Episode 54 - The Connection Between Your Menstrual Cycle, Stress, Safety, and Cellular Repair

🐚 Topics covered

• Understanding adrenal physiology and the HPA axis (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis)
• The stress response cascade: what happens in your body during stress
• How cortisol and adrenaline work and their different roles in stress response
• The connection between stress hormones and blood sugar regulation
• How modern lifestyle has created chronic stress patterns our bodies weren't designed for
• The impact of the menstrual cycle on stress resilience (estrogen's role in cortisol awakening response)
• Understanding allostatic load and the cumulative effect of chronic stress
• Root-level stress repair versus surface-level "stress management"

About the Host
I’m Iris Josephina—functional hormone specialist, orthomolecular hormone coach, and entrepreneur. Through Cycle Seeds and The Inner Rhythms Podcast, I support people in reconnecting with their cyclical nature, deepening body literacy, and reclaiming hormonal harmony from a place of sovereignty and embodied knowledge. Most people know me from Instagram, where I share stories, tools, and inspiration on cyclical living, menstrual cycles, fertility, hormones and more. 

Let’s stay connected:

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Transcript

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[00:00:00] Iris Josephina: You are listening to the podcast of Iris Josephina. If you are passionate about exploring the menstrual cycle, cyclical living, body wisdom, personal growth, spirituality, and running a business in alignment with your natural cycles, you're in the right place. I'm Iris. I'm an entrepreneur, functional hormone specialist, trainer and coach, and I am on a mission to share insights, fun facts, and inspiration I discover along the way as I run my business and walk my own path on earth. Here you'll hear my personal stories, guest interviews, and vulnerable shares from clients and students. Most people know me from Instagram where you can find me under at cycle seeds, or they have been a coaching client or student in one of my courses.

[00:00:52] Iris Josephina: I'm so grateful you're here. Let's dive into today's episode. 

[00:00:57] Iris Josephina: Hey friends. Welcome back to the show. I'm so happy that you're here and that you chose to listen to this episode. I'm thinking this is probably one of the nerdiest episodes I've ever recorded, and I'm really excited about it. So today we will be talking about cortisol and our stress response, how we approach that in our society, how it's unhelpful and how it actually works, so that you can start making informed decisions about how you wanna go about your stress and your stress response and how it works in your body.

[00:01:34] Iris Josephina: We have a lot to cover, so I'm just gonna dive in immediately, and I'm really sure that every single person who is listening has experienced stress in their lives, in their bodies. I'm sure that everyone knows what stress feels like, but I'm also sure that not everyone knows what exactly happens and how we can support our bodies to support the natural stress repair.

[00:02:03] Iris Josephina: And also reduce the damage that chronic stress can do to our bodies. So without further ado, I'm just gonna dive in. So our stress system is super interesting and it has a purpose. It has an evolutionary purpose, but I feel that these days it's also vilified as well, which makes us perceive stress as something bad, while this is not always the case, because our bodies are built to deal with stress and recover from stress, and I'm really excited to dive into all things adrenals with you today. So grab a cup of tea. Maybe you wanna have a notebook if you wanna take notes. Because we have a lot to cover. 

[00:02:49] Iris Josephina: And I'm gonna start with some adrenal physiology. So the adrenal glands are small, triangular shaped glands that are located on top of your kidneys. And despite their very small size, they play a very crucial role in regulating various bodily functions through the hormones that they produce. And they are a very, very crucial part of a very important axis in the body, which is called the HPA axis, or the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis, which means the communication system between your brain and your adrenals that produce your stress hormones.

[00:03:35] Iris Josephina: And I think most people know that the adrenals play an important role in how the body manages stress, but our bodies actually do so much more than that. They're also involved in our blood sugar management, our appetite, reproduction, even labor and birth, digestion and growth. And when it comes to our health and supporting ourselves, it's crucial that we know how to support the adrenals and I'm sure that you just like me, have had their fair share of adrenal issues and probably mostly hyperactivation of the adrenals and maybe exhaustion of the adrenals and I definitely spend a, like a big part of my life not knowing how on earth to manage and support my adrenal glands. And I hope that I can give you a little bit more clarity about how they work in this lecture. And then at the end, I'm gonna give you some tools on how to actually support your stress repair system in the body. 

