Aubin Palmer (00:00)
Well, welcome Power Women to another episode. I am so glad to have you back and to have a guest this week. This is Elizabeth Tidwell. Hello, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Tidwell (00:09)
Hi, it's so great to be here, thank you.
Aubin Palmer (00:11)
And you know, I just love having other Power Women on here to share their stories, share how they have found their power, share what they have and give it to you to have as well because I believe so firmly that we don't grow just for ourselves, we grow together. And when we share our power, we all collectively grow. And I have experienced this so much in my life and that's why I do the podcast, to help you have that as well. So we're excited to have you today and Elizabeth has a niche that I am.
very excited about because she helps women really know their cycles and any woman in business, no, any woman in general really needs to know their cycle. But especially if you're in business because we are not men and too many women are trying to do it like a man. So let's dive in with Elizabeth today to really learn our cycles and how to use it in our life and our business. So Elizabeth, tell us how you got started, where you came from, what's your journey been like?
Elizabeth Tidwell (01:10)
Yes. Well, first of all, this was never something that I saw coming. I, up, I was a huge tomboy. I was not at all, you could not have told me that I was going to be geeking out about menstrual cycles all the time. I would not have believed you, because I grew up really, really, really disconnected from my body. Like I said, tomboy, I like even from a very young age, I just had really absorbed the cultural messaging that
Aubin Palmer (01:21)
I love it.
Yeah
Elizabeth Tidwell (01:40)
boys have it better and it's better to be a boy and boys like have more power and boys are treated differently and boys yada yada yada. And I felt like even again, I was so young. This is like elementary school. I had already internalized that being a girl was a liability or was uncool or was just like, I was always making up for it. So.
That's like where I started. That was the context of my life for so long. I rejected anything girly. just really, really tried to like overcome being a female. And.
Aubin Palmer (02:16)
And that is so
fascinating, I have to add, just because like it's interesting how we compensate in different ways, because I had a similar experience, but I didn't become a tomboy because of it. I had like this hidden shame of being a girl. Like you're kind of saying like it's a disadvantage, it's leverage, and I need to compensate for it somehow. And isn't that sad? Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (02:29)
Yes. Yes.
I think so many of us come with that. Like it's in the culture
everywhere. And again, I'm like, I was thinking about how young I was when I was already carrying around all this. It would be better if I was a boy and like being a girl is not the best thing. So young. And so I know this is not unique to me at all, you know?
Aubin Palmer (02:52)
Yes,
and we were kind of chatting beforehand, but learning about your cycle is not taught in our societies. And it should be basic, like this is how you read, this is how you exercise, this is the sports, and this is your cycle, girls. And I feel like they kind of do it in health education, maybe in school, but not enough. Because most women, as even adults, don't really understand their cycle.
Elizabeth Tidwell (02:59)
No.
Mm-hmm. Yes.
oof but usually not excellently
Yeah. Yes.
Aubin Palmer (03:22)
What
led you from being a tomboy and this energy of I don't, I'm a girl, uh, to finding cycles?
Elizabeth Tidwell (03:28)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, so it took me decades. so fast forward, I had just barely had a baby and I was kind of in this place where I was kind of trying to see what was next for me and I knew there was something else. I had quit my job before having a baby and gone through a couple of other huge life transitions.
and I felt like I was like ready for the next thing. And just by happenstance, I like virtually overheard a friend recommend a book to somebody else. It had nothing to do with me. I just like happened upon it in this huge, huge, huge international Facebook group. I just saw a comment about a recommendation for this book. The book is called Wild Power. And I was like, that sounds interesting. I'll read it. And before I had even...
Aubin Palmer (04:09)
So fun.
Elizabeth Tidwell (04:26)
gotten very far into the book at all, like probably halfway through, I was like, okay, first of all, this is the first time I have heard the message ever that my menstrual cycle is powerful and holds a lot of wisdom and like matters and speaking about it in this like, way where we revere, revere it and honor it. had never ever encountered that. And so I immediately knew
Aubin Palmer (04:39)
Wow.
Elizabeth Tidwell (04:53)
I was like, okay, this is making a huge difference for me. And I know like, how have I never heard anybody talking about this? So I want to be the one helping everybody learn about their menstrual cycle. So before I even finished reading the book, the authors of that book, they run red school. it's Alexandra Pope and, Shawnee Hugo Wurlitzer out in the UK. And they run this program, the menstruality leadership program once a year. And I happened to go to their website.
And it was the last week to register for their like six month training for that year. And so I immediately signed up and started, um, started deepening into this work to be able to not only deepen it for myself and keep learning, but also especially like be in a position to have the tools, knowledge, resources, and ability to reach and spread and amplify this message and education that I knew. Mattered so much. And I really wanted to make sure that I was a part.
Aubin Palmer (05:27)
wow.
Elizabeth Tidwell (05:52)
of this movement for us, like not only people like me who really, really had a hard time with my menstrual cycle, but just like in general, like we just don't know how relevant our menstrual cycles are. Whatever your relationship with your cycle, it's always relevant. And so I really, really, really immediately knew I wanted to be doing this work.
