore each inner season’s natural gifts as well as potential challenges.
Our guest, Paula Klassen, is the creator of Flow Intelligence: the Hidden is Tangible and curator of Menstrual Musings. To learn more, visit https://paulaklassen.substack.com/
The Language of Healing is broadcast live Tuesdays at 2PM ET on W4WN Radio - Women 4 Women Network (www.w4wn.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). The Language of Healing TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).
The Language of Healing Podcast is also available on https://thelanguageofhealingpodcast.com/, Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-language-of-healing--4890601/support.
Our guest, Paula Klassen, is the creator of Flow Intelligence: the Hidden is Tangible and curator of Menstrual Musings. To learn more, visit https://paulaklassen.substack.com/
The Language of Healing is broadcast live Tuesdays at 2PM ET on W4WN Radio - Women 4 Women Network (www.w4wn.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). The Language of Healing TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).
The Language of Healing Podcast is also available on https://thelanguageofhealingpodcast.com/, Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-language-of-healing--4890601/support.
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(00:00):
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(00:22):
W four WN Radio. Are youready to take a journey. Let's connect
with the healers of the world.It's that time. It's time for the
Language of Healing on W four WNRadio and Talk for TV. Now here's
your host, doctor Nicole Fort.Hello, everybody, welcome to another episode
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on the Language of Healing. Weare broadcasting live today on the Women for
Women Network W FOURWN dot com everyTuesday, two pm Eastern. Just get
that out of the way before weget into our end of conversation and today
around women's women's health, women's menstrualcycles, and the inner seasons of the
(01:08):
cycle. I'm very excited about today'sconversation. How about you pipe man,
are you ready to talk? Well, people are probably wondering why I'm here,
and maybe it's because I have threedaughters and I was the one that
would make the two am runs tothe store. So yeah, I know,
(01:29):
we cannot we cannot discredit all likethe amazing men in our lives,
you know, that are also partof this journey alongside women. Yeah.
Absolutely, So I'm happy to haveyou here in the conversation today, actually,
and I know that you have alot of insight and maybe some questions
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as well feedbacks. Well, Ithink definitely questions because there might be a
lot of people like me that havequestions that don't understand certain things. And
you know, I think that's whatit's about, enlightening people about things that
maybe for some reason society wants todeem as taboo. And it's not taboo
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none, it's like real life.It's human life. And I think people
need more of an understanding of alltypes of things to really be able to
support and to you know, really, I would say, act accordingly is
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the best thing, because if youdon't understand something, no matter what it
is, you know, you maynot act appropriately because you don't understand it
just like a foreign language, Likeyou could say something in a foreign language
but not know what you're saying andinsult somebody as an example, So important
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for everybody to be educated and formed. And I would say informed to the
fact that I think a lot ofpeople are misinformed. Yeah, I would
say like women included, you know, and there's even someone going through if
we're talking about this topic around themenstrual cycle and women's health and bodies,
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there's still a lot of questions anda lot of so that's also miscommunication opportunity
number one is if you know it'snot well understood on an internal perspective,
you don't necessarily know what to askfor or how to express that. So
there's a lot of learning on bothends. And then yeah, I mean
we're in the experience together, justlike globally, we share the world with
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a lot of different cultures and alot of different people coming from different backgrounds.
And part of the language of healingis being able to communicate in a
another way, and part of thatis hearing someone else's story, you know,
listening, and yeah, getting toknow that aspect a little bit better
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will solve a lot of problems.Well, So I have a question in
that realm, like you said,you know, including women, So were
there questions that you wish you hadearlier in life that you've got an answer
to that later on in life you'relike, oh, now I understand,
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yeah a little bit. I thinkthat in a that is probably a critical
question of my life was that Iwould watch other women in this example,
and they would know themselves so well, and I thought, well, like,
how is that? How is thatyou know yourself so well that you
could tell when your cycle was cominglike that day? You know, there
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was like a lot of the regularityof you know, of that or that
intimate connection and that women would expressI thought was curious to me as a
young person growing up and going throughmy own you know, growth and evolution.
I really admired that. So thatwas like a quest of many rabbit
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holes. So but I think thatwho can answer that question even better or
shed some light on that is ourguest today. She is Paula Klassen.
I'm very excited. Let's get heron the on the suite. I was
so excited that you did that becausethat's where I thought the perfect segue was.
And I was actually going to doit myself if you didn't, So
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I'm so happy that you did,because listen, we have an expert on
the show that can give us someinsight that probably none of us know,
including Rebel. Rebel probably has lotsof questions. Yeah, over here for
all the questions, all the questionscomments, Paula, Hello, thanks for
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joining us today. Yes, andreally glad to be here. And maybe
I'll just preface it with I wouldn'tnecessarily say I'm an expert, but I'm
a well seasoned practitioner. That's aI like how you put that so genuinely
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learning. What what I would liketo know personally is what in in what
we're about to talk about today,What was it that happened in life that
caused you to want to really digin and understand and learn this subject,
you know, and make it,you know, a business passion of yours,
(06:42):
a life passion of yours. SomethingI would think some something happened in
life where you the light bulb wentoff, you know, as you were
speaking before about I think sometimes justyeah, about just about life, the
art of life. And sometimes itis only when you've walked the path for
(07:04):
a bit that you can look backand go, oh yeah, that's that's
the moment. And I'm soon tobe heading into my fifth decade of life.
And the reoccurring pattern for me inmy in my younger years, I
actually went to work as a teacherin in Rwanda, and I went there
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just after the genocide and and Ireally got to bear witness to just the
devastation of of death and this patternof you know, I since gone and
actually have been invited to bear witnessto genocide in several different lights, you
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know, going up I live inAlberta in canad that and there's the Tarcans
up in the northern part of ourprovince. I beared witness to that.
And then just all of this,all of this reoccurring pattern of death was
so crushing, and and then therewas this this part of me, my
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womb, that that had the sparkof life. And I think it's that
tension of of just being so griefstricken to what I was bearing witness to,
and then this this incredible connection thatI was really anchoring myself in that
like I I hold this potential oflife inside of me. Mm hmm.
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I also have daughters. I havetwo of them, and I think that
the resolve to really be uh embodiedin this in this role of life giver
and and really taking a stand forlife has really come from the determination of
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you know, I have two daughtersand what kind of legacy do I want
to leave for them? Yeah?I love that. What would you like
to know, Nicoll about this journeyshe's been on to make it to our
show today. Well, I justcan't help but think about or reflect in
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that moment, about this real callfor that feminine energy, that life giving
force, you know, And I'mall about the duality. Studying Chinese medicine,
everything stems from like the yin andthe young. It's like polarity is
what creates that spark of life.It's the polarities that you know, if
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everything was just kind of neutral thatI mean, I don't know, can
you imagine a life of just neutrality. So the dynamics I'm reminded of that
when you're sharing that, because deathand life and witnessing death or the end
of cycle and being inspired by lifeinspires me. It's something that I really
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connect with, you know, fromeven just working with newborns, newborn life,
pregnant mothers, like women trying toyou know, couples trying to conceive.
I see that a lot of mydaily practice. And then I also
support people at their end stages oflife, so you know that whole realm
and just being curious about that.So, yeah, what do I want
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to know more about it? Well, I mean, I'm definitely curious to
hear more about the inner seasons becauseI'm very also interested in how we cycle
through different phases stages. You callthem a season, it could be a
phase, it could be a stage. It's like a process. So I
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don't know if you want that.I want to jump in for a second
though, because you said season.I want to jump in that because before
you were coming on the show,I was talking Nicole about we used to
have a show on this station thatwas specifically about this subject, and because
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this person wrote a book and thatbook was the uh it's called the Period
Party and it was such a coolbook. But in that book it referenced
the seasons as well. Beautiful.Well, yeah, if you would like,
(11:41):
I could just dive in and share. Yeah, just share a little
bit about the four for seasons,give a little bit of the flavors as
I experienced them. And you canask questions, how does jump right?