[00:04:43] Iris Josephina: So the adrenal glands consist of two layers, the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla. The adrenal cortex is the outer layer of the adrenal gland, and it cons constitutes about 80 to 90% of its mass and it's synthesizes and secretes steroid hormones.

[00:05:04] Iris Josephina: And I'm sure that you heard of some of those. So, cortisol, aldosterone, and also some sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. So the adrenal cortex is divided further in three different zones. I'm not gonna bother you with all the difficult names of these zones, but each of these zones produce their own most significant hormone.

[00:05:30] Iris Josephina: So one zone produces aldosterone, which helps regulate electrolyte balance, particularly sodium and potassium levels in the body. Then another layer produces cortisol. And cortisol is involved in regulating our metabolism, our immune response, our stress response, and it also produces small amounts of androgens, which are precursors to testosterone.

[00:05:56] Iris Josephina: And then another layer produces androgens and primarily DHEA and Andros Dion. And these androgens play a very important role in. The development of secondary sexual characteristics such as libido, et cetera. And then the other part of the adrenal glands is the adrenal medulla. This is the inner part of the adrenal gland, which comprises about 10 to 20% of its mass, and the adrenal magilla is responsible for producing adrenaline and noradrenaline.

[00:06:37] Iris Josephina: These are also called epinephrine and norepinephrine. And these hormones are released in response to stress, and they help prepare the body to either fight or flee. And this is where the body prepares to respond to stress and acts acutely. And the adrenal medulla is innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers, and its hormone release is entirely regulated by the sympathetic nervous system.

[00:07:10] Iris Josephina: And the last part that I wanna name is the Adrenal Capsule, which is a thin fibrous layer that surrounds the adrenal gland, providing like more structural support and protection of the glands. Now let's have a look at what happens when the body responds to stress and what happens on a physiologic level in the body stress response.

[00:07:38] Iris Josephina: So the body stress response is a very, very complex physiological reaction, and it's impossible for me to name every single minuscule step that happens in the body because it's just too much. Anyone who tells you that they can A to Z explain the entire stress response to you, it is impossible to do that.

[00:08:00] Iris Josephina: But there is like an overall cascade of things that happen in the body, and that's what I'm gonna go over. So this response, this stress response involves coordination between the brain, specifically parts that are called the amygdala, the hypothalamus and pituitary grant gland and the adrenal glands. 

[00:08:24] Iris Josephina: So let's look at the seven steps, the body overall in general moves through in a stress response. So first up there is the perception of the stressor. So when the brain perceives a threat or a stressor such as physical danger or emotional stress. Sensory information is sent to the amygdala and the amygdala is a region in the brain involved in processing emotions, including fear and anxiety.

[00:08:56] Iris Josephina: The second thing that happens is an activation of the hypothalamus, so the amygdala signals the hypothalamus. Which is a small region at the base of the brain that plays a crucial role in regulating various, uh, bodily functions, being your hormonal headquarters. So in response to the perceived threat, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for mobilizing the body's resources to deal with stress.

[00:09:30] Iris Josephina: Next, what happens is that the hypothalamus releases a hormone called, called corticotropin releasing hormone, or CRH into the bloodstream, and the CRH then travels to the pituitary gland. Upon receiving the signal from the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland releases a CTH or adrenal corticotroph hormone, into the bloodstream and a CTH then travels to the adrenal glands in response to a CTH. The adrenal glands then secrete hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, et cetera, into the bloodstream. And these hormones help prepare the body to respond to the stressors. So let's look at these two hormones and what they do.

[00:10:26] Iris Josephina: So adrenaline is responsible for the immediate short-term response to stress. It increases heart rate. It dilates airways to improve oxygen intake and redirects blood flow to vital organs such as the muscles and the brain. Adrenaline also enhances alertness and prepares the body for physical exertion.

[00:10:53] Iris Josephina: Then often referred to as the stress hormone. Cortisol plays a very crucial role in mobilizing energy stores, so increasing blood sugar levels and suppressing non-essential functions such as digestion and immune response, but also reproduction. And it also helps regulate inflammation and immune function as one of these, one of its other functions.

[00:11:19] Iris Josephina: And cortisol can be considered a long-term stress responder, and it powers us through demanding situations. And then, as cortisol and adrenaline circulate throughout the body, they trigger a series actually of physiological changes that collectively prepare the body to confront or flee from the perceived threat.

