Lunar Rhythms: Herbalism for Your Menstrual Cycle

We live in rhythms: the moon as our celestial timekeeper, wanes and waxes, as our bodies too, move through energetic cycles of rest and release, creativity and vitality, inner wisdom and reflection. 

With astroherbalist Destene Kinser as our guide, we will learn how to nurture our well-being during each phase of our menstrual cycle using traditional Chinese medicine principles. Participants will gain practical skills in creating herbal teas tailored to support each of our body's unique, individual needs, aligning to the four phases of the moon, four seasons of the earth, and four phases of the menstrual cycle.

Through herbal tea ceremony, mindfulness, and storytelling, we will collectively:

• Cultivate a deeper awareness of the connection between the moon and the menstrual cycle, enabling greater alignment of our self-care practices.
• Learn how to care for our bodies during each phase of the menstrual cycle using exercise, herbs, and self-care practices.
• Understand the larger framework and foundations of traditional Chinese medicine wisdom to support our bodies and promote balance.

Our Audience 

This class is designed and most useful to those who want to deepen a connection to their cycle, learn to listen to their body’s unique patterns, and connect it back to the cosmos as a guide. People who currently experience or have experienced menstruation, and people who are curious about learning more about the menstruation cycle’s relationship to the seasons and cycles of the moon are welcome and encouraged to come, including those who identify as non-binary, trans, queer, and/or disabled.

Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs or questions by reaching out us directly (hello@wildawake.us).

What's Included 

• A selection of fresh herbs beneficial for different phases of the menstrual cycle (e.g., dong quai, raspberry leaf, nettle, ginger)
• Guidance and customized herbal tea blends, with take-home resources on the properties and benefits of each herb.

What to Bring 

• Journals or writing materials to take notes
• Your openness, curiosity, and respect for working with herbs

Workshop Pricing* 

By all of us contributing what we can afford, make this experience accessible for a diversity of incomes. The range reflects the disparity between economic conditions in the Bay Area, and is designed for those with more wealth to cover some of the costs of those with less access to wealth. Thank you for giving as much as you are able so that people of different economic backgrounds are able to join our programming.

As you decide what amount to pay, we ask that you not only consider your present-day financial situation governed by income but also factors including historical discrimination faced by your peoples, your current financial wealth, your access to income and financial wealth, people counting on your financial livelihood, and the socio-economic conditions of your locale.

• Partner: $75
• Supporter: $65
• Friend: $55

*Adapted from Dr. Bayo Akomolafe’s We Will Dance with Mountains: Into the Cracks Slow Study course with For The Wild.

Covid-19 Safety 

Please do not attend if you are not feeling well, have COVID-19 symptoms, or have been in close contact with anyone who is COVID-19+.

About Wild Awake 

Wild Awake curates immersive outdoor learning experiences that are rooted in connecting with and caring for ourselves, each other, and the more-than-human world. We believe that when we re-orient our attention to the time and space around us, we can cultivate relationships that recognize our mutuality and interdependence. 

About the Guide 

For more than a decade, Destene Kinser of Aqua Moon Cosmos has immersed herself in the study of herbalism and holistic nutrition with a focus on skin, digestive health, and reproductive support. She studied Biological Anthropology and Medicine at New York University, and Plant Medicine at Cornell University. She has also studied Traditional Chinese Medicine at The Eight Branches School of Chinese Medicine. Destene is committed to serving the community by sharing her love for all beings in Nature. Her focus explores the development of self awareness and intuitive techniques to be applied to everyday life in an imaginative and playful space.