Yeah, yeah, so like evenright now, like seasonally, where we
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are, you know, we're atthe cusp of the summer solstice. You
know, the sun is shining brightly. I know it's it comes into my
window at you know, quarter toquarter to five in the morning, so
I'm up early. And I thinkin modern culture here, we we are
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often incultrated to operate in one season, and it is primarily summer, that
summer energy of go, go go, and you know, this kind of
this insistence on efficiency and getting thingsdone quickly and things like that. And
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the women's cycle just offers us somuch wisdom in being able to be with
the subtleties and the energetics of ebband flow. So I'm going to start,
you know, with the opposite today. I'm going to start with the
inner winter. And you know,the inner winter is you know, very
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very similar to what I experience herein the Northern Hemisphere. Is the time
of the darkness, and this qualityand the energetics of that season is a
time of reflection and stillness. AndI know for me, cultivating the permission
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actually to slow down has been youknow, it has been an incredible challenge,
an incredible challenge when the messaging thatthat I often receive is that,
you know, slowing down is somehowa diminishment or an indication that you're not
capable and competent. And I knowthat's trying to jump in there, but
(13:58):
just like the difference between like beinglazy and taking the rest, you know,
we yeah, just in our culturesociety were so go action action or
if you don't do that, thenyou're lazy or like that's where maybe dealing
like working with women or being awoman is like different because you really have
to honor that that process in yourself, right, Like anyways, sorry to
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cut you off there, just well, and that mirroring too, like I
know when I had when the kidswere young, when my girls were young,
I would get that reflection from them, mom, like, what's what's
happening to you? You are beinglazy and this, you know, and
and the guilt that I initially feltin hearing that, and then the opportunity
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that I had in my own familyculture to start having these conversations about rest
and you know, and modeling itfirst of all, and I do remember
with my with my younger daughters atthat time. I know that couple of
cycles after the lazy comment, Ihad my other daughter say, Mom,
is this when we need to begentle with you? So that kind of
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I mean, this is culture shifting. This is like radical culture shifting that
is happening in these moment to moment, every day, mundane moments. So
yes, that's you know, themagic, a little snapshot of the magic
of the of the inner winter.And then like just just knowing that within
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yourself and being able to express thatto your daughters, be uh or even
your children, not just necessarily daughters, but it's like, yeah, oh,
maybe this is the time we needto do instead of like, oh
is it your time of your monthagain, like you know, a comment
like that or yeah, And Ithink that The other piece I just want
to highlight too, is that thisyou know, the changes or the insights
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or the actual ripples of this kindof practice. It can happen overnight in
my case, in many of it, it's just been over the course of
many cycles. And again it's aboutnoticing nuance and subtlety and just simply being
able to hold complexity. And themore you practice, the more you know
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more opportunities you get to you know, be challenged and then also curate that
kind of that kind of embodied wisdom. So crossing over into the inner spring
this season for me has been challengingin that for me, the real potency
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of the inner spring is so there'sthis rising energy and I am a very
creative person and often in my bleedI will get you know, I'll get
kind of a new idea. Andfor me, the challenge of my inner
spring has been about pacing that,you know, once I've done the rest,
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like it's almost like okay, I'verest now, and then I'm just
like you know, out out andwanting to like rush into creating the things
that I have inspiration now to create. So the inner spring, you know,
I really think about the first greenbuds, and I mean I live
in lands where where where there areyou know, extreme weather changes, and
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so it's it's not really intelligent fora plant to just burst out and blossom
that you know this there's an emergencethat that happens in the plant world that
I really I like to pay attentionto. And so there's there's this this
playfulness, this really playful, innocentkind of messy energy. For me,
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it's just kind of like that brainstormingand and just this this yeah, this
this opportunity to be with new beginningsand for me playing getting dirty in the
mud just exactly it's like where doI want to plant this thing? Which
one do I want to plant?Yeah? Yeah, And for me,
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the theaters we grow and the pacingpart for me has been about not putting
uh, you know, an agendaon the product or the or the end
the end goal, not really youknow, not putting too much structure around
it. So this, yeah,this time of the season, I just
I love it for yes, justthat just just taking simple taking pride in
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the play and and the newness.Like it's just it's such a it's such
a it's such a beautiful energy tocome into every month like that. I
can, I can be new again, I can try I can try something
new, I can wobble, Ican you know, there's there's just so
much Yeah, there's just so muchgrace that can be offered if there's a
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willingness to be tender with with thosethose that new vulnerability. I love that.
Can I just jump in there becauseI'm reminded of you said at the
beginning that you have a challenge withthis can have a challenge with this time
of season and in the cycle ofspring, energy brings like the winds of
change literally, you know, it'slike it can be quite strong energy.
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It's playful, it's fun, it'sinvigorating, it's inspirational. It's also a
little hard to deal with, youknow, hard to manage. You can
be blown in many directions. Ifyou're not tender with yourself, you can
be really rigid. And what doesa tree you know, it's like a
tree being blown in the wind,it will just snap under pressure. You
need to be a little bit flexible. And yeah, think of that playfulness
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so lines up. Yeah, andso nature and the way that I I
mean the way that I even gowith the with my cycle in terms of
days. So day one would bemy bleed and so like day one to
day six seven is it would bethat inner winter. So it's usually a
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g seven day window where okay,so that's winter. So winter would be
like day one, that's like startminstrels period exactly. Yeah, yeah,
and depending on that a week latercomes into the spring. Yes, yeah,
so day seven to day fourteen wouldbe the inner spring, so you
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can see that there's kind of thearc of a week. And again women's
cycles fluctuate, some women have longeror shorter cycles. But that's again the
beauty of tracking this over time.And now I don't so much go on
the chronology of the day. Ican really feel those subtleties within myself and
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it really has a lot to dojust with just what I'm inspired to do
and my energy level, and andI'll feel those somatic subtleties, so I
just know I'm shifting gears. AndI think there's something again so beautiful in
having that intimate relationship with yourself andthen how that can spill out into being
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super generous and compassionate with you know, being with people exactly where they're at.
So yeah, it's also a qualityof the springtime, like the liver
season. It's the generosity, it'sthe abundance, you know, versus the
type restrained tension. Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, something you think about.
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So how does information like this helpother women that aren't familiar with it and
help them to, you know,have a better, more positive experience for
themselves. Well, from my experience, asking women what day are you on
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your cycle is It's such a beautifulopening question to really start exploring. You
know, this this realm of directexperiencing, because not all women are cycling
exactly in the you know, inthe in the same way at the same
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time. And I know, forme, creating coherence among women is like
whoa, I'm so passionate about that, about that work, because I mean
again, modern culture kind of haswomen kind of being distrustful of one another,
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and that you know, this thiskind of this distrust that often is
is kind of in the in thehidden background. And I know that the
more that I have come together inthis way, like cyclically with women,
like the feedback we have given oneanother is this relaxing into you know,
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trusting exactly where we are and andshowing up exactly as we are, and
in showing up exactly as we are, I know, in especially in group
situations, what I've experienced is thesynergy of like like having like you know,
for example, being the menstruator andthen you know, having a colleague
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be ovulating and and you know againthat functional polarity that that isn't that isn't
a battling or isn't in competition withbut it's actually enhancing like a like a
full spectrum intelligence. And I justthink that this is so exciting to imagine
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that, you know, we couldwe could come together in that way,
you know, and I'm even thinkinglike with athletics in one of my working
groups, she is, she's abasketball coach and you know, so like
working like that as a you know, as a team and again not being
(24:30):
not insisting on being one thing forlike that that the team. There can
be that variance and that and thatagain, the synergy creates something that we
can't really access individually or acting inindividualistic way. So I offer that to
contemplate. I love that vision.I think that's so inspiring that the functional
(25:00):
polarity. You said that, andspeaking of the intelligence of that, like,
whoa, wouldn't that be quite thething? Yeah, like that,
I'm just thinking of, you know, some cultures that really celebrate women,
like the red tent, you know, or the period party or like these
things that are a celebratory and youknow, honoring that intelligence of that.