[00:11:46] Iris Josephina: These changes include Inc increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, heightened senses, increased respiration rate, and enhanced energy mobilization. So once the perceived threat or stressor has passed, the body's stress response begins to subside. The parasympathetic nervous system helps return the body to a state of equilibrium by counteracting the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which was the prime driver of this entire stress cascade and this whole order of things. This is a very normal response of your body. I really want to, you know, I really want to affirm and make it very clear that this is how it's supposed to work. This is a normal stress response. The problem is that this mechanism was not meant to be used all the time. Our modern lifestyle revs up this stress response a bit too often, and for a bit too long.

[00:12:59] Iris Josephina: I'm gonna get into that later. What I want to get into right now is blood sugar's role. So something that I find very noteworthy to mention is the role of glucose in this whole stress response process. When adrenaline and cortisol are released by the body, this signals the liver to release glucose, which pushes blood sugar, which is fuel into the veins so that you get a boost to actually run or fight or respond to a stressor.

[00:13:33] Iris Josephina: Oxygen levels rise, blood vessels dilate, heart rate goes up, and organs like the brain and the lungs and the heart and the muscles receive more oxygen and glucose to act. And with that, we may experience things like pupil dilation, a loss of appetite, loss of peripheral vision, and a dry mouth. And like I mentioned before, areas of the body that are not necessary right now in the act of fighting or fleeing in response to the stress, they receive less oxygen and fuel.

[00:14:05] Iris Josephina: So the digestive tract, the skin, the kidneys, and the reproductive system, they significantly get less fuel to do their thing. And remember that also this response. Is normal, the body is meant to respond like this. The problem is that in our society, we stay in these states a bit too long and our body prioritizes either moving away from or too towards a stressor, a bit too much over proper digestion and reproduction.

[00:14:48] Iris Josephina: Now, another very normal thing that I want to mention. Is that our body needs our stress system to do other normal bodily functions like waking up in the morning, like focusing during work, like getting sleepy in the evening. So our natural stress response is pretty ancient. This whole system is pretty ancient.

[00:15:14] Iris Josephina: It's not very different than our ancestors. Stress system. The thing is that our environment changed so much that our bodies are actually not adapted. Maybe I can say not adapted yet to the load of stress and perceived stress that we get to deal with every single day. And our ancestors had very little moments of big stress and they barely had.

[00:15:44] Iris Josephina: Barely ever had chronic stress. So where our ancestors may have met maybe a predator three times per year, that was very scary. We have financial stress, daily traffic, and quick responses required for that. We have work stress, we have high workloads. We are juggling work-life balance and our HPA access.

[00:16:11] Iris Josephina: Constantly tries to adapt to our environment, but our environments have changed in such a way that our very, very amazing HPA axis actually cannot keep up. And this is why we see so much adrenal dysfunction these days and bodies that are getting literally burned out. They burn all their fuel for responses that were not meant to happen so often.

[00:16:41] Iris Josephina: And our bodies are designed to have a lot of non-emergency situations and a natural rhythm. The thing is, we have a lot of emergency situations these days. Like being in traffic is like a series of e very small emergency situations, and when that piles up. The body gets overloaded and overburdened, and what I want you to also understand is that our HPA axis works on 24 hour clock, a daily cycle where cortisol levels rise and peak in the mornings when we wake up, stay stable throughout the day and lower in the evenings.

[00:17:21] Iris Josephina: This is called our circadian rhythm. This is also a very normal rhythm. Our cortisol is meant to be produced that way. I sometimes say that to illustrate this is that as people wear like little flowers where we simply respond to light, and it works like this, when light arrives in the morning, we wake up and our cortisol goes up and our melatonin goes down in the evening.

[00:17:47] Iris Josephina: We see the opposite mechanism. Cortisol goes down, melatonin goes up, and as soon as our eyes open in the morning, cortisol switches on and tells the body to start the day if this response, which is called the cortisol awakening response is impaired. Which can happen because of the amount of chronic stress that we experience when we experience chronic stress.

[00:18:15] Iris Josephina: Remember, adrenaline is used for the short-term response. Cortisol is used for the long-term response, but we need cortisol for our natural sleep waking rhythm when our cortisol awakening response is impaired, for example, by chronic stress. This can have an impact on our blood sugar regulation, our ability to sleep, our ability to stay asleep, stay asleep, our ability to manage inflammation in the body.

