women’s health, hormone balance and the nervous system: why reconnecting with nature and the moon matters in modern life
Wwwomen’s health does not exist in isolation from the natural world
Long before modern medicine separated the body into systems and specialties, ancient traditions understood women’s physiology as rhythmic, cyclical, and deeply connected to nature. The gut, hormones, nervous system, seasons, and lunar cycles were seen as interwoven expressions of the same intelligence.
In today’s world which is dominated by artificial light, constant stimulation, foods full of preservatives and the hectic digital pace, many women experience gut dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, anxiety, fatigue, and burnout. While these presentations are complex and multifactorial, one foundational contributor is often overlooked: our disconnection from the natural rhythms of our world and surrounding environments.
The female body is not designed to function linearly. It is intelligently designed to cycle.
The Female Body as a Cyclical System
Women’s physiology is inherently rhythmic, our hormones fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, influencing digestion, mood, energy, immunity, and stress tolerance and unlike the relatively consistent 24-hour hormonal rhythm seen in men, women experience infradian cycles that unfold over approximately 28–29 days.
Ancient medical systems recognised this and women were understood as being governed by the Moon, an archetype not of weakness, but of fluidity, responsiveness, and intelligence.. Our bodies wax and wane just like the moon cycles.
The Moon influences tides, currents, plant growth, and animal behaviour. In the same way, it was believed to influence women’s cycles, emotional states, fertility, and digestion. Menstruation was traditionally seen as a time of release and restoration, ovulation as a time of outward energy, and the luteal phase as a time of inward focus. Furthermore, in many cultures our cycles were prioritised and celebrated.
Modern life, however, often demands the same output every day with work, family and finances to balance and juggle, we often ignore the body’s natural fluctuations resulting in stress within the nervous and endocrine systems.
Gut Health: The Foundation of Women’s Hormonal Balance
Our gut plays a central role in women’s health.
Digestive function influences nutrient absorption, detoxification pathways, immune regulation, and hormone metabolism. The gut microbiome is directly involved in oestrogen metabolism through the estrobolome, a collection of bacteria that help regulate circulating oestrogen levels.
When gut function is compromised through chronic stress, inflammation, dysbiosis, or irregular eating pattern hormonal symptoms often follow and these may include:
bloating, constipation or diarrhoea
PMS and menstrual pain
hormonal acne
fatigue and brain fog
mood fluctuations and anxiety
The gut and nervous system have an inticate bidirectional relationship with the nervous system responding to stress signals instantly.
This is why addressing gut health in women requires more than dietary changes alone. Cutting out this or cutting out that just wont cut it!
It requires nervous system regulation and rhythm.
The Gut–Brain–Hormone Axis
The gut and brain communicate continuously via the vagus nerve, immune signalling, hormones, and neurotransmitters. This bidirectional relationship, known as the gut–brain axis, is profoundly influenced by stress and environmental cues.
When the nervous system perceives threat or overstimulation, digestion is downregulated, blood flow shifts away from the gut, motility changes, and microbial balance is affected. Over time, this can contribute to persistent gut symptoms and hormonal disruption.
Nature plays a powerful regulatory role here people!
Natural environments provide sensory input that signals safety to the nervous system. Light, sound, movement, and rhythm all communicate directly with autonomic function without requiring conscious effort.
For women experiencing chronic digestive or hormonal symptoms, restoring this sense of safety is often a turning point in healing. To function optimally our bodies need to feel safe.
The Nervous System: The Missing Link in Women’s Health
The autonomic nervous system governs digestion, hormone signalling, immune function, and stress adaptation, yet it is rarely addressed directly in conventional healthcare.
Women are particularly vulnerable to nervous system dysregulation due to the intricate interplay between cortisol, oestrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones and more! Chronic stress especially when subtle and ongoing can suppress ovulation, alter menstrual cycles, disrupt digestion, and impair sleep.
