Have you ever experienced period synchronization (“period sync”) with roomates or best friends? Have you ever wondered why this happens?
I believed “period sync” is a magical connection between women. We connect to each other's rhythm to create one, more powerful beat - one rhythm. I see it as the power of sisterhood.
Let me share with you some interesting facts and information about “period sync.” We’ll start with ancestral wisdom and then move on to scientific insights.
Ancestral Wisdom:
In ancestral communities around the world, women’s menstrual periods are often connected with the moon cycles. Women from the same tribe would have “period sync” and be fertile at the same time. Even in some tribes there are different rooms, or tents for women who are bleeding, to come together and celebrate themselves and the full moon. It is also known as the “Red Tent”.
To learn more about the connection between the menstrual cycle and the moon, “Did you know that women go through 4 emotional stages in each menstrual cycle”
For example, the Yurok people in northwestern California believed that “if a woman got out of synchronization with the moon and with the other women of the tribe, she could 'get back in’ by sitting in the moonlight and talking to the moon, asking it to balance her.”
“Period sync” in ancestral wisdom is related to the connection to nature's rhythm, in particularly with the moon. Most women have the beautiful gift of giving birth, which is an extension of Mother Earth.
The science behind “period synch”:
In the 1970s, researcher Martha McClintock studied the menstrual cycles of 135 women in an American college. The study found that the onset of menstruation was more similar among friends and roommates than among random pairings of women. Dr. McClintock hypothesized that this was because the women who spent time together had the chance for their pheromones to affect each other.
Pheromones are chemicals that animals and humans use to communicate. Our bodies release pheromones through sweat, urine, semen, breast milk, and vaginal fluid, creating a connection and synchronization with one another.
Ultimately, we come back to the connection and rhythm of nature. We are all connected in one way or another, whether we see it, feel it, or not.
Have you experienced menstrual synchrony with your friends or family? We’d love to hear your stories! Send us an email at hello@lunamlunam.com.
Written by: Catalina Sardi