[00:18:47] Iris Josephina: And what I find super interesting is that this cortisol awakening response is also influenced by estrogen. So our adrenal Cort tropic hormone, the A CTH, remember I spoke about this one. It rises when estrogen is higher and we see a significantly higher cortisol awakening response around ovulation in compared to other, in comparison to other phases in the menstrual cycle.

[00:19:15] Iris Josephina: And I find this really interesting because this means that our bodies are more capable to manage stress and to have a healthy stress repair when our estrogen levels are higher, which is usually what we see from day three onwards of our menstruation, all the way up until ovulation and then after ovulation, progesterone takes over.

[00:19:40] Iris Josephina: And we naturally have lower estrogen levels, which means that in our luteal phase, our body is a little bit less capable to do stress repair and have a robust stress response. This is also very normal, but we don't really honor that. We don't really honor. How stress arrives in our lives in these different phases.

[00:20:04] Iris Josephina: Because the truth is that sometimes we don't have control over that. Like society has shifted and changed so much environment has shifted and changed so much that we almost have to be in this like. High performance stress response all the time, while our bodies actually only have capacity for that at the end of our menstrual phase going into follicular, all the way up until ovulation.

[00:20:33] Iris Josephina: And so what happens is that we constantly cross our boundaries with that, and this is, in my opinion, the reason why we see. So many people with female bodies, people with menstrual cycles, women burnout quicker than people with male bodies. So another hormone that is involved in stress response to hormones is DHEA and DHEA-S, which are both produced in the adrenal glands and the DHEA is a precursor to the production of sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. So within the adrenal glands, the DHEA is synthesized. It can be converted into testosterone and estrogen contributing to sexual development and reproductive function. Now, when this system is flawed, this can also lead to reproductive issues and DHEA and DHA as actually are like the saviors of the system because.

[00:21:44] Iris Josephina: They can modulate the activity of the HPA axis, especially, uh, the production and the release of cortisol. So DHEA actually has been shown to exert inhibitory effects on cortisol, synthes and secretion. So it acts as a negative feedback mechanism helping to regulate cortisol levels within the body. Now, if, the body perceives too much chronic stress. DHEA and DHEA-S have a reduced, uh, ability to counteract the negative effects of excessive cortisol in the body. And while DHEA and DHEA-S have been associated with promoting resilience to stress, when this whole system gets impaired, they also lose their ability to help us be more stress resilient. Now I want to explain to you what happens when this system gets overloaded. But before we do that, I want to talk about a concept, and this concept is called allostatic load. Allostatic load refers to the cumulative wear and tear on the body as a result of chronic exposure to stressors.

[00:23:10] Iris Josephina: And it basically encompasses the physiological consequences of the body's efforts to adapt to ongoing stressors and maintaining stability. Another word for stability within the body is allostasis over time. Now when someone experiences stress, the body initiates a series of responses which are aimed at restoring the balance and ensuring survival.

[00:23:39] Iris Josephina: This process we spoke about involves the activation of various physiological systems, including the HBA access, but also the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system. While these responses are very adaptive in the short term, the prolonged or repeated exposure to stress can lead to dysregulation of these systems, resulting in what we call allostatic load.

[00:24:10] Iris Josephina: Now, allostatic load reflects the cumulative impact of chronic stress on multiple physiological systems, including cardiovascular system, metabolic system. Immune system, neuroendocrine system, et cetera, and over time, excessive or prolonged activation of stress and stress response pathways can lead to this physiological wear and tear, which then contributes to an increased risk of various health problems.

[00:24:48] Iris Josephina: Including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, immune function, hormone issues, mood disorders, and also cognitive decline. So there are many factors these days that. Contribute to allostatic load. And it's not only external stressors such as work pressures or relationship difficulties or financial stress, but also internal stressors such as emotional trauma or chronic inflammation or chronic blood sugar dysregulation.

[00:25:23] Iris Josephina: And

[00:25:24] Iris Josephina: maybe you now want to know what actually happens. Now what I need us to understand first, like I've said many times, is that a stress response in itself isn't a bad thing because our bodies are built to respond and the ways in which our bodies react to stress, meaning switching on the entire HBA axis is a protective response.