(25:21):
But I think that would be that'sa great way to use that to your
advantage. Yeah, man, that'sa great question. Well thanks, and
you know, since you mentioned theperiod party that was one of the things
is the whole concept of taking girlswhen it first happens to them and creating
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a positive, memorable, good memorableexperience instead of a negative one. Absolutely,
I know in my you know,in my vision, I do see
that too, Like what would itbe like to be one welcomed in?
Right that? Just to have agroup of initiated women who are so anchored
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in their own cycle and comfortable inthe diversity of a you know, a
vibrant like that where everybody where,every everybody in that circle is allowed to
be fully who they are and asthey are, and to be welcomed into
that kind of vibrancy is I know. I love that wording welcomed in though,
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because it's usually when done the wrongway, it's the exact opposite feeling.
Yes, you know, And thisis the thing that I have been
able to do in my own journeybecause there's a lot of grief in you
know, how it could have beenand how it wasn't for me. You
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know, I wasn't I wasn't welcomedin. So when I was forty three,
gathered in my aunts and cousins andI said, could could we could
we do this, and I know, like I created a ceremony, a
menarchy ceremony, so a first bleedceremony, and we came together and we
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did this and it was awkward andwe fumbled and and and it was beautiful.
It was absolute. You tell usa little bit about about this,
because I'm sure people are listening they'rekind of thinking, well, what was
that all about, and how wouldit benefit and what's great about it?
(27:45):
Yeah? I mean yeah, forme, it was, yeah, like
just this longing to to remedy somehowwhat what I wasn't given as as a
young woman. And it wasn't aboutblaming anybody. It was really from this
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longing of wanting and actually seeing evidenceof how this almost wound of not being
welcomed in was playing out again andagain in my life in terms of just
not not asking for the things thatI wanted or you know, we're holding
(28:26):
back in in showing myself. Soit was it was this really tender asking
and you know, I just Ifeel to this day just so much joy
that it's not even so much whathappened. You know, I did it.
I did a giveaway way actually Igave away many of just many of
(28:49):
my my special items I I gave, I did a giveaway, and I
gifted each woman who was who waspresent. And and then it's not so
much even that what was given thematerial things, it was what was said.
Sure, it was the Yeah,it was the vulnerability like a very
springtime, a very springtime event happenedin being able to reclaim something that didn't
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happen. And you know, atthat point, you know, I'm closer
to menopause than I was to mymonarchy, and something happened and it wasn't
just for me that he was forthe whole group exactly. And do you
think for people that are not asmuch in the know of these type of
(29:41):
things, do you think that's why, like you know, how in a
workplace women their cycles will definitely alignwith each other. Maybe that's their form
even without controlling it, of welcomingin. Maybe the universe teaching women to
(30:02):
welcome each other in. Yeah,And I think you're speaking so much to
how tethered we are to one another, you know, like this the magic
of a female body in terms ofjust even I think the way that so
like my mother had the eggs forme, that was the birth. The
(30:26):
conception of me was in my mother'syou know, fetal womb that was nested
in my grandmother's womb. So that'sthree generations of like really really powerful connection.
So women's we were our bodies,it's in our bodies to support one
another. And I just love thatwe have this. We have this invitation
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in our own cycling to come back, to come back home to ourselves and
to find our way back to oneanother. And I think once we do
that, and once we learn tocome in cohesion together as women, I
mean, I think that's where themagic happens with our you know, the
men in our life, our children, that we can we can really be
(31:19):
powerful spokes people on behalf of life. And I just like to think even
what you were saying in your introductionabout having having daughters and wanting to understand,
so when you understand as a man, then you can you can be
so able to respond in a waythat really acts in accordance with life,
(31:45):
because we really don't understand right now. We're longing these patterns that bring us
into sync with life. Yeah,and we really don't understand because we're not
living, we're not walking in yourshoes so you know, I think it's
important for all men to be ableto be described as close as possible what
(32:07):
it is like, because then maybea lot of men would you know,
discount it so much and like poohpooh it if they understood, because I
mean, let's be honest, Idon't know many men that would want to
have to go through that what womenhave to go through, you know,
(32:29):
so maybe they should walk in yourshoes for a few And I think what
I hear too is this like thislonging to understand a little bit about the
mystery because it's just so completely foreign. And I mean, and the numbness
(32:51):
bar for men has you know,has been amped up so much too.
And the thing as that numbness barcomes down in the awakening this happening,
men want direction on how to howto be responsive and and and sensitive in
ways that that again are in alignmentto life. And we all want lot
(33:20):
we all want to come through.Yeah, I mean men, that's like
a quality that men. You know, it's like you just give them some
direction or like they they're the structure, they're the support. It's like it's
like being raised without any boundaries,you know, like you need you need
a boundary to kind of be freein a sense, and I think men
provide that for women, but ifwomen are not so sure, then there's
(33:45):
like nothing really, it's just alittle bit murky, murky waters, you
know, like the polarity is notreally like a healthy, functional polarity,
like you say. And just onthat note, I would say, like
this, this kind of work,the welcoming or the initial ciation, I
think is a big piece of theculture that's missing. And then it's breeds
(34:06):
this not healthy relationships amongst women,you know. I think that I've found
in my experience and my journey healing, the relationship with women has been like
a huge game changer for me.I just thought, like, oh,
I just get along better with menor something like that, like kind of
numb, I would numb out thatfemininity. And but that's really been the
(34:28):
ticket to like a lot more healthand happiness in my world. And I
can see how a ceremony like thatwould change not only the women involved,
but the generations. Like the rippleeffect is huge like that, and that's
something culturally there's been a lot ofsignificance around that. We maybe have lost
that a little bit. I don'tknow, I have many thoughts going on.
(34:51):
I don't want to derail you fromthat. We would need to finish
the rest of the seasons. Isthere anything else you want to add before
we move into the summer. No, let's cross over to the summer.
Yeah, so this is actually I'mjust at the tail end. I'm day
twenty one right now, so I'mkind of at the beginning of my autumn.
(35:12):
But I still feel like I'm I'mstill coasting on the high of summer.
And so this energy is is yeah, like it's the peak of the
It's the zenith of the cycle interms of just that just the need to
express and the desire to just tobe fully authentic. And for me,
(35:35):
it's a time of like nonlinear possibilities. And again, I'm very creative.
So this is this is when Iwill, you know, I will bring
my out there ideas that have comefrom and I'm not going to use I'm
going to reframe that because they're notout there. They're so anchored, They're
so anchored from this place of deepbelonging and I think sometimes I have the
(36:00):
past and maybe even still today becauseI use the word, I still feel
that they're coming out there because they'reso big. I'm just like, WHOA
like I like this this possibility ofbeing able to swell and become bigger and
and and this overflow that happens duringmy inner summers just something that again has
(36:25):
has been up has been a journeyof many cycles of you know, not
daring to and then being able tosource more courage and now it's just it.
It just happens a lot more fluidlythat that overflow. And so there's
yes, there's lots of generosity interms of being available, you know,
for other people at this time,and and just having this ease, this
(36:52):
ease of efforts effortless effort, andand and just yeah, having that go
in or and it's and it's goodtime to schedule a podcast, absolutely,
yeah, good time for interviews,good, good time to ask for what
you want exactly exactly and you know, and I, yes, I will
(37:14):
be very honest that I was.I was looking at my calendar and the
timing of yeah, no, Iknow a lot of quite a few women
that will schedule like important meetings orsales conversations around their ovulation. I mean
that's like kind of the ultimate lifehack to know your cycle and how that
relates in the outside world, yourinner world with the outside. Yeah world,
(37:34):
it's the season of that living edge. It's the season of being able
to really go for it. Andand again, in modern culture, we
often this is the gear that isreally kind of prioritized, and in many
ways there's this false expectation for ittoo. You know, we just even
(37:58):
look how our economy is based onendless growth and you know, even learning
cycles. You know, we wewe have this you know, this up
up, up kind of momentum thatis really it is unsustainable, and there
is a place for it in thecycle. It's not about poo pooing it
(38:22):
either. There's a place for it. And I think for me it's been
the challenge has been putting parameters andlike really actually understanding that that this is
this is not how it is forfor my whole cycle, and that I
do actually have a have a limitedperiod of time where where I experience it's
(38:45):
this and and then this would crossover into the inner autumn, which ooh,
the inner autumn. I'm almost wantingsaying it. I can feel the
heaviness already. Yeah, it isall it is the base in the cycle
(39:07):
that is, I mean, yes, a PMS. And you know there's
just so so much pathology about howhow this how this season unfolds. And
I mean I can speak from myown experience too that I actually had my
Day twenty five. So the autumnis like kind of day twenty to you
(39:28):
know, day twenty eight, Daytwenty one, day twenty eight. So
there's that this arc of you know, energy is waning just very much like
the autumn. You know, it'slike it's like the dim lights going on.