Aubin Palmer (06:18)
have to give you credit for that because I don't know if I've ever heard of a transformation that dramatic that fast by just reading a book like it's usually like years and growth and this happened and then this happened and for you just to be reading one book and do a complete turnover and I think that means that it was within you I know that means it was within you but also that you were so apt to helping others before you'd even had that full
Elizabeth Tidwell (06:37)
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (06:46)
Knowledge because usually it is again a process like okay This is a realization for me and I'm gonna change myself for me and then I'm gonna teach people and it just feels like a snap of the fingers almost the way you're telling it where you're like went from one side of like I don't even really know what my cycle is to I am gonna learn everything possible and help everyone I can So quickly is there any part of that story that we're missing because that just sounds like such a fast transition
Elizabeth Tidwell (06:57)
yeah.
it was very fast. I had no idea it was coming. I at the time after I had my baby, I had an IUD put in, so I wasn't even cycling. Like I didn't. And I kind of knew. I mean, there was like these little seeds of germinating, you know, under underground. like I just after I think I had an IUD in for about a year and a half or two years. And I just was coming to the realization I was like.
Aubin Palmer (07:14)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (07:40)
something's missing. This is weird. My body in this phase of life is supposed to be doing something different. And I've just like opted out of what it's trying to do. So like I was already like, and it's not like it was constantly on my mind. I just was noticing that I'm like, something's a little off. And I had gotten into learning about, so here in Utah, seasonal depression is a struggle.
So I had been looking at the idea of cyclical living and like appreciating the cycles or the cycles of nature and the seasons. So like that kind of opened me up to realizing that I'm like, this is supposed to be happening within me and I have shut that off. So what is the wisdom that I am missing out on? Because I've just stopped allowing my body to access me because I have shut it off. So yeah, after...
Aubin Palmer (08:29)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (08:32)
Not that long. Like it was a pretty dramatic, immediate knowing, but also that's like not that uncommon for me. That is like how I operate. It's like when I know, I know and I go and I go and it's always great. So.
Aubin Palmer (08:41)
You just work fast. You just do it.
So how
did you know it was going to be to help other people too? Because if it's such a good new idea, new concept, that is a very radical step to just be ready to, I'm going to change other people's lives with this too. How did you come to that realization so quickly?
Elizabeth Tidwell (08:59)
I think it was a little bit twofold. One, I knew that it was not being talked about enough because I hadn't heard it. And so I was like, okay, I know I'm not the only one who needs this and I don't want to shut up about this. So like just the natural impulse to be, to have everybody learn, like everybody needs to know this. This is so valuable. And then two, like I said, at that time in my life, I knew something else was coming for me. Like I knew I wanted something else in my life. I'd been a stay at home mom.
Aubin Palmer (09:04)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, that kind of feeling.
Right.
Elizabeth Tidwell (09:29)
with a baby for like a year and a half and I was like, I'm ready for something else. And this is the thing that all the stars aligned and like the passion aligned and the opportunity.
Aubin Palmer (09:35)
Yeah. Yeah, I was just gonna say like it's crazy
that it just it all comes in place, but I don't believe in coincidences ever. Like you were in that spot ready for it, open for it. And so you did have just this quick transformation in transition, but all the stars were aligned for you. Like you said, that's so beautiful.
Elizabeth Tidwell (09:43)
Yeah. Yes.
Yes, very serendipitous
that I like randomly saw that comment online that had nothing to do with me. Like, yeah.
Aubin Palmer (09:58)
Right? it's so powerful, these little things that happen in our lives. So
you signed up for this class, and then what was that journey like for you when you're starting to learn all those?
Elizabeth Tidwell (10:08)
Yeah, so
that one is a very, that one's less about like teaching you how to be a coach or anything like that. It was more very deep self study within a group and within these red school educators who have like pioneers in this work. And it was so powerful. And these are, so we met, I met with women all across the world.
and just like so powerful to gather and learn about our cycles together and just discover how much individual wisdom and collective wisdom there is in the cycles. And then, like I said, that was a six month program. And before I had even finished that one, I started my actual menstrual cycle coaching certification. So like I just, it just was a big, you know, snowball effect.
Aubin Palmer (10:57)
wow, yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (11:04)
and I just can't get enough of like...
Aubin Palmer (11:05)
Yeah. So
what was your biggest realization with the cycle? I mean, I'm sure there's so much depth you teach about this, but what do you feel like was the biggest realization for you as you were learning this?
Elizabeth Tidwell (11:17)
Hmm.
Well, the first, I'm sure there's, there's infinite, but one of the things that really was a huge realization for me was just about how the energy of the follicular phase, which is the first half of your cycle, the red school, talk about it as the via positiva. And I realized
Aubin Palmer (11:23)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (11:45)
And that's associated with the masculine energy. And I realized that I always prioritize that and always felt really great in that and really comfortable at home in that side of my cycle and that energy, mostly as a trauma response because of things that had happened in my childhood where I rejected the feminine and embraced
especially over productivity and like hyper Achievement as a trauma response. So I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. I'm learning so much about the layers of myself just through the context of the cycle and how like we did a lot of like somatic practices that Allowed us to access our body's wisdom in ways that i'm like I never would have put those two together quite like that in such a profound way for me to immediately
lean the wisdom from my experience and my body that was telling me like, listen, this is where you've been operating and not in a healthy way as a response way, not as like an empowered harnessing of the energy, but more, I have to do this in order to be worthwhile. so like, you know, now that showed me how much more of a relationship I can build in that second half of the cycle that I had pretty much ignored.