[00:25:47] Iris Josephina: Our bodies try to save us when they do that, and as you hopefully understand by now. It's the continuous activation of this system that is a problem, and that can become damaging for the body in the long run simply because the system is not built to be activated for for long stretches of time. And this.

[00:26:08] Iris Josephina: Discrepancy between what the system is meant to do and what it's actually doing in modern society is one of the main reasons why we see so much dysregulation, dysfunction, and disease these days. And it's not because there's something wrong with our bodies. All of a sudden, it's the demands we put onto our body system that then has to overperform.

[00:26:31] Iris Josephina: That is the problem. And if we're looking at the hierarchy of hormones, it's cortisol and insulin that are at the top that have an impact on all other hormones. This is why when cortisol goes haywire, it can have this whole cascade of impact on all other hormones of the body and. With the repeated exposure to stress, the sensitivity of the HPA axis to cortisol diminishes, which then disrupts the negative feedback loop, and this can trigger increased production of two hormones.

[00:27:14] Iris Josephina: CRH corticotropin releasing hormone and the A CTH Adrenal Cort Tropic hormone, which we spoke about earlier, which then leads to heightened levels of cortisol and adrenaline. Chronically continued exposure to stress can then further desensitize the hypothalamus and pituitary these two parts of the brain.

[00:27:37] Iris Josephina: That play an important role in stress response, reducing their responsiveness to hormonal signals and depleting metabolic reserves. And as a result, the body's production of CRH. So. Corticotropin releasing hormone may escalate, but the pituitary diminished sensitivity might impair. Then the release of this other hormone, a CT H, which needs to communicate with the with the adrenal glands, which ultimately decreases cortisol production and.

[00:28:12] Iris Josephina: This scenario can progress to what we call second stage adrenal insufficiency. In the third stage of that, adrenal insufficiency becomes severe as the hypothalamus ceases to produce CRH altogether, which then I. Leads to a whole cascade of problems. And HBA dis dysregulation and adrenal insufficiency can manifest in many different symptoms, including decreased stress, resilience, extreme fatigue, cognitive impairment, or brain fog, brain fog, uh, sleep disturbances, difficulty waking up, dizziness upon standing.

[00:28:52] Iris Josephina: Abdominal weight gain, weakened immunity, reduced libido, depression, menstrual problems. So what I want us to understand is that HBA access dysfunction can lead to both high as well as. Low levels of cortisol and what someone experiences is unique to their, to their circumstances in their body, as well as how long they've experienced chronic stress and whether they've actively approached it or not.

[00:29:22] Iris Josephina: And what someone experiences also depends on how their liver clears cortisol or how deliver struggles with that. So there are various scenarios that we may see, so cortisol being high all the time, and this situation becoming chronic for the body. Cortisol being low all the time, which is usually a consequence of stress levels being high for an extended period of time, and cortisol levels.

[00:29:49] Iris Josephina: During the day fluctuate a lot. So cortisol being low in the morning, while it should be high, cortisol being high at night when it should be low, and this then also impacts this cortisol awakening response, this natural waking up system of the body. And when cortisol levels are high at night, this is often called second wind.

[00:30:10] Iris Josephina: And what people may experience is a sudden rush of energy or focus in the evening when they're actually supposed to be getting tired for bed and when cortisol is so high in the evening. This can also impact how the body has, like how the body impacts its immune function, and how the body regulates blood sugar and insulin.

[00:30:35] Iris Josephina: And you know, this excessive cortisol or low cortisol can disrupt the balance between melatonin and cortisol, which then leads to a whole sort of like different cascade of problems where people don't sleep anymore. People don't have like, proper regeneration in the night. Uh, and stress can also very, very, very highly impact serotonin levels, both in the brain and in the gut.

[00:31:03] Iris Josephina: Which then can also lead to all sorts of gut issues and mood issues. So chronic stress is never, ever a good thing. Like we want our body to have a solid, robust stress response system and stress repair system, and we want our bodies to be resilient and, and have like a very healthy interplay between.

[00:31:31] Iris Josephina: This sympathetic activation of protection of the body and then coming back to parasympathetic activation and safety, because usually what happens when the body is in chronic sympathetic activation, there is also a safety issue going on. The body doesn't feel safe to come back to homeostasis. And when that happens for a very long period of time, this can impair immune function.