And I know how it went forme in my in my earlier days
is like that Bugs Bunny cartoon withthe roadrunner and coyote and you know,
(39:51):
like just running running, go go, go, go go, and then
ooh, like a lot, youknow, the crash, the crash of
again pacing, not actually being realwith myself, not being carnally honest with
myself, and and that kind ofthat crash and burn. And you know
(40:12):
I had I had a day inmy cycle, my day twenty five,
where you know, over several cycles, I was tracking this as a young
mother, and I had a namefor it was lose my Shit Day.
I would lose my shit and Iyou know, I feel, I really
feel for my close loved ones,you know, because the lashing out would
(40:37):
often happen, you know, wouldhappen towards them, and you know,
or it would be complete migrain orsomething like that. So I had again
this feedback, this feedback that mycycle was given giving me. And what
I've learned from from this practice too, is is the more that you pay
(41:00):
attention, the more you know,the more things that are like their invitations
to either really listen to or disregard. And so my day twenty five for
a while got pretty loud and andyou know, and I would go into
these what I would call these shamecycles of you know, asking myself what's
(41:24):
wrong with me? You know,why why am I? Why am I
acting like this? Why am Ibehaving? There's something wrong with me?
And and again the grace of thecycle is that, you know, you
get to go through it all again, go into the winter, the rest,
the new beginning, and try somethingdifferent, you know. And then
(41:47):
hearing my daughter says, this isthe time we need to be gentle with
you. Okay, well maybe thisaround. You know, I have to
be gentle with myself, you know, And then you know, for me.
It really it really started with blockingthat that that time off in my
calendar, like really not not doinga lot of external like my my external
(42:12):
focus got really I really brought Ireally learned to stay close to myself and
again like being closer to menopause.I haven't gone through through that change yet,
but now I understand that I'm mostlikely like the inner autumn is like
(42:32):
this is that the magic of itis this is once I learned to establish
ground here, like this is whereI'm like in the like bare bones truth
telling, willing to take a standfor the things that I love the most.
Like it's a time of great exposure, exposure like to my own like
(42:57):
my own wounding and and all ofthe I think for me, it's like
really when I'm sourcing the essence ofwhat what what makes me human? And
you know, coming full circle towhat I shared at the beginning with genocide,
like death, mass death being sucha big theme in my in my
(43:19):
early years, Like I really seethis that in especially here in North America,
like we have such a fear ofendings and death and change, and
in many ways that avoidance is thecause of of of of of where we've
numbed out, and and we're nottaking care of life, and we are
(43:45):
causing a lot of death. Soin really being so present with you know,
for me, the the inner autumnis really about this this death energy
of letting go, oh, ofjust really being with just the bare bones.
It's it's juicy work, and it'sit's it really takes a lot of
(44:09):
it takes a lot of discipline,because I mean, the inner summer is
the coast. It's like, yeah, effort, effortless effort, you know,
we we and and I mean thethe the autumn is a descent,
and the descent can be gentle unlessyou're as far north as you than then
(44:35):
that winter is not that gentle.The plummet, yes, but we can
make our hearth fires. Yeah,I love I love. You bring up
so many great topics, Paula,And I think this is such an important
conversation and a lot of what you'resaying really resonates with me and my observation
(44:58):
or experience with the seasons and thephases of life. You know, if
we look at Chinese medicine is reallybased on Taoism or Confucism, who are
people that just observed nature and lookedat outside nature, are inside nature?
And how do the two like thatcohesive relationship between them or not cohesive?
(45:22):
It could be like a damaging,destructive relationship as well. Ideally, the
Tao means the way right, It'slike how to live in accordance with nature.
So the more we tune in aswomen or you know, even as
men, you know, observing womenor interacting with women to be able to
ask like what season are you in? That would be I would love to
(45:44):
see a culture where that was likean appropriate question. I think it should
be. You know, yeah,I mean it will open up a lot
of conversations. But I can noticewhat you were saying about, like the
autumn as a deep reflective time asopposed to the springtime, which is like
that outward expression. So I reallybelieve that taking care of each season is
(46:09):
really important in having a supportive andbenefit function healthy functioning season every time.
For example, if in the wintertime you're not resting and you're living like
your best summer life, you knowyou're probably going to be tapping into some
serious reserves and then when summer comesback around, you don't have that bounce
(46:29):
or that energy to take advantage ofthat natural. So that would just be
one thing I would comment on andreally noticed and loved that you brought to
the conversation. Yeah, and Ithink any any, Yeah, I think
we should maybe you should give outall your socials, website, all your
(46:51):
promo stuff and all that. Andin regards to what you said about saying
what season are you in, well, I was thinking about and even day
when you're talking earlier and thinking aboutI can see women saying that to other
women. I could see sometimes andcorrect me if I'm wrong. If a
man walked up to a woman andsaid that the woman might not react in
(47:15):
a positive manner from the way theywould from a woman, you know.
And I think healing is relational andjust even putting putting that awareness in your
back pocket, and you know startingyou know, starting with your daughters,
(47:37):
starting with your daughters, and youknow, bridging with the conversation we had
and saying, hey, you knowthis, I think there's there's just always
this start starting point. There's alwaysa potential for a starting point. And
like I like I said, it'schange is a cyclical process also, and
(47:59):
I think, h the more thatyeah, we we find our way,
they building that intimacy within ourselves andthen the reaching out to others is yeah,
I mean I I I would invitethat question the inner the inner season
question. Nice. So now howdo people reach out to you to ask
(48:25):
you not only about that question buteverything else related to that question? Well,
yes, that question. Yes,I have a substack account, and
and I also have my website andmaybe Rebel can put that in the show
notes and we have it scrolling belowus. Yeah, scrolling, And it's
(48:50):
also we've yeah, we've included yoursubstack, which is greatiful, grateful,
beautiful and great. I love howyou are writing about this and really actively
standing for this initiative and supporting womenand men in this as well. I
am okay find Paula Classic at substackdot com. Can you just spell out
(49:15):
your name? Maybe that would begood for our radio listeners. Paula p
A U L A Class and kL A S S E N. Wonderful.
Thanks so much for your time andfor grasing us with your presence and
insights. Beautiful. Yeah, Ijust released a menstrual musing today called from
(49:35):
Losing It to Owning It Alchemizing premenstrual Rage. So I okay, that's
a big that's the energy of rightnow. There's a lot of anger.
It's like, what do we dowith this? Okay, let's let's talk
about this next time. Tune inthe Language of Healing every Tuesday, two
pm Eastern Time with myself Nicole andthe amazing co host the Pipemin and our
(49:57):
very special guest Paula. Thank youso much and Rebel, thank you for
taking care of everything on the backend. Looking forward to seeing you guys
next time. All right, thankyou. This is a lot of fun.
Yes, wow, what a showtoday, and the journey does not
stop here. Come travel the worldwith Nicole every Tuesday at two pm Eastern
Time, as together we become morefluent in the Language of healing on W
(50:22):
four WN Radio and Talk for TV. See you next week.