Aubin Palmer (12:59)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (13:14)
And not paid attention to and powered through and tried to apply the energy of the first half of the cycle to the second half and never balanced it out or uncovered what specific wisdom there was for me in that second half of the cycle. And I get that chance every single month to return to these lessons.
Aubin Palmer (13:20)
Yeah.
Right. And I'm going to have to pause you
because I don't know if people listening even know the cycle. Like that's part of our message, right? Is people don't know. And I have been fascinated to know how many women don't know what the difference between follicular and luteal. People kind of know menstruation and ovulation, but then they have no clue about the other two. And there are four seasons like Mother Earth, Mother Nature. We have four cycles or four seasons in our cycle too. So can you give us a basic breakdown of the four cycles so that people can understand everything you just said even more?
Elizabeth Tidwell (13:34)
Right.
Yes, yes, exactly.
Yes, absolutely.
So I love that you already know the four seasons metaphor. So the cycle always starts on day one of your cycles, the first day of your period, and that is winter. So again, if we think about what's going on in winter, it's like hibernating, it's cold and slow and low and dark, and you kind of want to get cozy. That is the energy of your, your menstrual phase or your inner winter. And then you move out of winter and of course into spring.
This half of your cycle, starting from menstruation to ovulation, that is your follicular phase because the egg follicle is growing during this phase. So that's why it's called follicular. And so you have this rising energy. If you think about what's happening in spring, it's like the flowers are starting to pop above the ground. They're emerging from their hibernation. We're getting buds on the trees. Animals are being born. Like that's the vibe that we feel in this phase of our cycle as well.
in that follicular inner spring. And then we move into summer, which is your ovulation time. This is opposite of your winter phase. This is the other like anchor point of the cycle. And your ovulation phase is when you release that egg. And this is the most powerful, like think about the sun high in the sky. It's potent, it's bright, it's visible, high energy, high.
Aubin Palmer (15:14)
that.
Elizabeth Tidwell (15:20)
accomplishment, think about how productive fruit trees are and like your garden is in the height of summer and like generous and magnetic and like we want to stay out all day and we go on vacations like that is the vibe of our inner summer every single month around that ovulation phase and then we move out of ovulation and inner summer into inner autumn so from the second half of the cycle which is ovulation back to menstruation again that is the luteal phase
Aubin Palmer (15:31)
Yes. Yep.
Elizabeth Tidwell (15:50)
because the corpus luteum is a, the follicle, the follicle that, the egg was being developed in turns into a corpus luteum, which is a short term hormone producer, which is, which produces the dominant hormone of the second half of your cycle, which is progesterone. So that luteal phase, that is the marker of that phase. And in that luteal phase or your, especially that
Inner autumn phase. Again, we're thinking about what goes on in autumn. We start slowing down, the days start getting longer. We start getting ready for winter. We start like putting the garden to bed, letting it rest. The trees fall off the leaves. We start letting go of things we don't need to carry through the winter. So that's what we are doing energetically in our luteal phase as well, or the inner autumn phase. We are starting to pare down.
and focus on what's most important so we can prepare to go through the winter again. So there's the quickest rundown.
Aubin Palmer (16:53)
Yeah, I
love it though because that I learned that analogy years ago and it's made it so easy to remember the four parts of the cycle and what to expect of myself in each part of the cycle and not to have this constant high expectation like you're kind of mentioning with the masculine like men don't cycle monthly they cycle daily and so they have that kind of high productivity high energy every day but we don't
Elizabeth Tidwell (17:02)
Exactly.
Yes.
They can show up the same exact way. We cannot.
Aubin Palmer (17:23)
And we're not supposed to. That's the biggest
Elizabeth Tidwell (17:25)
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (17:25)
thing I've taken away from that is that I am a woman and I am not supposed to be at the same energy and vibration every day. And that's OK.
Elizabeth Tidwell (17:35)
Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's not only okay, it's like our superpower. It matters. It's not just like, that's a thing. It's like, no, this is the thing. This is the thing that guides us.
Aubin Palmer (17:40)
Bye.
Yeah, look at you even catching how I'm
seeing it still. Like I'm like, it's okay. And you're calling me out and thank you because that's right. It's not just okay, it's our superpower. So let's go more into that. Like why is this cycle and having these different energies and phases, they are so different, our power as women.
Elizabeth Tidwell (17:53)
Yeah.
Yes, it is. I always like to say that your menstrual cycle is literally always relevant in every single scenario, every second of the day, no matter what you're doing, no matter in business, personal life, romance, self-confidence, whatever, like it is always relevant. so, and like, I feel like the. Yeah.
Aubin Palmer (18:19)
Mm.
Elizabeth Tidwell (18:28)
It's just such an important thing when we realize it can give us the context to help us understand one what powers what like Challenges we might experience in that phase or those couple days or that day because you're a little bit different every day So even if you're in the same phase, you might feel a little bit different on
you know, day 22 of your little luteal phase rather than day 21. So you can get to know this yourself because it's going to be a little bit different per person, but it gives you at least a framework to anticipate. Okay. In, I know that in my, my winter phase or my menstrual phase, what I need most is to be left alone. Um, and so I know that I'm going to show up in my conversations with other people.
with much less facial expressions. So what do I do to either communicate with the people around me that that's how I'm showing up or like, what do I do to give myself the space I need because that's what I need, right? So figuring out, feel like it is such a great template to figure out what our needs are, what the challenges might be and what the specific superpowers are because every phase doesn't only come with a challenge. comes
also with a huge strength, like many strengths. So I love just the wisdom of knowing what these are for us. And we could, like, I can tell you a pretty good map of what you might expect, but the magic really comes when you start tracking your own cycle. And over time, you see these patterns and you can just like, honestly, it's not even...
