My period was always irregular. I wouldn’t get it for months, then I would bleed anywhere from two days to two weeks.

Once, it lasted for an entire month.

But once after not getting my period for a year, I found out I had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is an increasingly common condition that can slow or stop the release of eggs from the ovaries, preventing menstruation and reducing fertility. It’s typically treated with medication, but I wanted to see if I could heal myself naturally.

After only a few months, I healed my PCOS. My period came back. It’s now synced with the full moon and last five to seven days. Given the proper conditions, my body knew how to heal itself, and I didn’t need medication at all.

Here are five key things I did to cure my PCOS and bring my period back:

1. Balance Blood Sugar

Our blood sugar affects our hormones. When we eat sweets or carbohydrates, blood sugar levels spike and crash, which has a negative impact on maintaining a healthy hormonal balance.

Being mindful of blood sugar can not only help bring your period back, it can also make you feel better. Avoid too many sweets, eat plenty of protein, ease up on coffee and alcohol, and keep low-sugar, low-carb snacks handy in case blood sugar drops.

2. Reduce Stress and Stress-Eating

Normal bodily functions can get thrown out of whack when we’re not relaxed. If you are stressed a lot, your body may not feel “safe” to menstruate.

I used to live in a constant state of anxiety, which would manifest in an absent period, chronic constipation, and excess belly weight.

I would manage my stress by overeating or drinking alcohol. Both of these activities puts strain on blood sugar, which throws hormonal levels off balance.

Learning how to slow down, relax, and eat according to hunger levels has been a pivotal step in getting my period back and regular.

3. Have More Orgasms

Orgasms offer amazing health benefits to women: they improve circulation, increase relaxation, and can even help you look younger! They also stabilize hormones, and according to Alisa Vitti, creator of FLOliving, “Women who have intercourse at least once a week are more likely to have normal menstrual cycles than women who are celibate or who have infrequent sex.”

Whether you’re single or in a relationship, I recommend starting a self-pleasure practice. Weekly is good, but daily is better. Self-pleasure not only provides all the amazing health benefits mentioned, but the act itself also deepens your bond with your body, making you more sensitive to subtle stressors that could disrupt your physical wellbeing.

4. Dance

Something magical happens to women when we dance. We tap into our inherent sensuality, pleasure, and physical power. We also increase circulation throughout belly, hips, and pelvis, and connect with the natural flowing movement of our bodies.

For me, dancing has been essential to getting my period back. I believe that moving energy through my body with dance every day—even for only five minutes—has encouraged my body to embrace its own natural, cyclical flow.

5. Embrace Femininity

For years I was ashamed to be a woman. I thought being a woman made me weak, mentally scattered, and overly emotional. I saw my period as an inconvenience, and I felt embarrassed of my sexuality and curvy figure, to the point that I always tried to be stick-thin and I even got a breast reduction.

I was trying to adopt a masculine way of being and doing, and my period did not come back until I learned how to take a more feminine approach.

I learned to embrace my femininity by slowing down, spending time in nature, studying Tantra, and working with mentors and coaches to heal old wounds and harmful judgements around being “dirty” and “wrong.”

I began to feel good in my body and understand the benefits of being a woman, such as our ability to create and attract what we want by being. I saw the gift in our softness, our sensitivity, and our access to deep insight and intuition.

I saw that physical weakness as no longer a weakness, but rather a deeper capacity for feeling and love.

The fact that our wombs can cleanse and renew themselves monthly is truly miraculous. If your body has stopped this process, it may be inviting you to slow down and treat your body like the miracle it is. It may be guiding you on a path to reclaiming your own femininity. It may be leading you home.

Author:  Allison Dryja

Editor: Renée Picard

Image: Ales Motyl/Flickr