The topics and opinions expressed on thefollowing show are solely those of the hosts
and their guests, and not thoseof W four WN Radio It's employees or
affiliates. We make no recommendations orendorsements for radio show programs, services,
or products mentioned on air or onour web. No liability, explicit or
implied shall be extended to W fourWN Radio It's employees or affiliates. Any
questions or comment should be directed tothose show hosts. Thank you for choosing
(00:22):
W four WN Radio. Are youready to take a journey. Let's connect
with the healers of the world.It's that time. It's time for the
Language of Healing on W four WNRadio and Talk for TV. Now here's
your host, doctor Nicole Fort.Hello, everybody, welcome to another episode
(00:46):
on the Language of Healing. Weare broadcasting live today on the Women for
Women Network W FOURWN dot com everyTuesday, two pm Eastern. Just get
that out of the way before weget into our end of conversation and today
around women's women's health, women's menstrualcycles, and the inner seasons of the
(01:08):
cycle. I'm very excited about today'sconversation. How about you pipe man,
are you ready to talk? Well, people are probably wondering why I'm here,
and maybe it's because I have threedaughters and I was the one that
would make the two am runs tothe store. So yeah, I know,
(01:29):
we cannot we cannot discredit all likethe amazing men in our lives,
you know, that are also partof this journey alongside women. Yeah.
Absolutely, So I'm happy to haveyou here in the conversation today, actually,
and I know that you have alot of insight and maybe some questions
(01:51):
as well feedbacks. Well, Ithink definitely questions because there might be a
lot of people like me that havequestions that don't understand certain things. And
you know, I think that's whatit's about, enlightening people about things that
maybe for some reason society wants todeem as taboo. And it's not taboo
(02:15):
none, it's like real life.It's human life. And I think people
need more of an understanding of alltypes of things to really be able to
support and to you know, really, I would say, act accordingly is
(02:40):
the best thing, because if youdon't understand something, no matter what it
is, you know, you maynot act appropriately because you don't understand it
just like a foreign language, Likeyou could say something in a foreign language
but not know what you're saying andinsult somebody as an example, So important
(03:00):
for everybody to be educated and formed. And I would say informed to the
fact that I think a lot ofpeople are misinformed. Yeah, I would
say like women included, you know, and there's even someone going through if
we're talking about this topic around themenstrual cycle and women's health and bodies,
(03:22):
there's still a lot of questions anda lot of so that's also miscommunication opportunity
number one is if you know it'snot well understood on an internal perspective,
you don't necessarily know what to askfor or how to express that. So
there's a lot of learning on bothends. And then yeah, I mean
we're in the experience together, justlike globally, we share the world with
(03:47):
a lot of different cultures and alot of different people coming from different backgrounds.
And part of the language of healingis being able to communicate in a
another way, and part of thatis hearing someone else's story, you know,
listening, and yeah, getting toknow that aspect a little bit better
(04:09):
will solve a lot of problems.Well, So I have a question in
that realm, like you said,you know, including women, So were
there questions that you wish you hadearlier in life that you've got an answer
to that later on in life you'relike, oh, now I understand,
(04:30):
yeah a little bit. I thinkthat in a that is probably a critical
question of my life was that Iwould watch other women in this example,
and they would know themselves so well, and I thought, well, like,
how is that? How is thatyou know yourself so well that you
could tell when your cycle was cominglike that day? You know, there
(04:53):
was like a lot of the regularityof you know, of that or that
intimate connection and that women would expressI thought was curious to me as a
young person growing up and going throughmy own you know, growth and evolution.
I really admired that. So thatwas like a quest of many rabbit
(05:15):
holes. So but I think thatwho can answer that question even better or
shed some light on that is ourguest today. She is Paula Klassen.
I'm very excited. Let's get heron the on the suite. I was
so excited that you did that becausethat's where I thought the perfect segue was.
And I was actually going to doit myself if you didn't, So
(05:35):
I'm so happy that you did,because listen, we have an expert on
the show that can give us someinsight that probably none of us know,
including Rebel. Rebel probably has lotsof questions. Yeah, over here for
all the questions, all the questionscomments, Paula, Hello, thanks for
(05:57):
joining us today. Yes, andreally glad to be here. And maybe
I'll just preface it with I wouldn'tnecessarily say I'm an expert, but I'm
a well seasoned practitioner. That's aI like how you put that so genuinely
(06:18):
learning. What what I would liketo know personally is what in in what
we're about to talk about today,What was it that happened in life that
caused you to want to really digin and understand and learn this subject,
you know, and make it,you know, a business passion of yours,
(06:42):
a life passion of yours. SomethingI would think some something happened in
life where you the light bulb wentoff, you know, as you were
speaking before about I think sometimes justyeah, about just about life, the
art of life. And sometimes itis only when you've walked the path for
(07:04):
a bit that you can look backand go, oh yeah, that's that's
the moment. And I'm soon tobe heading into my fifth decade of life.
And the reoccurring pattern for me inmy in my younger years, I
actually went to work as a teacherin in Rwanda, and I went there
(07:30):
just after the genocide and and Ireally got to bear witness to just the
devastation of of death and this patternof you know, I since gone and
actually have been invited to bear witnessto genocide in several different lights, you
(07:56):
know, going up I live inAlberta in canad that and there's the Tarcans
up in the northern part of ourprovince. I beared witness to that.
And then just all of this,all of this reoccurring pattern of death was
so crushing, and and then therewas this this part of me, my
(08:18):
womb, that that had the sparkof life. And I think it's that
tension of of just being so griefstricken to what I was bearing witness to,
and then this this incredible connection thatI was really anchoring myself in that
like I I hold this potential oflife inside of me. Mm hmm.
(08:43):
I also have daughters. I havetwo of them, and I think that
the resolve to really be uh embodiedin this in this role of life giver
and and really taking a stand forlife has really come from the determination of
(09:05):
you know, I have two daughtersand what kind of legacy do I want
to leave for them? Yeah?I love that. What would you like
to know, Nicoll about this journeyshe's been on to make it to our
show today. Well, I justcan't help but think about or reflect in
(09:28):
that moment, about this real callfor that feminine energy, that life giving
force, you know, And I'mall about the duality. Studying Chinese medicine,
everything stems from like the yin andthe young. It's like polarity is
what creates that spark of life.It's the polarities that you know, if
(09:52):
everything was just kind of neutral thatI mean, I don't know, can
you imagine a life of just neutrality. So the dynamics I'm reminded of that
when you're sharing that, because deathand life and witnessing death or the end
of cycle and being inspired by lifeinspires me. It's something that I really
(10:15):
connect with, you know, fromeven just working with newborns, newborn life,
pregnant mothers, like women trying toyou know, couples trying to conceive.
I see that a lot of mydaily practice. And then I also
support people at their end stages oflife, so you know that whole realm
and just being curious about that.So, yeah, what do I want
(10:37):
to know more about it? Well, I mean, I'm definitely curious to
hear more about the inner seasons becauseI'm very also interested in how we cycle
through different phases stages. You callthem a season, it could be a
phase, it could be a stage. It's like a process. So I
(10:58):
don't know if you want that.I want to jump in for a second
though, because you said season.I want to jump in that because before
you were coming on the show,I was talking Nicole about we used to
have a show on this station thatwas specifically about this subject, and because
(11:18):
this person wrote a book and thatbook was the uh it's called the Period
Party and it was such a coolbook. But in that book it referenced
the seasons as well. Beautiful.Well, yeah, if you would like,
(11:41):
I could just dive in and share. Yeah, just share a little
bit about the four for seasons,give a little bit of the flavors as
I experienced them. And you canask questions, how does jump right?