Aubin Palmer (20:09)
Bye.
Elizabeth Tidwell (20:16)
It's not, there's no second thought for me anymore on how I can support myself at the phase of the cycle I'm in because it's now second nature.
Aubin Palmer (20:25)
is so beautiful and I think this is really powerful to women to hear because I think there's a lot of acceptance for the follicular and ovulation phase because we are more upbeat and happy and doing stuff but the full embracing and believing that the luteal and menstrual phase are not a burden are not a problem that you're not bad I I was telling you this too like I remember my family was so mean to my mom
Elizabeth Tidwell (20:34)
Yes.
Yeah. No.
Yeah.
Aubin Palmer (20:53)
during her luteal phase and even menstruation because we like, what's her problem? Why can't she be nicer? it's mom's period again. mom's PMSing again. And like, look at that culturally that taught me as a daughter, like, I'm gonna be that way Sunday too. Ugh, I'm dreading this. And like, I really used to think periods were such a burden and bad and like a disadvantage. would even think like,
Elizabeth Tidwell (21:05)
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (21:22)
Why did God make women suffer with this? he gave men not having to do, like thinking that it was like discrimination from God almost that we had this problem. I've, I mean, I've had my own journey of finding love and acceptance and embracing it and saying, what is this telling me right now? What, what am I learning in this part of my cycle? So I would.
Elizabeth Tidwell (21:31)
Yeah.
Aubin Palmer (21:49)
Really love to hear the superpower, especially if we could start with the luteal and menstrual, because I think those are the harder ones for society to see the good in.
Elizabeth Tidwell (21:54)
Yes. Yes.
And I love nothing more than sticking up for the Ludiophase because I'm like, this is where so much of our power is. But we have not been told that, honestly, for a reason, because if you can make people feel bad in their Ludiophase and feel like they're the problem, then you keep them in shame. You keep them not in their power. You keep them behaving the way that you want them to. So, but. OK, so Ludiophase superpowers.
Aubin Palmer (22:08)
Hmm, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. Keep them small. Yeah, exactly.
Elizabeth Tidwell (22:29)
So much discernment you can see through bullshit so much easier because you just don't have the time. You don't have the inclination to care about things that don't matter. And that is a huge advantage. And that is like in big picture things, that's also in like really good, like this is a great time for like editing or detail work because you can, you're not so, like emotionally vulnerable in the way that you are in the follicular phase.
Aubin Palmer (22:31)
Yes. Yes.
Elizabeth Tidwell (22:58)
It's like a different type of emotional vulnerability, but with it comes this like kind of sharp, strong edge that in many situations is what we need. We need to be able to like think about in like a workplace setting. You've got a whole bunch of people, you've all been working on this project, and then you get to your luteal phase and you finally are like, listen, this one aspect is not working. In your luteal phase, you're more likely to say it.
Aubin Palmer (23:23)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (23:26)
and just be like, I can call this out. Yes, because you don't care so much.
Aubin Palmer (23:26)
Yeah, not just think it, but actually say it. Exactly. I feel like I lose a little
bit of time. Like I'll say stuff. I'm like, that was a little harsh or a little brunt, but I'm kind of glad I said it because I don't think I would have said it two weeks ago.
Elizabeth Tidwell (23:37)
But it needed to be said. Yes, you wouldn't have, you wouldn't have. And that
is like so valuable because in our luteal phase, a whole bunch of the like, this, the niceties, the like, like our, our focus turns way more inward. And so we are just more primed to be able to stick up for ourselves and to, and to care more about being true to ourselves rather than care more about what other people want from us. And so we are willing and able to show up.
Aubin Palmer (23:57)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (24:06)
much more firmly in what we actually think and believe and need and want and perceive. Like our perceptions and discernment here are like so on fire. I love it. And again, it's like you, you wouldn't have said that in a different phase because the superpower of the luteal phase is saying the thing that needs to be said and not backing down from it.
Aubin Palmer (24:28)
So I have
to ask the question though, cause like I'll give the example, like my husband has a cough right now and I'm in my luteal phase and I'm like, babe, take the cough drops. Like I just say it to him and I'm a little annoyed cause I'm like, normally I'd be like, sweetheart, you poor thing. Can I get a cough drop for you? And right now I'm like, babe, why aren't you taking a cough drop? Like, so there's a degree of like harshness that I'm like, okay, I could have said that nicer.
Elizabeth Tidwell (24:42)
Right.
Sort of. But also why isn't he taking the cough drops?
It's a thing that needs to happen, so you're willing to say it and you don't have to sugar coat it. I mean, obviously within relationships, you could give the context of like, listen, in my luteal phase, honestly, our sensory overload is heightened. So we are more sensitive. Yes, I can't handle it. Also, listen, buddy, you know how to take care of yourself right now. I don't need to remind you of this, but I am. So go ahead and take a cough drop.
Aubin Palmer (25:01)
Yeah.
Okay, I can't handle the cough. I'm like, stop coughing.
Elizabeth Tidwell (25:22)
My guy?