[00:32:02] Iris Josephina: This can raise inflammation levels. We may see elevated c reactive protein in the body that is elevated. Uh, we may begin to see menstrual issues when stress is too high. This can also impact the luteal face because the, the body has a very smart system where it can actually use. Pregnenolone, which is also the precursor of progesterone and turn it into cortisol as a protection mechanism.

[00:32:33] Iris Josephina: But unfortunately, this can also lead to lower levels of progesterone, and this obviously is not the best thing, especially if someone is trying to conceive. Now, how would the body perceive stress? It is dependent on each person because we actually inherit our entire nervous system from our mother's line.

[00:32:54] Iris Josephina: So we receive our nervous system from our mothers. So everyone has a very uniquely set up. Nervous system. And so how the body responds is very unique for every single person, but there are stressors that people may respond to. So we have, um, internal and external stressors. So, and emotional and physical stressors.

[00:33:28] Iris Josephina: So emotional and psychological stressor can be trauma, grief, conflict, fear. Physical stressors can be physical injury or trauma, illness or not eating, or a low calor caloric intake or malnutrition. Internal stressors can be things like infections, autoimmune disease, digestive issues, food sensitivities, gut dysbiosis, this.

[00:33:54] Iris Josephina: This can be perceived by the body as very stressful. And then external stressors can be financial instability or insecurity, death or of a loved one. Environmental issues like living in a polluted area or a moldy home. And it's very important to, you know, to assess like what could give my body the perception of stress or what makes my body respond, like what is happening in in my body.

[00:34:25] Iris Josephina: And it's important to reflect on like what is happening in my life? Like am I excessively exercising? Am I eating more carbs than fat and protein? Am I undereating or not drinking enough, or am I dehydrated? Am I dieting? Am I lacking nutrients to nourish my nervous system and the am I adrenals? Am I sleeping enough?

[00:34:48] Iris Josephina: Am I drinking too much caffeine, especially too late in the day? Are there any environmental toxins that could be here? Am I living in a moldy home? And all these things can add to how our body perceive stress, and then the symptoms that we may see. If we have an impaired stress resilience system, it's blood sugar issues, feeling very sick, often having compromised immunity, menstrual cycle issues, anxiety, insomnia, gut issues, inflammation, thyroid issues, weight gain, and increased belly fat.

[00:35:31] Iris Josephina: Craving a lot of salt, experiencing energy crashes, feeling hungry more often, and not being fulfilled after meals. Low libido, uh, poor muscle tone and inability. An inability to build muscle, poor circulation, dry skin, uh, racing, mind fatigue in the morning, feeling tired and wired, having the second wind, and yeah, this is all very, very serious.

[00:36:00] Iris Josephina: And I want you to know how it works so that you understand it's not going to work when you just meditate once a day, or you do like a self-care bath with a bad bomb to chill your system because this is not how it works. If we want to support our bodies, we need to approach stress. From a very physiologic perspective, and we need to understand that we are asking more of our bodies than they can give.

[00:36:40] Iris Josephina: Like I explained earlier, chronic stress is the consequence of us and our environment, asking too much of our physiology and not honoring our physiology. And what I find very disturbing in our day and age is that. We focus on managing the stress, and I hate, I just hate this term, this whole term because it doesn't make sense.

[00:37:15] Iris Josephina: We treat stress as something to manage, quote unquote, with surface level tools like the bubble baths, the 10 minute meditation, the productivity hacks, while the root cause of stress. Continues to burn in the background. Unaddressed. We take adaptogens without fixing our sleep. We practice breath work, but we stay in toxic environments.

[00:37:40] Iris Josephina: We do yoga in the morning, but then completely live disconnected from our body and its needs the rest of the day. And here's the truth. And I've just explained it to you, stress is not just a feeling, it's a physiologic state of the body. And the more it happens, the more the body gets accustomed to it.

[00:38:03] Iris Josephina: It's a whole body response rooted in survival. And it begins deep in the brain, in the hypothalamus travels down to the adrenals, affects your blood sugar, your gut, your hormones, your mood, and your sense of safety in the world. And when we only look at symptoms, we miss the root. When we only use tools to soothe stress or manage stress, rather than resolve what's creating it, we stay stuck in cycles of depletion.

[00:38:36] Iris Josephina: And this is why root level stress repair means going deeper. It asks various questions. It asks, where in your life do you feel unsafe? What with the rhythms is your body craving that you're not honoring? What has your body been carrying for far too long without support? And which stressors are chronic in your environment, but you treat them as normal.