Yeah, yeah, so like evenright now, like seasonally, where we
(12:03):
are, you know, we're atthe cusp of the summer solstice. You
know, the sun is shining brightly. I know it's it comes into my
window at you know, quarter toquarter to five in the morning, so
I'm up early. And I thinkin modern culture here, we we are
(12:24):
often incultrated to operate in one season, and it is primarily summer, that
summer energy of go, go go, and you know, this kind of
this insistence on efficiency and getting thingsdone quickly and things like that. And
(12:45):
the women's cycle just offers us somuch wisdom in being able to be with
the subtleties and the energetics of ebband flow. So I'm going to start,
you know, with the opposite today. I'm going to start with the
inner winter. And you know,the inner winter is you know, very
(13:09):
very similar to what I experience herein the Northern Hemisphere. Is the time
of the darkness, and this qualityand the energetics of that season is a
time of reflection and stillness. AndI know for me, cultivating the permission
(13:35):
actually to slow down has been youknow, it has been an incredible challenge,
an incredible challenge when the messaging thatthat I often receive is that,
you know, slowing down is somehowa diminishment or an indication that you're not
capable and competent. And I knowthat's trying to jump in there, but
(13:58):
just like the difference between like beinglazy and taking the rest, you know,
we yeah, just in our culturesociety were so go action action or
if you don't do that, thenyou're lazy or like that's where maybe dealing
like working with women or being awoman is like different because you really have
to honor that that process in yourself, right, Like anyways, sorry to
(14:22):
cut you off there, just well, and that mirroring too, like I
know when I had when the kidswere young, when my girls were young,
I would get that reflection from them, mom, like, what's what's
happening to you? You are beinglazy and this, you know, and
and the guilt that I initially feltin hearing that, and then the opportunity
(14:45):
that I had in my own familyculture to start having these conversations about rest
and you know, and modeling itfirst of all, and I do remember
with my with my younger daughters atthat time. I know that couple of
cycles after the lazy comment, Ihad my other daughter say, Mom,
is this when we need to begentle with you? So that kind of
(15:09):
I mean, this is culture shifting. This is like radical culture shifting that
is happening in these moment to moment, every day, mundane moments. So
yes, that's you know, themagic, a little snapshot of the magic
of the of the inner winter.And then like just just knowing that within
(15:33):
yourself and being able to express thatto your daughters, be uh or even
your children, not just necessarily daughters, but it's like, yeah, oh,
maybe this is the time we needto do instead of like, oh
is it your time of your monthagain, like you know, a comment
like that or yeah, And Ithink that The other piece I just want
to highlight too, is that thisyou know, the changes or the insights
(15:56):
or the actual ripples of this kindof practice. It can happen overnight in
my case, in many of it, it's just been over the course of
many cycles. And again it's aboutnoticing nuance and subtlety and just simply being
able to hold complexity. And themore you practice, the more you know
(16:19):
more opportunities you get to you know, be challenged and then also curate that
kind of that kind of embodied wisdom. So crossing over into the inner spring
this season for me has been challengingin that for me, the real potency
(16:47):
of the inner spring is so there'sthis rising energy and I am a very
creative person and often in my bleedI will get you know, I'll get
kind of a new idea. Andfor me, the challenge of my inner
spring has been about pacing that,you know, once I've done the rest,
(17:07):
like it's almost like okay, I'verest now, and then I'm just
like you know, out out andwanting to like rush into creating the things
that I have inspiration now to create. So the inner spring, you know,
I really think about the first greenbuds, and I mean I live
in lands where where where there areyou know, extreme weather changes, and
(17:33):
so it's it's not really intelligent fora plant to just burst out and blossom
that you know this there's an emergencethat that happens in the plant world that
I really I like to pay attentionto. And so there's there's this this
playfulness, this really playful, innocentkind of messy energy. For me,
(17:56):
it's just kind of like that brainstormingand and just this this yeah, this
this opportunity to be with new beginningsand for me playing getting dirty in the
mud just exactly it's like where doI want to plant this thing? Which
one do I want to plant?Yeah? Yeah, And for me,
(18:17):
the theaters we grow and the pacingpart for me has been about not putting
uh, you know, an agendaon the product or the or the end
the end goal, not really youknow, not putting too much structure around
it. So this, yeah,this time of the season, I just
I love it for yes, justthat just just taking simple taking pride in
(18:45):
the play and and the newness.Like it's just it's such a it's such
a it's such a beautiful energy tocome into every month like that. I
can, I can be new again, I can try I can try something
new, I can wobble, Ican you know, there's there's just so
much Yeah, there's just so muchgrace that can be offered if there's a
(19:10):
willingness to be tender with with thosethose that new vulnerability. I love that.
Can I just jump in there becauseI'm reminded of you said at the
beginning that you have a challenge withthis can have a challenge with this time
of season and in the cycle ofspring, energy brings like the winds of
change literally, you know, it'slike it can be quite strong energy.
(19:34):
It's playful, it's fun, it'sinvigorating, it's inspirational. It's also a
little hard to deal with, youknow, hard to manage. You can
be blown in many directions. Ifyou're not tender with yourself, you can
be really rigid. And what doesa tree you know, it's like a
tree being blown in the wind,it will just snap under pressure. You
need to be a little bit flexible. And yeah, think of that playfulness
(19:59):
so lines up. Yeah, andso nature and the way that I I
mean the way that I even gowith the with my cycle in terms of
days. So day one would bemy bleed and so like day one to
day six seven is it would bethat inner winter. So it's usually a
(20:21):
g seven day window where okay,so that's winter. So winter would be
like day one, that's like startminstrels period exactly. Yeah, yeah,
and depending on that a week latercomes into the spring. Yes, yeah,
so day seven to day fourteen wouldbe the inner spring, so you
(20:41):
can see that there's kind of thearc of a week. And again women's
cycles fluctuate, some women have longeror shorter cycles. But that's again the
beauty of tracking this over time.And now I don't so much go on
the chronology of the day. Ican really feel those subtleties within myself and
(21:04):
it really has a lot to dojust with just what I'm inspired to do
and my energy level, and andI'll feel those somatic subtleties, so I
just know I'm shifting gears. AndI think there's something again so beautiful in
having that intimate relationship with yourself andthen how that can spill out into being
(21:29):
super generous and compassionate with you know, being with people exactly where they're at.
So yeah, it's also a qualityof the springtime, like the liver
season. It's the generosity, it'sthe abundance, you know, versus the
type restrained tension. Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, something you think about.
(21:55):
So how does information like this helpother women that aren't familiar with it and
help them to, you know,have a better, more positive experience for
themselves. Well, from my experience, asking women what day are you on
(22:19):
your cycle is It's such a beautifulopening question to really start exploring. You
know, this this realm of directexperiencing, because not all women are cycling
exactly in the you know, inthe in the same way at the same
(22:40):
time. And I know, forme, creating coherence among women is like
whoa, I'm so passionate about that, about that work, because I mean
again, modern culture kind of haswomen kind of being distrustful of one another,
(23:00):
and that you know, this thiskind of this distrust that often is
is kind of in the in thehidden background. And I know that the
more that I have come together inthis way, like cyclically with women,
like the feedback we have given oneanother is this relaxing into you know,
(23:21):
trusting exactly where we are and andshowing up exactly as we are, and
in showing up exactly as we are, I know, in especially in group
situations, what I've experienced is thesynergy of like like having like you know,
for example, being the menstruator andthen you know, having a colleague
(23:45):
be ovulating and and you know againthat functional polarity that that isn't that isn't
a battling or isn't in competition withbut it's actually enhancing like a like a
full spectrum intelligence. And I justthink that this is so exciting to imagine
(24:08):
that, you know, we couldwe could come together in that way,
you know, and I'm even thinkinglike with athletics in one of my working
groups, she is, she's abasketball coach and you know, so like
working like that as a you know, as a team and again not being
(24:30):
not insisting on being one thing forlike that that the team. There can
be that variance and that and thatagain, the synergy creates something that we
can't really access individually or acting inindividualistic way. So I offer that to
contemplate. I love that vision.I think that's so inspiring that the functional
(25:00):
polarity. You said that, andspeaking of the intelligence of that, like,
whoa, wouldn't that be quite thething? Yeah, like that,
I'm just thinking of, you know, some cultures that really celebrate women,
like the red tent, you know, or the period party or like these
things that are a celebratory and youknow, honoring that intelligence of that.