Aubin Palmer (25:23)
So you're saying don't feel bad that you're not as nice.
Elizabeth Tidwell (25:25)
No,
he could be totally taking a cough drop without you telling him. He can take care of himself. And I feel like in our luteal phase, we are like, we lose the patience that we normally have in other times when it's like, there's no two ways around this. You have a cough, your throat would feel better if you took a cough drop. I shouldn't have to tell you that, but I am because maybe you forgot or like, maybe it's not bugging you, but it is bugging me. Like, and you can, of
Aubin Palmer (25:31)
Mm-hmm.
Elizabeth Tidwell (25:55)
course, always be like, listen, if you don't want to take a cough drop, that's totally fine. I'm not going to like make you do anything, but I am going to tell you, I don't have the capacity to like keep hearing this hacking cough while I'm trying to focus on this. So how about, I work from over here or how about like tonight you go watch a movie and I'm going to go read in my room. You know what mean? Like figure out what kind of buff rings you need to honor both of your needs. And of course you can always add.
Aubin Palmer (26:17)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (26:23)
the layer of awareness as well as a layer of kindness, as well as the communication about like, this is the capacity that I have right now. And I know this isn't like necessarily, I don't even want to say it's a you problem, but kind of I'm like, it's a little bit irrelevant what he does to take care of himself. And I feel like in our luteal phase, we recognize that all that other stuff is stripped away because we are so much more focused on my needs right now.
or to not be wildly annoyed because it will just amplify and spiral and we don't need that. So your luteal phase is like, I'm gonna come in from the beginning and be like, what are my needs? What needs to happen? Communicate that. And then they can do what they want with it, but then you can do what you want with their response as well to honor your needs.
Aubin Palmer (27:11)
Yeah, and I think this is powerful. And I love I just give like a frivolous example like this, but it's when I'm not feeling bad for being a little more short and that I am more aware. And you're right. I love that you said that my senses are heightened because it's like, like making my skin crawl when I hear it. And so I think that makes me feel like less guilty about it and just accepting of myself. But instead, that can then open up the compassion still.
Elizabeth Tidwell (27:28)
Yes.
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (27:39)
Because
if we're judging ourselves and mad at ourselves for being short, then we're just going to spiral and that actually makes us more judgmental of others. So if I say, you know what, I'm in my luteal phase, he doesn't even have to know that I know that. I'm not mad at myself for saying it and making it clear I'm not okay with the cough. But then I can be compassionate and say, if you're not wanting to take cough drops, let's figure out another way to make this work for both of us. So then you can be in compassion for yourself and the other person and that mirrors so much better by knowing, I'm in luteal.
Elizabeth Tidwell (28:00)
Yes. Yes.
Exactly.
Aubin Palmer (28:08)
I can't handle this noise right now. Nothing's wrong with me, but I'm going to say it. Right.
Elizabeth Tidwell (28:12)
Nothing's wrong with you, nothing's wrong with him, but we both have
needs and they're competing right now, so how can we accomplish what both of us need? And my luteal face is gonna stand in my power of saying my needs right here are just as important as yours and I'm not gonna capitulate to yours the way that probably we'd be way more like to in our follicular phase, which is also fine.
Aubin Palmer (28:17)
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Exactly.
Right.
Yeah, well I did buy him cough, he's had this cough forever. So I went and bought the cough drops and follicular phase. But, it's so funny that this is like a great example of like our different phases and I'm like, I know you have cough drops, I bought them, so take it.
Elizabeth Tidwell (28:34)
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
Yes, Okay.
Aubin Palmer (28:46)
So
this is great with understanding the alludial. How would you say it with menstrual? Because I think that's important too.
Elizabeth Tidwell (28:55)
Yeah. So our menstrual, some of the superpowers there are, we have such a great access to our inner wisdom. This is like such a great time to, again, you're really inward focused here. You really don't have as much capacity and energy wise. also our bodies are going through so much physically. also our hormones, both, progesterone and
estrogen or at their lowest in that menstrual phase and right before the period starts. So it's like, listen, yeah, we're really sensitive, but that sensitivity is an open doorway to insight and wisdom. This is a great, like big vision time of your cycle. This is a great time. I love the phrase bleed on it. So like the typical go sleep on a big decision, or if you can,
bleed on it because if you can take your take a question or take a problem or take something you're trying to get some insight on this is such a like there's just like such a thinner layer to access your own inner wisdom and inner knowing and it's just easier at this phase because we have like all of this is going on for us and we have this capacity to just engage with kind of the unseen things going on.
Aubin Palmer (30:00)
Yeah.
Wow.
Elizabeth Tidwell (30:18)
And we are less focused on like the day to day things that we have to do and more like we, it's like a big taking a step back phase so we can see and access the wisdom that a lot of the times in the rest of our cycle, it's harder to access just cause we're go, go, go. We're doing a lot of things. We've got different focuses, but that is like one of the major superpowers of that menstrual phase. And so when you honor that and look at your period as what is this opportunity that I could seek some wisdom here, you're not going to be thinking,
Aubin Palmer (30:33)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (30:48)
My period's here again. You're like, what can I access here?
