When the Womb Speaks: Endometriosis Through the Lens of Energy Healing

I am an energy healer and have lived with endometriosis my entire adult life. In my late-20s, I began a conscious journey to understand endometriosis and manage chronic pain, leading to a way of life that now feels softer, safer, and with less pain overall. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine

lining grows outside the uterus, causing pain. The manifestation of endometriosis in the body is a complex response of the body protecting itself -  but against what? Spiritually, endometriosis is an attempt to regulate suppression and safety - Is my womb safe here? Are my boundaries overstepped? Am I free to express myself? The overgrowth of uterine tissue is the body’s wise response to protect the womb against over-giving, a lack of safety; a hardening of an otherwise soft and open sacral center. 

Though endometriosis is a very difficult condition to live with, when I started to embrace the changes that this healing journey requires, I found more rootedness in my feminine essence and a deeper kinship between my inner world and the world around me. It has been a deeply emotional journey - I have tended to my womb with gentle care, and I have screamed, and cried, and listened to its wisdom for when to shut my eyes and rest, and when to move. Healing from and working alongside endometriosis is a holistic, longer term process to slow down the body, release old energies, and regenerate life. I am blessed to have Reiki as a tool I can use through this healing journey, living with the graceful flow of energy and tending to symptoms when they arise. This is not a healing process of the intellect, but one of embodiment. Though I have learned so much about myself and women’s health through the process, here is what I discovered, shared in the spirit that it may offer some light along the way for those with endometriosis, and to our fellow sisters who also wish to live in more attunement with her feminine nature.

1. Honoring my ancestral line I remember my mom telling me that her mom (my grandma) had endometriosis. Though my mom was never officially diagnosed, she too suffered from painful periods until opting for a hysterectomy later in life. Endometriosis has run through my matriarchal line for at least three known generations, and I carry a spiritual responsibility to help heal and honour this line. I am one node in helping heal sisterhood and our future daughters - to challenge the over-functioning nature of work and cultural expectations, and to move into safety and softness. It means loving myself, loving my mother and sister with compassion, to spend time in creative expression (more singing, gardening, dancing, arts & crafts!), to speak with my ancestors ‘across the veil,’ and to learn the old ways of folk healing in community. In the broader feminine collective, many women live with endometriosis (1 in 10 women of reproductive age), and even more women suffer from other physical or mental health conditions. A common observation in most women who come to see me for Reiki and Energy Healing sessions is that they often have energetic blocks in the lower back (root and sacral chakras) and at the throat (throat chakra). The natural polarity between the upper (connection between our

nerve, nervous system regulation between the brain and the rest of the body and self-expression) and lower spine (the store of our vital life force substance, safety and connection to this earth) calls for more integration, more safety of opening, more supportive movement and regulation practices, more awareness and community support, and the healing of sisterhood.

2. Living with the cycles of life A woman’s hormonal rhythm unfolds over the course of roughly a month, often likened to the cycles of the moon, while a man’s hormonal rhythm follows a more daily pattern, rising and resetting with the sun. Testosterone in men typically peaks each morning, priming the body for action and output. In women, testosterone rises more subtly and briefly across the menstrual cycle, reaching a peak around ovulation—yet even then, it remains significantly lower than a man’s daily peak.

This contrast offers a simple lens through which to view the dominant rhythms our Western world is structured around: a 24-hour cycle that prioritizes consistency, output, and daily productivity—mirrored in the familiar 9-to-5 workday. I worked for over 10 years in corporate and saw many people burn out (myself included). I knew that it was only a matter of time before I re-designed my life to live in harmony with the waves of my feminine cycle. While I was working full-time in an office, I asked for health accommodation. I requested that, for the first 3 days of my cycle, I would either take a sick day, work from home, or reduce my workload. When my part-time work as a wellness practitioner began to increase, I transitioned out of my corporate job to become an entrepreneur in healing, creativity and community justice. I soon found that many other high-functioning women were doing the same and becoming entrepreneurs. Though entrepreneurship comes with its own challenges (and I encourage everyone to find the path that works the best for them), there is a sorority of professional women who are re-designing the game (within and outside of corporations), with wellness and flexibility in mind. When I began to attune more to my 28-day cycle and its wave, I became more attuned to the moon cycles. This connected me to a greater force of the earth and the cosmos, and an appreciation for the many seasons of life and their emotional gifts. I started to notice when my cycle would sync to the full moon, when it would adjust to sync with my sisters around me, or when it would alter to sync with the new moon. Knowing where I am at in my cycle allows me to naturally tune into: 

• the height of my energy (summer energy, ovulation), 

• wind down (autumn, luteal), 

• rest (winter energy, menstruation), 

• the wind up (spring, follicular). 