(25:21):
But I think that would be that'sa great way to use that to your
advantage. Yeah, man, that'sa great question. Well thanks, and
you know, since you mentioned theperiod party that was one of the things
is the whole concept of taking girlswhen it first happens to them and creating
(25:42):
a positive, memorable, good memorableexperience instead of a negative one. Absolutely,
I know in my you know,in my vision, I do see
that too, Like what would itbe like to be one welcomed in?
Right that? Just to have agroup of initiated women who are so anchored
(26:08):
in their own cycle and comfortable inthe diversity of a you know, a
vibrant like that where everybody where,every everybody in that circle is allowed to
be fully who they are and asthey are, and to be welcomed into
that kind of vibrancy is I know. I love that wording welcomed in though,
(26:30):
because it's usually when done the wrongway, it's the exact opposite feeling.
Yes, you know, And thisis the thing that I have been
able to do in my own journeybecause there's a lot of grief in you
know, how it could have beenand how it wasn't for me. You
(26:52):
know, I wasn't I wasn't welcomedin. So when I was forty three,
gathered in my aunts and cousins andI said, could could we could
we do this, and I know, like I created a ceremony, a
menarchy ceremony, so a first bleedceremony, and we came together and we
(27:18):
did this and it was awkward andwe fumbled and and and it was beautiful.
It was absolute. You tell usa little bit about about this,
because I'm sure people are listening they'rekind of thinking, well, what was
that all about, and how wouldit benefit and what's great about it?
(27:45):
Yeah? I mean yeah, forme, it was, yeah, like
just this longing to to remedy somehowwhat what I wasn't given as as a
young woman. And it wasn't aboutblaming anybody. It was really from this
(28:06):
longing of wanting and actually seeing evidenceof how this almost wound of not being
welcomed in was playing out again andagain in my life in terms of just
not not asking for the things thatI wanted or you know, we're holding
(28:26):
back in in showing myself. Soit was it was this really tender asking
and you know, I just Ifeel to this day just so much joy
that it's not even so much whathappened. You know, I did it.
I did a giveaway way actually Igave away many of just many of
(28:49):
my my special items I I gave, I did a giveaway, and I
gifted each woman who was who waspresent. And and then it's not so
much even that what was given thematerial things, it was what was said.
Sure, it was the Yeah,it was the vulnerability like a very
springtime, a very springtime event happenedin being able to reclaim something that didn't
(29:18):
happen. And you know, atthat point, you know, I'm closer
to menopause than I was to mymonarchy, and something happened and it wasn't
just for me that he was forthe whole group exactly. And do you
think for people that are not asmuch in the know of these type of
(29:41):
things, do you think that's why, like you know, how in a
workplace women their cycles will definitely alignwith each other. Maybe that's their form
even without controlling it, of welcomingin. Maybe the universe teaching women to
(30:02):
welcome each other in. Yeah,And I think you're speaking so much to
how tethered we are to one another, you know, like this the magic
of a female body in terms ofjust even I think the way that so
like my mother had the eggs forme, that was the birth. The
(30:26):
conception of me was in my mother'syou know, fetal womb that was nested
in my grandmother's womb. So that'sthree generations of like really really powerful connection.
So women's we were our bodies,it's in our bodies to support one
another. And I just love thatwe have this. We have this invitation
(30:52):
in our own cycling to come back, to come back home to ourselves and
to find our way back to oneanother. And I think once we do
that, and once we learn tocome in cohesion together as women, I
mean, I think that's where themagic happens with our you know, the
men in our life, our children, that we can we can really be
(31:19):
powerful spokes people on behalf of life. And I just like to think even
what you were saying in your introductionabout having having daughters and wanting to understand,
so when you understand as a man, then you can you can be
so able to respond in a waythat really acts in accordance with life,
(31:45):
because we really don't understand right now. We're longing these patterns that bring us
into sync with life. Yeah,and we really don't understand because we're not
living, we're not walking in yourshoes so you know, I think it's
important for all men to be ableto be described as close as possible what
(32:07):
it is like, because then maybea lot of men would you know,
discount it so much and like poohpooh it if they understood, because I
mean, let's be honest, Idon't know many men that would want to
have to go through that what womenhave to go through, you know,
(32:29):
so maybe they should walk in yourshoes for a few And I think what
I hear too is this like thislonging to understand a little bit about the
mystery because it's just so completely foreign. And I mean, and the numbness
(32:51):
bar for men has you know,has been amped up so much too.
And the thing as that numbness barcomes down in the awakening this happening,
men want direction on how to howto be responsive and and and sensitive in
ways that that again are in alignmentto life. And we all want lot
(33:20):
we all want to come through.Yeah, I mean men, that's like
a quality that men. You know, it's like you just give them some
direction or like they they're the structure, they're the support. It's like it's
like being raised without any boundaries,you know, like you need you need
a boundary to kind of be freein a sense, and I think men
provide that for women, but ifwomen are not so sure, then there's
(33:45):
like nothing really, it's just alittle bit murky, murky waters, you
know, like the polarity is notreally like a healthy, functional polarity,
like you say. And just onthat note, I would say, like
this, this kind of work,the welcoming or the initial ciation, I
think is a big piece of theculture that's missing. And then it's breeds
(34:06):
this not healthy relationships amongst women,you know. I think that I've found
in my experience and my journey healing, the relationship with women has been like
a huge game changer for me.I just thought, like, oh,
I just get along better with menor something like that, like kind of
numb, I would numb out thatfemininity. And but that's really been the
(34:28):
ticket to like a lot more healthand happiness in my world. And I
can see how a ceremony like thatwould change not only the women involved,
but the generations. Like the rippleeffect is huge like that, and that's
something culturally there's been a lot ofsignificance around that. We maybe have lost
that a little bit. I don'tknow, I have many thoughts going on.
(34:51):
I don't want to derail you fromthat. We would need to finish
the rest of the seasons. Isthere anything else you want to add before
we move into the summer. No, let's cross over to the summer.
Yeah, so this is actually I'mjust at the tail end. I'm day
twenty one right now, so I'mkind of at the beginning of my autumn.
(35:12):
But I still feel like I'm I'mstill coasting on the high of summer.
And so this energy is is yeah, like it's the peak of the
It's the zenith of the cycle interms of just that just the need to
express and the desire to just tobe fully authentic. And for me,
(35:35):
it's a time of like nonlinear possibilities. And again, I'm very creative.
So this is this is when Iwill, you know, I will bring
my out there ideas that have comefrom and I'm not going to use I'm
going to reframe that because they're notout there. They're so anchored, They're
so anchored from this place of deepbelonging and I think sometimes I have the
(36:00):
past and maybe even still today becauseI use the word, I still feel
that they're coming out there because they'reso big. I'm just like, WHOA
like I like this this possibility ofbeing able to swell and become bigger and
and and this overflow that happens duringmy inner summers just something that again has
(36:25):
has been up has been a journeyof many cycles of you know, not
daring to and then being able tosource more courage and now it's just it.
It just happens a lot more fluidlythat that overflow. And so there's
yes, there's lots of generosity interms of being available, you know,
for other people at this time,and and just having this ease, this
(36:52):
ease of efforts effortless effort, andand and just yeah, having that go
in or and it's and it's goodtime to schedule a podcast, absolutely,
yeah, good time for interviews,good, good time to ask for what
you want exactly exactly and you know, and I, yes, I will
(37:14):
be very honest that I was.I was looking at my calendar and the
timing of yeah, no, Iknow a lot of quite a few women
that will schedule like important meetings orsales conversations around their ovulation. I mean
that's like kind of the ultimate lifehack to know your cycle and how that
relates in the outside world, yourinner world with the outside. Yeah world,
(37:34):
it's the season of that living edge. It's the season of being able
to really go for it. Andand again, in modern culture, we
often this is the gear that isreally kind of prioritized, and in many
ways there's this false expectation for ittoo. You know, we just even
(37:58):
look how our economy is based onendless growth and you know, even learning
cycles. You know, we wewe have this you know, this up
up, up kind of momentum thatis really it is unsustainable, and there
is a place for it in thecycle. It's not about poo pooing it
(38:22):
either. There's a place for it. And I think for me it's been
the challenge has been putting parameters andlike really actually understanding that that this is
this is not how it is forfor my whole cycle, and that I
do actually have a have a limitedperiod of time where where I experience it's
(38:45):
this and and then this would crossover into the inner autumn, which ooh,
the inner autumn. I'm almost wantingsaying it. I can feel the
heaviness already. Yeah, it isall it is the base in the cycle
(39:07):
that is, I mean, yes, a PMS. And you know there's
just so so much pathology about howhow this how this season unfolds. And
I mean I can speak from myown experience too that I actually had my
Day twenty five. So the autumnis like kind of day twenty to you
(39:28):
know, day twenty eight, Daytwenty one, day twenty eight. So
there's that this arc of you know, energy is waning just very much like
the autumn. You know, it'slike it's like the dim lights going on.