Aubin Palmer (30:51)
Yes, you're gonna like
love it. And what I, I love teaching women to use their intuition in their business and life. And what I'm hearing there is the same idea of like, this is where you're gonna get the answers from you and not from someone else telling you what's right for you from yourself. And I think that women are kind of reportedly more intuitive creatures than men. But it's partially I think from what I'm hearing you say is because
Elizabeth Tidwell (30:57)
Yes.
Yes. Yes.
Aubin Palmer (31:19)
Our bodies literally force us to slow down. We could resent it and be angry or we could honor it and listen. And what? Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (31:22)
We have this every month.
and look forward to it as an opportunity. Like an opportunity
that you don't have the rest of the month. You only have that for a few days. And it's really powerful. And so like, I treat my period as like, I mean, it can be different, but like, especially at times when I really need some sort of guidance or I need a, honestly, just a break from the world. I treat it as kind of like sacred time with myself. Yeah.
Aubin Palmer (31:36)
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah, I saw that was coming to my mind too. It's
like, this is sacred, divine connection with yourself and your body.
Elizabeth Tidwell (32:00)
It's powerful. Yes. And it is like
the strongest time to do that kind of work. It's just easier. like things like meditation. So I did a little experiment and I went to one of those float meditation pods in my ovulation phase and it was horrible. I could not focus and I'm normally like
Aubin Palmer (32:08)
Yes!
huh.
Okay.
You couldn't slow down.
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (32:24)
Really good at meditating.
And I just was distracted by everything. I wanted to be doing things. wanted to be moving. Ovulation is not the time to access that. So you are already so much more primed. Again, if we're thinking we're coming out of that, that fall, that inner fall luteal phase where we've kind of already stripped away stuff, we've kind of set up some boundaries around ourselves and our energies and our people and our tasks. And then we finally can rest in that winter phase. That is what we're primed to do. We're primed to physically.
Aubin Palmer (32:27)
Yeah.
Yes.
Elizabeth Tidwell (32:52)
emotionally, spiritually rest and rejuvenate. I love the menstrual phase too, because this is kind of like the battery pack for the rest of the cycle. Because if you rest enough here, that will prime you to experience the rest of your phase without burnout and without overtaxing yourself. If you understand, I shouldn't just power through every single cycle. Of course, sometimes there's
life happens and you're not going to be able to just, you know, go to the mountains for four days. I would love that. But sometimes that just like looks like, okay, instead of going out tonight, it is day two of my period and I am just going to go to bed. Or sometimes that looks like, you know what, I can shuffle a couple of these meetings to next week. And even if you're still, you know, going to work or whatever, working on things, maybe you can do it from bed or maybe you can just like not have the outward facing ones as much.
Aubin Palmer (33:34)
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (33:49)
Or maybe it can be, listen, where's just 10 minutes today where I can just sit? And that is powerful. So like, there's so many ways to accomplish and access the superpowers of every phase, regardless of what your life circumstances are. Because I think a lot of people think that they have to have like, you know, every, everything is perfectly curated according to your cycle. I'm like, that would be awesome. Unfortunately, that's not the life that most of us live to the extent that we would love.
Aubin Palmer (33:54)
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think that's such a good
point to make because I think even as you were saying that my head was trying to be like, okay, I need to like schedule a four day vacation, right during my menstrual phase and predict it and not schedule anything there. But that's actually more masculine energy to try to control it instead of going with the flow of the cycle. They are predictable, but they're not. I mean, they are 28 ish days, mine is like 33 days. And I've had to learn that with time and be okay with that.
Elizabeth Tidwell (34:30)
Yeah. Yes.
Aubin Palmer (34:44)
I don't have to schedule ahead to be okay. I can say in the moment. Okay. This is what's going on today What are my expectations for myself? I'm in my menstrual phase. Okay, I could do it from bed or could I reschedule this meeting? I'm gonna listen to my body's needs and listen to that wisdom and say you know what? think I'm okay I could do this meeting but I'm not gonna go to that party tonight because I'm not ready just to go talk to people in person so I think stepping into full
Elizabeth Tidwell (35:02)
Yeah. Yes.
Aubin Palmer (35:10)
like going with the flow in the moment is actually the power to adapting to each phase of the cycle instead of trying to think you have to plan it all ahead, because that's what my brain was starting to do.
Elizabeth Tidwell (35:16)
Yeah.
Yes, it's very common. I was working with a client and she was so upset because she's like, I took a week off of work and then my period didn't come. And now I stacked up all of these clients for the week after so I could make space. And I'm so mad at my body because I made space for it. And now I'm going to have to suffer through double the clients the next week. And so of course we had to
Aubin Palmer (35:31)
Right, yeah.
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (35:47)
There was a lot of course that we could work through there, but that was like such a powerful reminder that it's like listen What was the need that your body was asking for and what is it teaching you now that this expectation didn't happen like what are the patterns that you're noticing and like this this urge to like control and plan it's very Normal and again like such a conditioned
Aubin Palmer (35:49)
you
Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (36:16)
response to a thing that is very flexible and there's so many influences. Yes. Well, it's a stress responsive cycle. So putting the stress of performing on a schedule is likely to disrupt that schedule in and of itself. it's just, yeah, it's just all these opportunities to learn about how we operate.
Aubin Palmer (36:17)
Right. It's like you could have the same length of cycles for five, six months and then all of it'll be different. And that's normal too.
That's so funny! I love it.