This has helped me become more aware of, and make choices that balance my energy in social environments, work, self-care, fitness, nutrition, and other areas of my life. 

3. It is OK to rest, and your nervous system deserves safety and softness For so long, I was conditioned to feel shame and guilt if I ‘wasn’t working.’ Admittedly, I still sometimes feel pressure to be ‘on.’ However, instead of guilting myself for it, I now simply witness it, hold it with grace, and soften it to recalibrate my nervous system. I have a deep trust in how I show up for my work and others, and I know now that I don’t have to sacrifice myself in the process.  I’ve made a personal pact with myself to not to schedule anything around the first few days of menstruation. Or, if I do, I give myself permission to cancel or reschedule. If there is a call for me to do anything on the first few days of my cycle, it’s usually in a low-key, calming environment. During menstruation, I notice what emotions and mental stories come up. Our cycle is a built-in, wise, clearing and cleansing system. The blood is an offering of release. Mindful witnessing of emotional cleansing gives the body, heart and mind space to breathe, allowing menstruation to be a ritual, rather than the dominant narrative of ‘a monthly inconvenience.’ I have felt shame in the past for resting on days 1-3, told by the people around me that “I need to live life.” But honoring rest, calm, cleansing, and the time that menstruation is giving me to slow down each month is something sacred that I honor. It does not compete against enjoying and living life to its fullest, but rather complements this process. 

Menstruation gives us space to down-regulate the system from stress, leading to more repair. However, if we over-activate our sympathetic nervous system response during this time, we rob menstruation of its natural regulating work.  The more I give my body space to rest, place my hands on my womb for care and healing, and honor the emotional clearing, the less painful my periods are, and the more the body is allowed to regenerate naturally.

Menstruation deserves reverence and more conversation in sisterhood to honor the gifts that it grants us.

4. Nutrition and movement matter Always listen to what your body needs, and consult your own healthcare support team to understand the nutrition and movement-based practices that are appropriate for you. However, there are a few practices and vitamins you can familiarize yourself with to aid in cultivating a healthy inner environment.   Vitamins B12, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, collagen and good fats all work together to support the body:

• Losing blood → iron + B12

• Managing inflammation → vitamin C + healthy fats

• Contracting muscles → magnesium

• Repairing tissue → collagen

• Regulating hormones → healthy fats + magnesium

  
  

 In addition, we can familiarize ourselves with the importance of temperature (in our environment and in the ‘warming’ or ‘cooling’ foods that we eat). Menstruation in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is considered a Yin phase—the most inward, descending time of the cycle. During this time, the body is moving blood downward and releasing, which can be understood as a “sinking” of energy.

Because this phase involves the movement and loss of Blood (a Yin substance), the focus is on protecting warmth and supporting gentle flow. Cold is generally avoided, as it can constrict circulation and contribute to stagnation or cramping. Warming foods, warm environments, and keeping the lower abdomen warm can help support the body during this process.

It is generally recommended to avoid cold exposure—such as cold baths or showers—while favoring warm or hot water if bathing feels supportive. Some women find warm baths soothing and helpful for cramps, while others prefer dry heat like saunas. The key is to avoid extremes and listen to your body’s capacity.

Practices that are more stimulating or taxing—such as intense hot-cold contrast therapies—may be better suited to other phases of the cycle, particularly when energy is naturally higher (for example, during ovulation). Ultimately, each body is different, and cyclical awareness invites you to respond to your own needs with discernment and care. When it comes to movement, there was a study that determined that stretching (Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2017) was more effective in reducing menstrual cramps than ginger. While ginger is still one of my go-tos as a very supportive warming food during menstruation, I have a regular yin-yoga practice that I do a few times a week no matter where I’m at during my cycle, with a particular focus on light hip-supporting poses around my time of menstruation.

Lastly, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), menstruation is supported by the Liver, Heart, Kidneys and Spleen. Researching supportive foods, emotional freedom techniques, massage, Qi gong, or Yin Yoga techniques to support these organs can be added to your self-care toolkit to support holistic health for better body support throughout your monthly cycle. Bonus Menstrual Tea Recipe: I make my own loose-leaf menstrual-cramp tea, and drink it before and during menstruation: 

• Nettle leaf 

• Raspberry leaf 

• Red Clover 

• A little bit of licorice root and ginger

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In closing

If you are living with endometriosis, you are not alone and you do not have to go it alone. It is a long, holistic process that requires us to attune to life in different ways, and it can sometimes be hard for others to understand the accommodations that are required to move through endometriosis with care. The journey of endometriosis has allowed me to confront the ways I hadn’t been honoring myself, and I now have a deeper relationship to my natural essence as a result. There are many women who are also navigating this process, and there is always support available to you.

--Tara Mazurk

Connect with Tara here for energy healing sessions and training to support your journey.