And I know how it went forme in my in my earlier days
is like that Bugs Bunny cartoon withthe roadrunner and coyote and you know,
(39:51):
like just running running, go go, go, go go, and then
ooh, like a lot, youknow, the crash, the crash of
again pacing, not actually being realwith myself, not being carnally honest with
myself, and and that kind ofthat crash and burn. And you know
(40:12):
I had I had a day inmy cycle, my day twenty five,
where you know, over several cycles, I was tracking this as a young
mother, and I had a namefor it was lose my Shit Day.
I would lose my shit and Iyou know, I feel, I really
feel for my close loved ones,you know, because the lashing out would
(40:37):
often happen, you know, wouldhappen towards them, and you know,
or it would be complete migrain orsomething like that. So I had again
this feedback, this feedback that mycycle was given giving me. And what
I've learned from from this practice too, is is the more that you pay
(41:00):
attention, the more you know,the more things that are like their invitations
to either really listen to or disregard. And so my day twenty five for
a while got pretty loud and andyou know, and I would go into
these what I would call these shamecycles of you know, asking myself what's
(41:24):
wrong with me? You know,why why am I? Why am I
acting like this? Why am Ibehaving? There's something wrong with me?
And and again the grace of thecycle is that, you know, you
get to go through it all again, go into the winter, the rest,
the new beginning, and try somethingdifferent, you know. And then
(41:47):
hearing my daughter says, this isthe time we need to be gentle with
you. Okay, well maybe thisaround. You know, I have to
be gentle with myself, you know, And then you know, for me.
It really it really started with blockingthat that that time off in my
calendar, like really not not doinga lot of external like my my external
(42:12):
focus got really I really brought Ireally learned to stay close to myself and
again like being closer to menopause.I haven't gone through through that change yet,
but now I understand that I'm mostlikely like the inner autumn is like
(42:32):
this is that the magic of itis this is once I learned to establish
ground here, like this is whereI'm like in the like bare bones truth
telling, willing to take a standfor the things that I love the most.
Like it's a time of great exposure, exposure like to my own like
(42:57):
my own wounding and and all ofthe I think for me, it's like
really when I'm sourcing the essence ofwhat what what makes me human? And
you know, coming full circle towhat I shared at the beginning with genocide,
like death, mass death being sucha big theme in my in my
(43:19):
early years, Like I really seethis that in especially here in North America,
like we have such a fear ofendings and death and change, and
in many ways that avoidance is thecause of of of of of where we've
numbed out, and and we're nottaking care of life, and we are
(43:45):
causing a lot of death. Soin really being so present with you know,
for me, the the inner autumnis really about this this death energy
of letting go, oh, ofjust really being with just the bare bones.
It's it's juicy work, and it'sit's it really takes a lot of
(44:09):
it takes a lot of discipline,because I mean, the inner summer is
the coast. It's like, yeah, effort, effortless effort, you know,
we we and and I mean thethe the autumn is a descent,
and the descent can be gentle unlessyou're as far north as you than then
(44:35):
that winter is not that gentle.The plummet, yes, but we can
make our hearth fires. Yeah,I love I love. You bring up
so many great topics, Paula,And I think this is such an important
conversation and a lot of what you'resaying really resonates with me and my observation
(44:58):
or experience with the seasons and thephases of life. You know, if
we look at Chinese medicine is reallybased on Taoism or Confucism, who are
people that just observed nature and lookedat outside nature, are inside nature?
And how do the two like thatcohesive relationship between them or not cohesive?
(45:22):
It could be like a damaging,destructive relationship as well. Ideally, the
Tao means the way right, It'slike how to live in accordance with nature.
So the more we tune in aswomen or you know, even as
men, you know, observing womenor interacting with women to be able to
ask like what season are you in? That would be I would love to
(45:44):
see a culture where that was likean appropriate question. I think it should
be. You know, yeah,I mean it will open up a lot
of conversations. But I can noticewhat you were saying about, like the
autumn as a deep reflective time asopposed to the springtime, which is like
that outward expression. So I reallybelieve that taking care of each season is
(46:09):
really important in having a supportive andbenefit function healthy functioning season every time.
For example, if in the wintertime you're not resting and you're living like
your best summer life, you knowyou're probably going to be tapping into some
serious reserves and then when summer comesback around, you don't have that bounce
(46:29):
or that energy to take advantage ofthat natural. So that would just be
one thing I would comment on andreally noticed and loved that you brought to
the conversation. Yeah, and Ithink any any, Yeah, I think
we should maybe you should give outall your socials, website, all your
(46:51):
promo stuff and all that. Andin regards to what you said about saying
what season are you in, well, I was thinking about and even day
when you're talking earlier and thinking aboutI can see women saying that to other
women. I could see sometimes andcorrect me if I'm wrong. If a
man walked up to a woman andsaid that the woman might not react in
(47:15):
a positive manner from the way theywould from a woman, you know.
And I think healing is relational andjust even putting putting that awareness in your
back pocket, and you know startingyou know, starting with your daughters,
(47:37):
starting with your daughters, and youknow, bridging with the conversation we had
and saying, hey, you knowthis, I think there's there's just always
this start starting point. There's alwaysa potential for a starting point. And
like I like I said, it'schange is a cyclical process also, and
(47:59):
I think, h the more thatyeah, we we find our way,
they building that intimacy within ourselves andthen the reaching out to others is yeah,
I mean I I I would invitethat question the inner the inner season
question. Nice. So now howdo people reach out to you to ask
(48:25):
you not only about that question buteverything else related to that question? Well,
yes, that question. Yes,I have a substack account, and
and I also have my website andmaybe Rebel can put that in the show
notes and we have it scrolling belowus. Yeah, scrolling, And it's
(48:50):
also we've yeah, we've included yoursubstack, which is greatiful, grateful,
beautiful and great. I love howyou are writing about this and really actively
standing for this initiative and supporting womenand men in this as well. I
am okay find Paula Classic at substackdot com. Can you just spell out
(49:15):
your name? Maybe that would begood for our radio listeners. Paula p
A U L A Class and kL A S S E N. Wonderful.
Thanks so much for your time andfor grasing us with your presence and
insights. Beautiful. Yeah, Ijust released a menstrual musing today called from
(49:35):
Losing It to Owning It Alchemizing premenstrual Rage. So I okay, that's
a big that's the energy of rightnow. There's a lot of anger.
It's like, what do we dowith this? Okay, let's let's talk
about this next time. Tune inthe Language of Healing every Tuesday, two
pm Eastern Time with myself Nicole andthe amazing co host the Pipemin and our
(49:57):
very special guest Paula. Thank youso much and Rebel, thank you for
taking care of everything on the backend. Looking forward to seeing you guys
next time. All right, thankyou. This is a lot of fun.
Yes, wow, what a showtoday, and the journey does not
stop here. Come travel the worldwith Nicole every Tuesday at two pm Eastern
Time, as together we become morefluent in the Language of healing on W
(50:22):
four WN Radio and Talk for TV. See you next week.
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