Elizabeth Tidwell (36:43)
what our triggers are, what they're teaching us, what our body actually needs more than maybe what we think our body needs. Yeah, all these opportunities from just to learn about how we deal with things because we have this cycle that is always teaching us and is always relevant and always giving us opportunities to learn more.
Aubin Palmer (36:46)
Yes.
I love that so much and think this is so important for every woman, like I said at the very beginning, but especially running a business. And I want to tap into this a little bit because I have watched women step into business and hear all, I call it bro marketing if you've heard that phrase, but they think that's the only way to have success. They have to hustle. They have to work 24 seven. They have to, if they're not working hard enough, that's why it's not working that energy.
Elizabeth Tidwell (37:21)
Yes. yeah.
Aubin Palmer (37:34)
Everything we've just said so far that is setting yourself up for overload burnout disaster quit like you can't maintain that and We're not right and so really embracing the powers of each phase of the cycle Do you have having run a business yourself? I think this is such a unique perspective that you have of What kind of tasks like not scheduling it like like we're doing with that story you just had but kind of like
Elizabeth Tidwell (37:38)
You
where you're not supposed to. Yeah.
Aubin Palmer (38:03)
the kind of things in running a business to be in the feminine or the female woman business kind of mindset with each phase of the cycle.
Elizabeth Tidwell (38:08)
Yeah.
Yeah, I think a really good approach that honors the unique capacities that you have as a cyclical being is to first know what those superpowers are of each phase and then see where you can align with those. like the ovulation phase, that inner summer phase, this is an excellent time to do outward focus stuff.
One, you look most attractive here. You're most magnetic. You're most confident. You're most generous. You're most, yeah, like people literally are more attracted to us, to an ovulating woman. It is like the most attractive force in the world. So do like sales pitches then do like, podcast episodes then do any sort of like ask for funding then do webinars then whatever your business requires, think about
Aubin Palmer (38:56)
Bye bye.
Elizabeth Tidwell (39:10)
where will I show up most confidently with ease and magnetism on my side? Well, that's not going to be the day before your period. That's going to be your ovulation phase. So even just on that level, like where can I, and also like you just have so much more energy at that time of your cycle. So it's like, that's not going to, deplete us nearly as much as doing it in a different phase of our cycle would.
Aubin Palmer (39:21)
Right, right.
Elizabeth Tidwell (39:39)
So just thinking about what even what our like energy capacities are is a huge way to start planning around what tasks we put in, which part of the cycle. Yeah, so, and also like.
Aubin Palmer (39:51)
I love that. I think
what I'm hearing you say there is like know the superpowers first and then apply it to your business tasks because other people have different things they do for their business but in general there is sales and positioning and things you're having to do and I know you can't do like only once a month for like two days of sales but maybe like the big things where you really are gonna show your face and kind of like.
Elizabeth Tidwell (40:17)
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (40:18)
So looking at it even within the different parts of your business, like, okay, I'm doing sales all the time, but I'm gonna open up a full day of sales when I'm on ovulation versus like blocking off that day of menstruation because, or pre-menstruation, because I know I won't be, and I don't expect myself to be at that same energy. Yes.
Elizabeth Tidwell (40:28)
Exactly.
Exactly.
No, and it's okay. And you don't have
to like, when we try to override, I mean, sometimes we will have to cause life, but when we try consistently to override and ignore our body and its needs, that is, feel like again, the fastest way to be frustrated, go so much slower because you're not optimizing according to what your capacities are and you're different like zones of genius in the cycle.
And also just like you are, you're setting yourself up for disappointment if you're expecting something that's not in alignment with your capacities. So line up with that and know, also this is such a feminine thing as well.
Aubin Palmer (41:06)
God.
Elizabeth Tidwell (41:25)
try like this asks us to get into a position of trust so much more than control, which we want to have as business owners. We want to be able to predict and you can, but like it does, especially when you're first starting to align with your cycle in your business, it does ask you to have flow and have trust that even when you're not working the same every single day, that it'll actually be easier.
and it'll actually take less of your energy and it'll actually actually like streamline and simplify and show up regenerating your energy rather than depleting it. and, trust that there are other ways to do this rather than just the bro approach because that can work for bros, but it's only maybe going to work short term when you try it. Cause we're not made like that.
Aubin Palmer (42:18)
Right, right.
that exactly, and I just, I love that part of the trust because when I found when I am in the trust energy and let go of controlling, that's when my business does the best like you were saying. And that's when I feel effortless was my favorite word. And I can.
Elizabeth Tidwell (42:34)
Yep.
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (42:43)
Trust that things are working when I'm not working is my favorite way to describe it too because I did put things in in position to do things even when I'm not there physically doing it and so because I did it in the right energy and then in the right phase of my cycle expectations It's all working all the time and I don't have to know how I don't have to know when exactly which is not what they would ever say in bro marketing but It's worked
Elizabeth Tidwell (42:46)
Yes, exactly.
Exactly.
Mm-hmm.
Aubin Palmer (43:12)
And I've seen it work in so many women's businesses because it's more aligned with who we are as women and it helps us be at our best in our full power. And that is how we can really live the passion of our business. Because we were talking about this too, like most women I talk to, they have a passion and so they make it a business. And it's just an extension of who you are.
Elizabeth Tidwell (43:36)
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (43:37)
And so if you're trying to make a business of an extension of who you are but not be aligned with your cycle as a woman, that's going to be so hard. It's going to be so hard.
