Before we begin:

Please know that there are thousands of resources and specialists for hormone-specific support, and I am not that. What I can offer is a map of the intersection between common hormonal needs and challenges that arise, and common physical and energetic needs that become more pronounced through the experience of entrepreneurship. This information will be primarily directed toward a female-bodied (hormonal) experience, BUT there is info related to the general toll of entrepreneurship on the body that applies to all.

I always recommending cross-referencing my info and suggestions against your own body’s experience and intuition, and any additional health practitioners and resources that you rely on for support. Let’s get into it…

The Liver:

Liver health becomes essential in hormone regulation, especially as we age, because the liver plays a vital role in eliminating excess hormone stores from the body (especially estrogen), and also is an important player in nutritional assimilation: what you eat is not nearly as important as how well your body can distribute the nutrients in the most supportive way. How your body is able to eliminate toxins and waste also impacts assimilation, as well as the healthy functioning of the immune system, which has a synchronistic relationship to your nervous system. A well-nourished body has more steady and regulated stress response, creating a balanced ecosystem of hormones. An immune system that is not constantly fighting low-grade toxicity creates a relaxed and easy ecosystem of the body.

Energetically, the Liver and Liver Chi is a fundamental player in the role of being an entrepreneur. in Traditional Chinese Medicine the Liver is often referred to as “The General”- it directs resources and takes stock of needs in the body, and it supports this energy and action in our external lives as well. This is an energy we rely on in excess in the journey of entrepreneurship, so supporting our Liver health as entrepreneurs is ALWAYS a supportive prospect. The Liver is sometimes referred to as “The Seat of the Soul”… healthy Liver Chi can support the easy unfolding of our dharma and soul’s most aligned path. The Soul sits on the throne of the Liver and ease-fully directs our next right actions.

I hold everything as a mirror, so energetically we can observe any physiological function of the body as a map to a psycho-emotional process in our lived experience. The Liver is vital for assimilation and eliminating toxicity: how are we able to apply available resources, opportunities, and support to our businesses and endeavors? How easily can we identify and eliminate toxicity?

Support for the Liver:

Herbs:

• St John’s Wort for clearing old viral load- the liver loves to collect and store lingering viral load of past infections in an effort to protect us. St John’s Wort is excellent at clearing this out. This herb is often associated with depression support, but it is rarely mentioned that much of it’s depressive-lifting qualities have to do with it’s effectiveness at moving stagnation in the body. In herbalism and most older medical systems there are anywhere from 5-6 classifications for the experience we call depression, and one common classification is general stagnation. St John’s Wort should NOT be taken if you are on any prescription medications, as it can often flush the medicine from the system before it can take effect.

• Motherwort for stimulating bile production AND moving and integrating grief. Grief is best processed through the lungs, but it can often gravitate toward the Liver and get tangled up in Anger. Motherwort is a great herb for stimulating bile production (which aids in the breaking down of food into assimilable parts), and in a similar vain energetically it can support the breaking down of grief in order to allow for integrated wisdom, and movement & change. A great way to use motherwort if you tend to have longer cycles, or periods that are inconsistent or tend to be stagnated before arriving, is to start taking motherwort in tincture form about 5-6 days before you would typically (or ideally) bleed, and then continuing through your second day of bleeding. 3 dropperfuls 2X per day is a fine place to start, adjusting down if you notice any digestive irritation.

• Nettles for general vitamin and mineral replenishment, and for healthy boundaries and discernment. A daily infusion of strong nettles tea can take the place of dozens of vitamins and supplements, and connect you to a spirit of a plant that is a great ally for entrepreneurship and perimenopause. Nettles provides just about every vitamin and mineral the body needs, and in an infusion form it is much easier to assimilate. Nettles also offers us a spirit of healthy boundaries, self-worth, and discernment on what is nourishment and what is waste. This mirrors the role of the Liver, and very practically the components of nettles are excellent at binding to toxins in the Liver and making it easier to eliminate waste. Much of the energetic and consciousness themes that I see show up through the experience of perimenopause and hormone disregulation in general have to do with the body communicating with us that we can no longer overextend ourselves at the deficit of our own health and wellbeing. What we call symptoms could be re-understood as communications of new needs and standards. A nettles infusion looks like 2 Tbls of loose leaf nettles in a 32 oz mason jar, covered with hot water and left to sit overnight (or at least for 4 hours). Strain, drink, enjoy, and I recommend connecting the plant and asking it for the specific support you feel most in need of.

• Additional herbs and supplements that can support Liver health are B Vitamins, Zinc, Vitamin C, Cilantro, Parsley, Milk Thistle, Schisandra, Chlorella, and Burdock Root.

