From a reader: “Once a month she hates me, and I can’t do anything right. It’s like clock work, so it must be hormones. But sometimes I wonder if she’s always unhappy with the relationship … and the truth only comes out once a month.”

A wise man! Even hormonal shifts can only trigger existing feelings.

Christiane Northrup explains that PMS, SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and perimenopause simply uncover unconscious conflicts that are just waiting to be processed. The hormones are not the problem. They are, in fact, the solution! They, if we let them, direct our attention where it’s needed.

The problem is that we don’t take the time to work through the conflicts. We suppress them, instead, but they don’t go away. They come back kicking and screaming every month … during a cycle designed to keep us at peace.

During the first half of the menstrual cycle, women’s hormones support a focus on other people and things outside themselves. Then, from ovulation to the onset of a period (in women who aren’t pregnant), their focus turns inward … and they’re less apt to ignore conflict to keep the peace.

If you’re a woman, you know the feeling — you’ve had enough, you’ve given enough, and you want to scream out, “Hello, I’m a person, too!”… More

I’m so grateful for this truth: Our peace and joy are determined by how we respond to what is imposed on us. We get to choose.… More