This morning, a young woman I work with walked into the office and casually said she had “received the woman’s curse.”
It was meant as a lighthearted comment, but it struck me how easily we’ve inherited that language — that being a woman, and experiencing our natural cycle, could be seen as a curse.
It was meant as a lighthearted comment, but it struck me how easily we’ve inherited that language — that being a woman, and experiencing our natural cycle, could be seen as a curse.
I smiled and gently offered a new perspective:
“What if, instead of feeling cursed, you celebrated this as a sacred time — a reminder of your connection to the Divine Feminine?”
“What if, instead of feeling cursed, you celebrated this as a sacred time — a reminder of your connection to the Divine Feminine?”
Her face softened.
And it reminded me of something Eckhart Tolle once said in The Power of Now:
And it reminded me of something Eckhart Tolle once said in The Power of Now:
“The pain-body in women tends to become activated particularly just prior to and during the menstrual flow… If you are able to stay present and alert at that time, every old emotion that arises in you will be transmuted into consciousness.”
That passage has always stayed with me — because it reframes the menstrual cycle not as something to dread, but as an opportunity for presence, purification, and power.
The Pain-Body and the Power of Presence
According to Tolle, the “pain-body” is the emotional residue of past pain that lives within us — a collection of old wounds, trauma, and suppressed emotions. For many women, this energy awakens cyclically, often around menstruation.
When we resist it — by labeling it as “bad,” “unfair,” or “a curse” — the pain-body grows stronger. But when we meet it with awareness and compassion, it begins to dissolve.
That’s where presence becomes medicine.
Instead of reacting, we breathe.
Instead of resenting, we listen.
Instead of numbing, we feel.
Instead of resenting, we listen.
Instead of numbing, we feel.
This is how we transmute pain into power. Each month offers an invitation to deepen our connection with our body, our emotions, and our inner wisdom.
Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine
Our cycles mirror the rhythm of nature itself — creation, release, renewal. The moon waxes and wanes; the tides rise and fall; the seasons bloom and rest. We, too, are cyclical beings.
The Divine Feminine invites us to honor that rhythm rather than resist it.
Menstruation isn’t a punishment — it’s a cleansing. A physical and energetic release of what’s no longer needed. A reminder that we are powerful creators capable of bringing life — not just biologically, but energetically and spiritually.
When we begin to see our cycles as sacred, our relationship with ourselves begins to heal.
From Curse to Ceremony
Imagine if every time your cycle began, you saw it as a time to slow down, journal, nurture your body, and reconnect with your intuition.
What if instead of saying, “I got my period,” you said,
“I’m entering my renewal phase,” or
“My body is asking for stillness,” or
“I’m shedding to make room for what’s next.”
“I’m entering my renewal phase,” or
“My body is asking for stillness,” or
“I’m shedding to make room for what’s next.”
This mindset shift transforms the experience from something we endure into something we honor.
Even a small act — like lighting a candle, wearing comfortable clothes, or placing a hand on your womb and saying “thank you” — can shift the energy from resistance to reverence.
Taming the Pain-Body Through Love and Awareness
Here’s how to begin working with your cycle as a spiritual practice:
- Be Present with Your Body.
Notice sensations without labeling them. Pain, fatigue, emotion — they are messengers, not enemies. - Release Judgment.
Stop calling it a curse. Stop apologizing for it. Instead, speak words of gratitude for your body’s intelligence. - Create Space.
Use this time to rest, reflect, and listen. The insights that come when we slow down are often the whispers of the soul. - Transmute Emotion into Consciousness.
When irritability or sadness arises, breathe deeply and remind yourself: This is energy moving through me. I am safe to feel. - Celebrate Your Divinity.
Whether through ritual, journaling, or self-care, use this phase as a reminder of your cyclical nature — and your power to renew.
The next time someone refers to their cycle as “the woman’s curse,” maybe you’ll smile and say —
“It’s not a curse. It’s a ceremony.”
“It’s not a curse. It’s a ceremony.”
A monthly return to your divine feminine essence.
A chance to tame the pain-body through love, awareness, and presence.
A sacred reminder that being a woman is — and always has been — a gift.
A chance to tame the pain-body through love, awareness, and presence.
A sacred reminder that being a woman is — and always has been — a gift.
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