PRACTICES:

• Anything sweat-inducing can support the detoxifying of the Liver as well as encouragement of the related lymph function. Saunas are excellent, in doses that feel appropriate to your body- if it starts to feel stress-inducing then stop. Gentle cardio can be supportive but in the same vain, if it starts to feel stress-inducing then you want to move to a more relaxing exercise. When our hormones are acutely disregulated, intense workouts are not our best medicine, no matter how much your mind would like to tell you otherwise. Gentle, easeful movement that may or may not induce a light sweat is best practice when we are healing hormones, and 20-30 minute practices are the sweet spot. For the Liver health specifically, starting our day with this kind of gentle movement, paired with at least 16 oz of water, is an excellent way to kickstart and nourish daily liver functioning. I like to pair this morning routine with 15-20 minutes of meditation or self-reflective practice, which also helps the Liver to be able to synthesize and take stock of the current moment.

• Systems of inventory: for the energetic and entrepreneurship side of the equation, the systems you have in place that help you easily take stock of what you have available, and what needs to be executed, supports Liver Chi. This is true for your business projects as well as any family and lifestyle projects: what are your systems of organization? How do you track your to-dos? There is no right system, but your Liver will thank you if you can create systems that work for you that allow you to feel like you can easily check in on the state of your resources, and the state of your necessary steps and actions.

Support for Cortisol

Cortisol becomes a major factor in hormone regulation AND resilient actions in our business challenges. One primary way we see cortisol show up in hormone disregulation is that the body- when pushed to rely on too much cortisol for long stretches of time- will begin to pull progesterone and convert it into cortisol. This can lead to progesterone deficiency, which then sometimes looks like estrogen dominance… which then will often cue continued excess cortisol production. Hormones are a symphony and we are only barely beginning to scratch the surface of understanding how they interact.

Cortisol is first produced and distributed in the Pituitary gland (the Feminine Master Gland, related to the 3rd Eye and creative, visionary center), and the Pituitary also produces oxytocin. It is very hard for the pituitary to produce and express both of those chemicals at once, so a really simple starting cheat code for recalibrating your cortisol production is to intentionally build in time for oxytocin-generating activities. Relaxed connection time with loved ones, creative activities with no agenda, enjoying time in nature or with animals… cheat code for bringing down cortisol!

Our devices obviously have a big impact on our cortisol levels, so if you really struggle with your cortisol you may need to create some strict hygiene practices around your devices, especially from 4pm on. This doesn’t mean no devices, but what boundaries can you put around necessary chunks of time looking at a screen, and then boundaried chunks of time where you give your brain and body a break.

Signs that you have continually elevated cortisol: feeling puffy in face and body, especially upon waking. Chronic dehydration and a cottony, sticky feeling in the mouth. Chronic digestive issues and rotating food intolerances. High histamine or general immune system sensitivity. Body aches (especially shoulders and arms) for no understandable reason.

Herbs for Cortisol Support:

• Tulsi for an adaptogenic support to your nervous system. Tulsi is a great tea to drink through out the day to gently down-regulate your system without creating drowsiness.

• Lavender for invisible boundaries and taking the edge of stress. Lavender tea is a great one to bring in as a 4pm ritual to start winding your body down without immediately turning off. A warm lavender tea with a little bit of coconut milk and honey is a really dreamy afternoon ritual for moving your body into a state of pleasure at the end of the day.

• Shatavari for adaptogenic stress support and hormone support. Shatavari is the female partner herb to Ashwaghanda (which of course gets all the attention as the Male herb) and Shatavari is often MUCH for conducive to female hormones. Shatavari will provide all of the noted stress support that is ascribed to Ashwaghanda, but with a gentler touch and attention to the symphony of female hormones and bodily needs. This is the brand I recommend, take as recommended. You can use this indefinitely if you are deep in perimenopause, or temporarily if you just want some acute stress and cortisol support.

• Magnesium Glycinate for mineral repair and replenishment in the nervous system. This is a non-negotiable for me and just about everyone I work with, and most folks who have dabbled in magnesium have not been educated on the appropriate (and assimilable) types. Mag. Glycinate is specifically supportive for stress, for body relaxation, and for sleep. It is also the mineral that is used the most to support the body in high stress states. Some doctors and naturopaths believe that we may need anywhere from 3-4X the previously considered RDA to keep up with the demands of our current lifestyle and environment.

Practices for Cortisol Support:

• Slow, heavy weight lifting and training as an alternative to cardio can help move and reset cortisol levels, especially first thing in the morning. Short sessions of 20 minutes are more than enough, with the goal to simple challenge your body in a slower, more methodical way.

• Sauna and Infrared Sauna for a quick down-regulation of heightened nervous system activity.

• Visualization Meditations: any visualization or imagination focused meditative practices are wonderful for activating the creative faculties in the pituitary, which will counterbalance the stress aspects. In the exchange, as we tend to our cortisol and the stress-management function of the pituitary, we open up space for it’s visioning capacities to step forward. If you’ve ever felt like you go through seasons of your business where you can’t even let yourself vision or imagine new possibilities, this can be a communicating the your cortisol has been running the show for too long and needs help resetting.