[00:39:07] Iris Josephina: If we have the answers to all these questions, this is where true healing happens. It's not in the quick fixes, but it is in the courage to restructure your life around safety because the body does not. Heal in survival mode, it heals in safety. It heals when cortisol is not constantly overriding every other hormone, it heals when we eat enough, when we rest enough, when we feel, when we play, when we connect, when we cry it heals.

[00:39:44] Iris Josephina: When we stop glorifying exhaustion and start honoring our design, which is a very beautiful oscillation of activation and compression activation and compression activation and compression. And here's the beautiful thing. When you address stress at the root, not just the symptoms, you don't just feel calmer, you get your vitality back, you digest better, you sleep better, you bleed with more ease.

[00:40:17] Iris Josephina: You ovulate robustly, and you begin to thrive again, not just survive. And this is what I mean when I talk about stress resilience. It's not about avoiding stress entirely. It's about re-patterning your foundation so that your body is no longer constantly under threat, and it's less about doing more and more about being in right relationship with your life and your body, and the pace in which your body thrives.

[00:40:54] Iris Josephina: And what we need to do with that is we need to honor our innate design. As soon as we start ignoring our innate design and start throwing band-aids at our stress problems, we're not gonna solve anything. I know you tried the meditation, you tried the breath work, you do the gratitude journals, and maybe they help a little bit, but something still feels off.

[00:41:21] Iris Josephina: Maybe your body still crashes in the afternoons, maybe you still wake up anxious and wired and tired. You still feel like your hormones are all over the place. And that's because most stress tools just scratch the surface. And I'm gonna say it again. Your body cannot heal if it doesn't feel safe. And safety isn't created through hacks.

[00:41:45] Iris Josephina: It is built through. Deep repair at the cellular, hormonal, and nervous system level. And this is exactly what we do inside my two-day immersion. Rooted, resilient, and resourced. This is created for people with menstrual cycles who are tired of spinning their wheels with stress tools that don't get deep enough.

[00:42:12] Iris Josephina: Immersion is an experience where I will cover more science, more than I shared today. More science behind stress hormones in your cycle, and how your HP Axi governs everything. How to reset your circadian rhythm and recover mitochondrial energy because this is the missing link in most stress protocols.

[00:42:36] Iris Josephina: I haven't touched upon it here. I'm gonna dive really deep into that in this two day immersion, and also the hidden ways in which stress impacts your digestion, your libido, your blood sugar, and your thyroid, and how to repair. And I'll also cover. The difference between regulating your nervous system and actually reducing the need for constant regulation and how to live in a way that supports your biology instead of burning it out.

[00:43:12] Iris Josephina: It's really not about the bandaids, it's about getting to the root so your body can return to a state. It was designed for vitality, steadiness. Healthy circadian rhythms, healthy cycles, healthy digestion, proper sleep, all the things, and a robust stress response. And I just wanna ask you like, what is it costing you to keep operating from depletion like I've been there, how many mornings have you woken up feeling unrested, overwhelmed?

[00:43:47] Iris Josephina: Or like you're already behind? How much brilliance and stability are you missing out on because your stress system is in survival mode. Rooted it, resilient, and resourced is the invitation your body has been waiting for. Let's not just cope with stress anymore. Let's repair it from the ground up. This is my invitation.

[00:44:16] Iris Josephina: The wait list is open. You can put your name on it. You'll be the first one to hear. When registration opens and I cannot wait to see you inside. Thank you so much for sitting through all of this. My God. We are 45 minutes in. Thank you so much for sitting through all of this. I really hope I was able to explain how stress response works in your body and why.

[00:44:51] Iris Josephina: We really have to stop with like the bandaid approaches and we have to start approaching this from a deeper. Root repair level. I really hope to see you inside, rooted it, resilient and resourced. Thank you so much for listening. Okay. This wraps up today's episodes. Thank you so much for listening. Want to know more about me?

[00:45:17] Iris Josephina: The best way to reach me is via At Cycles Seeds on Instagram, and if you heard something today and you think, oh my God, wow, I learned something new. Feel free to share the podcast on your social media and tag me or leave a review of rating. In this way, you help me reach more people like you. Thank you so much.