Photo: rimmabondarenko / Canva

We’ve been conditioned to think that cramp relief comes in a blister pack from the pharmacy, but the real journey is learning how to heal your cycle naturally from the inside out. This is my personal experience navigating the rhythmic tides of my menstrual cycle using natural, ancestral tools.

This is not a guide on how to fix yourself; it is a chronicle of how I stopped trying to outsmart my own design. But maybe I can inspired you to heal your relationship with your cycle, because the body does not need to be silenced by chemicals; it needs to be understood in its rawness.

That’s why I chose not to use any pharmaceutical medicine to shut down my menstrual cycle back in February 2026. I switched to something natural instead. And disclaimer: this post reflects my personal experience and is for informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or routine.

The cacao magic that end stress and severe menstrual cramps

Every cycle, I would start my day one with a red, plastic-ish pill and the awful sensation of it crossing my throat. As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), I feel everything with double the intensity. That pill would make me sleep through the pain, not take it away.

Ceremonial cacao entered my system not as food, but as a master. It is a vasodilator that asks no permission; it flings open the doors of neurotransmitters, flooding me with anandamide—that molecule some call bliss, but which I call belonging. And with it, a surprise: there is a libido in bleeding.

More than actual sex, libido is our life force. It is vital energy—Chi, Ki, Prana, Mana, Enaid. The breath of life.

During menstruation, my HSP pelvic sensitivity naturally heightens. Cacao potentiates this state, transforming what would be a period of mourning into a phase of high creative and sensory voltage. Instead of mourning the switch in my routine, I created a new one. I used the pleasure of composing music, and the meticulous organization of my life within Notion as tools of protection.

On days one and three, when gravity feels heavier and the uterus cries out for presence, I turn to ceremonial cacao. It is not an intoxicant; it is a relaxant that speaks to my arteries, allowing me to move through the cycle without nullifying myself. I use cacao as an anchor, letting the aroma bring me back to the now, whilst using my cloth pads—maintaining contact with organic matter, with what is real.

The magnesium and theobromine in the cacao act in silence. They whisper to the uterine muscles that they may relax. The cramp ceases to be a knife and becomes merely a wave. I pass through the blood healthily, without needing to cancel my existence to fit into the world.

To start your relationship with cacao

I invite you to experiment with cacao and nurture your own relationship with this amazing plant. To start your journey with cacao, I highly recommend Ritual Cacao’s Ecuadorian line. 

Made from the Arriba Nacional / Fino de Aroma cacao bean in Ecuador, it’s great for beginners—blended into a warm, nourishing drink to calm your heart and uplift your spirits. A 500g bar lasts about one month depending on your daily usage. 

Click here to use my link and code LUWENA10 to get 10% off your Ecuadorian Cacao order.

End note: They call it pain remedies, but pain is the wrong word

Period pain is not supposed to be debilitating. You should feel a discomfort because you’re bleeding and a muscle is throwing a tantrum inside you. But you are supposed to laugh, feel joy, and feel alive in your body during menstruation. Not only be distressed by it.