Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gina Castellanos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gina, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I use my menstrual cycle. I have been practicing mindful menstruation and cycle syncing to open and activate my unique code of creation/creativity for the past 7 years. By integrating the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle, not only my menstruation phase is how I have discover: resilience, discipline, self motivation, compassion and creative flow. I have also learn through using my menstrual cycle when to receive, when to engage, when to act and when to rest, in an effective, incorporated (passed through the body) sort of way.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My book “Menstruation Conscience” is an effort along side Penguin Random House to bring menstrual education and menstrual awareness to the hispanic community. Menstrual education has always been tied to privilege and where I have focused more in the past years is bridging the gap between cultures, idiosyncrasies, taboo, biology, science and mystic information in regards to blood / menstruation.
My lifestyle is connected to my menstrual cycle which makes it quite easy to integrate all of my profesional, social and personal activities to the phase of the cycle I am currently living in. As a woman who menstruates and will menstruate for about 40 years (you will too) is important to me to take a deep look at how I create, and where does creativity start in the body. Our menstrual cycle is indeed meant to produce life (aka babies) but also every single decision you make as a woman and menstruator is filtered by the phase of the cycle you are in, and if you continuously avoid taking that piece of the puzzle into consideration for your life you are doing yourself a disservice in terms of creation and creativity.
I encourage you to integrate these phases of the menstrual. cycle to your lifestyle. These phases are like the seasons of the year: Your menstruation is your winter, your follicular phase is your spring, your fertile phase is your summer and your luteal phase is your autumn. You will go through these seasons/phases every month. You wouldn’t do the same activities or eat the same type of food you eat in the winter vs summer, correct? Same applies here. Look at the way you dress, eat, move your body, entertain social endeavors and plan out your job related deadlines in each week of your menstrual cycle. If you do that, you will sync your cycle to your lifestyle not the other way around, where you do not take into consideration your cycle and want it to catch up eventually. Plot twist: it won’t. Your menstrual cycle will support you, but a mindful menstrual cycle will open a successful creative outlet to a sustainable healthy life for you.
Your biggest flex will be having a balanced menstrual cycle that as a byproduct will gift you a balanced nervous system.
I host masterclasses, 12 week programs and personal menstrual coaching for teens, moms, and women between the ages of 13 to 48. @ginacastellanos_
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Self worth. I am an expert on menstrual cycle, because I experience one every month. So do you. You are an expert in your cycle as your own body have specific biomarkers that constantly speak to you every month. Your experience has enormous value. You can learn more about the menstrual cycle in general, but the expert here, in terms of your own cycle is: YOU. I encourage you to validate your own experience.
Activate your code of creation
Through your cycle and through the experience of understanding and observing your own cycle you will be able to open a new perspective on yourself. Why I am like this? Where does this craving come from? Why sometimes I am tired? Why sometimes I have more energy? Do I really feel attracted to this person or am I just ovulating? You will crack these answers from a body perspective, and with the right information you will be able to make decisions that support and nourish your own source of creativity, that is your menstrual cycle. Once that is understood and supported your flow of creation (like and artist) will be determined to bloom.
Rest/Detox
One of the most wonderful things about syncing you cycle to your lifestyle is that the menstrual cycle teaches you the power of slowing down, disconnecting and regenerating. In this time-space productivity is encouraged and resting is sometimes judged. A mindful menstruation approach will let you rest without the veil of guilt or any emotion. This particular notion will help you sustain discipline, progress, creativity and health.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Any woman or menstruator that is ready to take the next step into self discovery should look into their own menstrual cycle. There’s knowledge, power, and health triggers activated through this approach of life.
Women having trouble with eating disorders, body dismorphya, lack of self worth, writers or any creativity block, lack of discipline to finish projects, lack of self motivation will benefit from having a mindful menstrual experience.
Cycle Syncing and Mindful Menstruation is the natural most effective way to bio hack your own source of creation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ginacastellanos.com
- Instagram: @ginacastellanos_
- Youtube: Gina Castellanos
Image Credits
https://www.huebnerheadshots.com