Elizabeth Tidwell (43:44)
Yeah.
My cycle is like a huge part of how I know myself. So if I am disregarding this huge map to myself, then of course this whole huge area that I want to be successful in as myself, you're just missing out on this huge aspect. Yeah.
Aubin Palmer (44:04)
Right, it's not gonna work, yeah. I love that,
and I think something that's true that you said way earlier is that you were in a class globally and that all the women had the same thing. And I think that's a power we have as women that we don't acknowledge enough. Like no matter what language she speaks, no matter what cultural she is from, we all have the same cycle. We are all the same human women.
Elizabeth Tidwell (44:25)
Mm-hmm.
Aubin Palmer (44:32)
and we all have that in common and that unites us in power globally, internationally and we have that collective power and it brings a connection. feel like women are naturally just more connective to other women than like, you know, there's always girls nights but you don't hear about guy nights as much and that's, I think that's part of it is that we have these cycles and that we have this universal
Elizabeth Tidwell (44:37)
Yes. Yes.
Yep.
Aubin Palmer (45:00)
between us and seeing it that way instead of thinking of it as a disadvantage like we did as kids, seeing it as our superpower and not that we're better than men but we are different and honoring that difference.
Elizabeth Tidwell (45:10)
Yeah.
Yes. So important. again, so it is like it was such a profound feeling to step into this like global cyclicality and sisterhood and like this thread that connects everyone. It was it's it's incredibly powerful.
Aubin Palmer (45:34)
I love this so much. So tell people how they can get to know you better, follow you, get more of your information, because we could not cover everything that you teach at all, of course not. But you gave so much valuable stuff today, so tell me how more people could learn more from you.
Elizabeth Tidwell (45:42)
Yeah.
Yeah, so my website is myclubred.com. You can go there, you can get a free download of a menstruality magazine that I wrote that actually goes over the four seasons of your cycle and also teaches you how to track for yourself. So that's a great resource. And then if you want to connect on social media, I am pretty much everywhere at myclubred. So pretty easy that way.
Aubin Palmer (46:16)
Okay, perfect.
Add those to the show notes if you can just click on that too. But that, sounds like a great resource for you to have to really understand the four phases and to track it themselves. Because I kind of hated this that like they just say it's 28 days. It is not 28 days for everyone at all. And nothing's wrong if you're not 28 days. So that it is, you need to learn your cycle. And I think that I'm glad that they're not all the same, that we do have to get to know ourselves and find our own.
Elizabeth Tidwell (46:23)
Yes.
It's not. Right, right.
Yes.
Aubin Palmer (46:45)
rhythm of what our cycles look like.
Elizabeth Tidwell (46:46)
Yes.
And it's always in flux, which again is opportunity, not a liability. Like that gives us an opportunity to work with it rather than again have, it can't be this rigid system. It wouldn't be what it is. It wouldn't be like this huge indicator. Your menstrual cycle is always communicating with you as a reflection of what's going on with you on every level. like, of
Aubin Palmer (47:04)
If it was, yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (47:15)
course that's going to fluctuate, of course.
Aubin Palmer (47:18)
Yeah,
that makes so much sense. I love that so much. This has been such a powerful episode, Elizabeth. Thank you so much for coming today. And I am excited to get to know you. we didn't even mention this. Like she does classes for daughters and mothers. And so I have signed up on her list to come to her next one because I have girls that are right before their periods and I love every chance to help them step into power from the beginning and not wait till they're women, like adult women like us, till they figure it out.
Elizabeth Tidwell (47:34)
you
Yes, yes. This is...
This is exactly why I started doing these first moon circles because I was like, okay, I'm working with adult women and so much of my work is undoing and navigating decades of this messaging. And I'm like, how powerful would it be to start your period from the beginning, knowing the four seasons, knowing what to expect, knowing that this is important and wise and powerful and a huge asset to your life. Like imagine, I just like.
Aubin Palmer (47:57)
Right.
Elizabeth Tidwell (48:15)
that that would have, and I know it is making such a difference in so many girls' lives. And also moms get to come the last hour and learn some themselves and then share their wisdom with their daughters. And it is like the most beautiful connecting as well as educational experience to allow this incredibly important foundation for girls' relationship and understanding of their entire self-concept right before puberty.
Aubin Palmer (48:25)
Right. Wow. Yeah.
Elizabeth Tidwell (48:44)
and through puberty when it's like, that's gonna be, that's gonna be tested really hard. like start with this important foundation. And then again, it'll be, I won't have to work with you as adults. Hopefully that's the hope.
Aubin Palmer (48:49)
Yeah.
Right.
Yeah. And then they can just be mothers giving it to their daughters too, from the beginning. I just love this so much. So I had to mention that because I'm like, I'm signed up for this. I have to do this. So people need to know about it. So I'm excited for that. And the power and difference you're making in this world for so many women and as a collective, as everyone that listens to this episode, people work with you. We share it with others. Like how much more power we will have as women because we will understand ourselves.
Elizabeth Tidwell (48:59)
Yes, so beautiful.
Yeah.
Aubin Palmer (49:24)
work with ourselves, love who we are as women, and believe it is a blessing, never a curse or a burden again. And that is power right there. I love this. Thank you so much, again, and thank you everyone for listening, and we will see you again next week.
Elizabeth Tidwell (49:31)
Yes. So much power. I love it.
Thank you so much.
