Imagine if your first period were not only prepared for, but celebrated. Imagine if you received not only menstrual products, but a whole range of items dedicated to your education, empowerment, and self-care! Lunar Wild is an amazing company dedicated to making those ideas a reality, with their mindfully curated First Period Gift Box. We were excited to hear what the founder, Hallie, had to say about first periods, reusable menstrual products, and the importance of self-care.

Why is it important to celebrate first periods?

First menstruation is an emotionally significant event—one of many sacred “firsts” in life. Do you remember your first period? I think most menstruators do—whether the association is positive or negative, many of us remember exactly where we were, who we were with, and how prepared (or unprepared) we felt for this event. I created Lunar Wild because I believe we have the power to help make the first period story a positive one.

In my discussions and interviews with nearly a hundred women and girls, I’ve discovered that for many the first period can become somewhat of a turning point in life. It can unfortunately be a time of uncertainty, self-doubt, or embarrassment. Women have told me stories about their academic performance sliding, their self-confidence plummeting, or just a general feeling of life getting more “serious."

Although menstruation can certainly provide its challenges—I like to view it as a gift, not a curse. We are the sacred givers of life! Every person reading this right now has their mother’s natural cycles to thank for their existence. To me, that feels pretty magical and worth celebrating.

A woman’s moontime is her time to check in with her body, to listen and tune into what is really going on for her. When you’re on your period, it can be a time of clarity, illumination and creativity. It’s a time to honor yourself and your truth. Some of us find it is more difficult to hold back our true feelings on our period. Some women are flooded with emotionality during this time and feel bad about that; I like to think of this as our body’s way to cleanse what isn’t serving us and bring communication blocks to the surface. Just like the changing tides of the ocean (which are, of course, also tied to the moon) our bodies and emotions ebb and flow throughout the month. I feel passionately that we should work together to give girls the tools to feel proud and empowered about their physical and emotional wellbeing so they can move confidently toward their dreams for the future.

Why do you think reusable menstrual products are important to include in the boxes?

Everybody’s body is different. This is why it felt important to include a variety of different menstrual products in Lunar Wild's First Period Gift Boxes. I believe that all menstruators deserve to have choice and agency over how their periods are managed. Though they offer a certain convenience, disposable menstrual products have an immense impact on the environment. When I was fourteen years old, my mother gifted me a set of GladRags pads. This inspired me to consider the sustainability of menstrual products and their impact on the health of our bodies and the planet. It is so glaringly apparent how important it is that menstruators are introduced to reusables early on while habits are still forming. What better time to do this than their first period? Since the gift of a Lunar Wild box is sometimes a girl’s very first introduction to menstrual products, I felt a certain social responsibility to present all the options—especially ones that can benefit our planet.

What are some of your current self-care rituals surrounding menstruation?

Our bodies are cyclical in nature. You may have heard about menstruation being connected to the lunar cycle. I know it can sound a little far-out, ethereal or hippy, but this is actually grounded in science. There are very real physiological fluctuations occurring throughout the month (chemical, hormonal). For me personally, it feels healthy to honor that cycle. For example, this means resting on days where I “just don’t have the energy.” I track my cycle using a moon calendar and I practice some self-care rituals that include journaling with the moon (goal setting, intentions, what I’d like to manifestation, and what I’d like to release). Moontime is a deeply creative time. It is quite literally our flow. If we take time to slow down and tune in, it can be a time of incredible insight, wisdom, and creativity. It’s nice to ramp up your self-care during menstruation. For me this means lavishing myself with baths and grocery shopping prior to my period so I can spend more time resting and less time running around! I like to wear cozy, loose-fitting clothing and darken my bedroom—curating the space with pillows, candles, and smells I find enjoyable (think of it like creating your very own red tent in your home).

One of the reviews said "I got my box yesterday and while I had planned to give it away, I love it too much! I decided to keep it to re-parent myself for my own lack of nurturance around my period (which I hope will trickle down to my young daughter someday)!" I love that! Do you have any particular recommendations for items/literature for adults who also want to 're-parent' themselves?

Yes! In fact, because of this feedback we created a Standard Lunar Wild Gift Box (just select 'Standard Gift Box' from the 'Box Type' menu) in addition to the First Period Gift Box so that those who had already started bleeding could honor & treat themselves to a special box full of period goodies and self-care treasures. My favorite period books are the novel The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, Red Moon by Miranda Grey, and also the work of Dr. Christiane Northrup.

 

Think a Lunar Wild Period Gift Box would be the perfect gift for someone in your life or for yourself? Use code GLADRAGS to get a 2018 Moon Calendar free with the purchase of a Gift Box, not to mention free shipping on both items!