Modern life keeps the nervous system in a near-constant state of alert:
artificial lighting disrupts circadian rhythms
constant screen exposure overstimulates cognition
lack of natural sensory input reduces grounding
irregular schedules override internal cues
Nature offers the nervous system what it evolved alongside.
Why Nature Regulates the Female Nervous System
The body recognises nature as familiar
Why?
Becasue we are nature.
Natural light supports circadian rhythm alignment, influencing cortisol, melatonin, and reproductive hormones. Natural soundscapes such as wind, birds, and water reduce sympathetic nervous system activation. Visual exposure to natural patterns supports emotional regulation and focus.
Time spent in nature has been shown to:
lower stress hormone levels
improve heart rate variability
support mood and emotional resilience
improve sleep quality
enhance digestive function
For women, this regulation supports the gut–hormone–brain axis simultaneously.
Nature does not demand productivity or performance. It allows the nervous system to relax and soften, which is essential for digestion, hormonal balance, and tissue repair.
Lunar Cycles and Women’s Physiology
Across cultures for eons the Moon has been associated with women’s cycles, the average menstrual cycle closely mirrors the lunar month, and historically many women menstruated together with the new moon and ovulated near the full moon.
While modern factors such as artificial light, stress, and lifestyle have disrupted this synchrony, the concept remains clinically relevant: women’s bodies respond to rhythm.
Lunar awareness encourages women to:
honour phases of energy and rest
recognise shifting digestive and emotional needs
adapt nutrition and workload across the cycle
reduce self-judgement during low-energy phases
From a nervous system perspective, this cyclical awareness reduces internal conflict. Instead of forcing consistency, women learn to work with their physiology rather than against it.
Disconnection From Nature as a Health Stressor
Disconnection from nature is not neutral, it is a stressor.
Living predominantly indoors, under artificial light, disconnected from seasons and natural cues, creates a mismatch between biology and environment. The body adapts, but often through stress pathways.
This adaptation may present as:
chronic gut symptoms
hormonal irregularity
anxiety or low mood
poor sleep and fatigue
inflammatory conditions
Reconnection does not require perfection or withdrawal from modern life. It requires intention and consistency.
Practical Ways to Reconnect With Nature for Women’s Health
However, I get it, we are busy, we are in the modern world and most of us can’t pack up and go bush. Yet there are things we can do in our daily life that can support gut health, hormones, and the nervous system through nature that are simple and accessible:
Morning sunlight to support circadian rhythm and cortisol regulation
Daily outdoor movement, especially walking, to support digestion and vagal tone
Seasonal eating, focusing on whole, minimally processed foods
Reducing artificial light exposure at night to support melatonin and hormone repair
Lunar awareness, noting energy, mood, digestion, and cycle changes across the month
Grounding practices, such as gardening, beach walks, or time near water
These practices support physiology gently and without any force.
Integrating Ancient Wisdom With Modern Women’s Health Care
Ancient traditions did not separate gut health, hormones, emotions, or environment, they understood the body as an integrated system responding to rhythm, relationship, and context.
Modern research increasingly supports this perspective.
In naturopathic holistic women’s health care, addressing nutrition, gut function, hormonal balance, nervous system regulation, and lifestyle together leads to more sustainable outcomes than isolated interventions. A whole person approach, understanding that our organ systems communiate and function together. Our mind body spirit all one complex intelligent system.
Nature is not an alternative to evidence-based care it is the context in which the body heals best.
A Return to Rhythm
Women’s bodies are not broken, we are not broken, they are often simply overwhelmed and out of rhythm.
Reconnecting with nature and remembering the cyclical intelligence reflected in the Moon offers a powerful framework for healing. It shifts the focus from control to cooperation, from constant output to regulated flow.
In a world that demands linear productivity, choosing to honour cyclical biology is an act of wisdom and rebellion!
The body remembers what the modern mind has forgotten.
And when women reconnect with nature, rhythm, and cycle, healing becomes not something to chase but something to allow.
If you feel like you need some Naturopathic support, please do not hesitate to contact me
https://earthflow-health.au4.cliniko.com/bookings
In your best health xx