Her Blood Is Gold

The author has worked for global institutions, universities, and the third sector as a consultant and researcher on menstruation, menopause, and women’s wellbeing and rights. As well as lecturing to groups around the world, the author teaches courses in Contemporary Menstrual Studies through her website, laraowen.com

Lara Owen pioneers a new understanding of menstruation as a potential source of balance and wisdom. Now considered a classic in the fields of menstrual studies and women’s spirituality the book continues to inspire women around the world to develop awareness of their menstrual cycle and to practice self-care during menstruation.

In the past few years there have been some gradual but perceptible changes in our collective attitude to menstruation, perhaps shown most obviously in television commercials and magazine advertising, which are less coy and more realistic and explicit in their portrayal of the menstruating woman.People seem less affronted by the subject matter than they were when the research for this book began. They are more willing to examine the possibility that in Western materialist culture our commonly held notions about the menstrual cycle have been infected by centuries of misogyny. The taboo about discussing menstruation still exists, but it appears to be gradually dissolving, along with other prejudices about the body and sexuality and gender.I hope that these subtle changes in attitudes to menstruation presage a greater shift in how we collectively value, affirm, and accept female experience. The relationship between menstruation and power is still held very much under the surface of mainstream awareness, and most cultural references to menstruation continue to be couched in the terminology of pathology.Reintegrating a truly feminist, woman-honoring perspective on menstruation means turning a whole system of thought upside down. It means saying that a cyclical change in feelings and body sensations is valuable and interesting; it means saying that the emotions women experience premenstrually carry useful information and should be paid attention to; it means acknowledging that a menstruating woman has access to sacred energy, and that if she wishes, she should have space and time to explore this dimension of experience.The ramifications of such a shift would be truly radical. For many reasons, including ecological and cultural survival, I believe the system of thought which has caused women to adapt to a non-cyclical reality needs to be turned upside down, for the good of us all.We menstruate more now than at any time in human history. Girls are starting to menstruate earlier due to protein-rich diets andhormones in food; women are less likely to die young; we have fewer children and therefore spend less time not menstruating. Increased work and family stresses, in addition to more periods, mean that women are more physically and psychologically vulnerable to negative attitudes to menstruation. So it is more important than ever that we investigate ways to make our periods physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.

“I want to tell you how much your book on menstruation has meant to me… If I’d had it when I was thirty it would have saved me a lot of pain and confusion”. ; Scilla Elworthy, author of Power and Sex: A Book about Women. ; “Lara Owen’s well-researched, beautifully crafted and elegant book offers the reader a profound perspective on the role of menstruation in the life of women and society. It explores the physical, emotional, spiritual and practical dimensions of menstruation and provides a new and powerful view on this still taboo topic. Owen’s book is a classic and a must read for every woman and every man who wishes to understand this powerful part of feminine life. Her book changes lives. You will never look at menstruation in the same way again. Everyone should read this innovative, thoughtful and powerful book. A major contribution”. ; Gemma Summers, PhD, author of How to Get What You Want Without Losing It: A Woman’s Guide to Resolving Conflict. ; “Lara Owen presents a viewpoint on menstruation which is startling in its reversal of conventional attitudes. Her presentation is so lucid and convincing that after reading it one wonders how one could ever have regarded menstruation as a problem. This book is a must for any woman seeking wholeness. This is the rare kind of book that creates culture rather than merely commenting upon it. Lara Owen has sketched the outlines of a new social norm”. ; Steven Bratman M.D., author of The Alternative Medicine Sourcebook. ; “Like the wise-women whose memory she celebrates, Lara Owen is both scientist and poet. In this wonderful book, she shows how “the curse”, when ritually respected and restored to its ancient position, becomes every woman’s crock of gold”. ; Chris Knight, Professor of Anthropology, author of Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture. ; “This fascinating exploration into the rich underworld of the female body is a well-written, passionate and thoughtful plea for a return to body-consciousness and acceptance of what it is to be female”. ; Lyn Webster Wilde, author of On the Trail of the Women Warriors. ; “A gift for any women who is ready to increase her health and power.” ; Jean Mountaingrove, in Sagewoman ; “Her Blood is Gold is a seminal, thoughtful and enlightening book that explores this most deeply female experience and why it needs attention, gentle consideration and curiosity. Thank you to Lara Owen for her deep contemplation, her scholarship and her vision”. ; Jane Bennett, author of A Blessing Not A Curse: A mother daughter guide to the transition from girl to woman. ; “I felt like I was walking around on air for days after reading Her Blood Is Gold. It was like a veil had been lifted. Your sharp analysis of the cultural construction of our attitudes towards menstruation really opened my eyes to alternative possibilities and more attuned ways of relating to my body.” ; Laura Robson, The Body Literacy Collective, London ; “It’s been called everything from a “curse” to a “visiting aunt”, but Lara Owen says a woman’s period is a time when she can tap into her own inner wisdom. The book is written from a personal perspective and supported with medical, historical, political, cultural and spiritual viewpoints as well as interviews and anecdotes from women who have “awoken to the power of their own periods”. ; Chicago Tribune ; “An eye-opening examination of our historical and cultural attitudes. Owen helps women recognize the power of their periods, make the most of the pre-menstrual ‘altered state and heal the wounds inflicted by a patriarchal culture”. ; Moving Words ; “Menstruation has long been considered women’s dirty little secret, discussed only when missed…. Lara Owen explores the mysteries and spiritual significance of menstruation”. ; Elle magazine ; “Lara Owen’s book seeks to restore to this vital, natural function the dignity it lost in a patriarchal world that has portrayed it as dirty and threatening.” ; Gannett Suburban Newspapers ; “I highly recommend this book for Lara Owen’s ability to help us look with fresh eyes at a common feature of our lives”. ; Whole Earth Review ; “Owen does a real service here by bringing this issue out of the closet in the way she does. Graceful and very readable. I can’t recommend this book enough. Read it and then pass it on to your sister, your mother, your best friend”. ; Colleen Devlin, womenwriters.about.com ; “This is an extraordinary book that is difficult to put down”. ; Network for Optimal Aging and Wellness ;

Her Blood Is Gold was Dr Lara Owen’s first book and grew out of her experience tracking her own menstrual cycle and discovering the unexpected benefits of living with—rather than against—this natural process. Since writing the book she has gone on to do further research in several countries. She holds a PhD in menstrual management and organization, for which she researched reusable menstrual products and menstruation in the workplace. She has worked for global institutions, universities, and the third sector as a consultant and researcher on menstruation, menopause, and women’s wellbeing and rights more broadly. She now teaches courses in Contemporary Menstrual Studies through her website, laraowen.com

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