Rethinking Your Period: From Stigma To Sacred Routine | Arielle Loupos

Menstruation should feel safe, informed, and comfortable—not confusing or compromised. That’s why we sit down with entrepreneur Arielle Loupos to unpack the journey behind Flower Girl, the period underwear brand she built after years of discomfort with disposables and frustration with flimsy materials. What starts as a personal story opens into a bigger conversation about research gaps, harmful chemicals, and how our culture learned to treat periods like a problem to hide rather than a cycle to honor.

We dig into how period underwear is engineered: a breathable top layer that keeps you feeling dry, an absorbent core that manages real flow, and a waterproof base to prevent leaks. Arielle explains how she sourced PFAS-free fabrics, tested durability for hundreds of washes, and designed coverage that’s protective without bulk. We contrast underwear with pads and cups, talk about silicone safety, and explore why many products on the market still miss the mark. The kicker? A 2024 study found heavy metals—including lead and arsenic—in multiple tampon brands, both organic and non-organic, underscoring the need for better standards and transparency.

There’s also a mindset shift here: your period is a monthly report card. Color, flow, and consistency offer real health clues—insights you can actually see when you’re not plugging or hiding the process. We talk about simple care routines (rinsing in the shower is a game changer), eco-friendly habits, and the small rituals that transform shame into respect. From the history of tampon marketing to the power of slowing down during menstruation, this conversation blends science, design, and a fuller understanding of cyclical living.

If you’re ready to rethink menstrual care with safer materials, lower waste, and more body literacy, you’ll leave with practical steps and a fresh perspective. Subscribe for more grounded conversations, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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Transcript

Meet Ariel And The Big Question: Why Period Underwear

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Hello, welcome back to the podcast Journey to Well. My name's Hannah, and today we get to talk about one of my favorite things. We get to talk about cycles and your menstrual cycle and bleeding. I'm joined by with Ariel Lupo. Ariel, oh my gosh, I just practiced it and I already got it wrong. Sorry. Ariel, it's such a beautiful name. Um, she is the founder of Flower Girl, which is period underwear. So today is gonna be a really fun combination of education. Why period underwear? What the heck is that? Why is it different from all the other tools out there for our period? And then also some spiritual and energetics behind what's the difference between free bleeding and using a tampon and all of those things. So super fun conversation to be had. Ariel's also a 5-1 sacral generator. So you know sometimes we talk about human design on the podcast, so that will come up. But first, thank you so much for coming on. I'm really excited to have this conversation, and I'm gonna kind of turn the reins over to you to introduce yourself. What got you into period underwear and all of those good things?

From Personal Frustration To Founding Flower Girl

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Thank you so much for sharing your space. It's an honor to be here. And yeah, you know, for me, it was a personal problem that I really wanted to solve. Um, I hated my whole life using disposables, pads, and tampons were always super uncomfortable. To the point you just made, you know, tampons never sat energetically right with me in my body. It just felt like I was working against my natural cycle and flow and having it, you know, energetically leave our body, my body like it was supposed to. So um, once I found period underwear, I was so intrigued by the idea. I bought from so many different brands and I loved it. And obviously I'm biased and I feel like it's the best way to manage your cycle. So I did still find though that with the underwear that I was wearing, it was very thick. The quality, the material, I didn't love. It wasn't holding up well. So I found myself disappointed again with the products that we were, you know, that were available to us to manage our cycle. So I just had this like random thought in my head. Honestly, I live in Los Angeles. I'm like, why don't I try to produce better period underwear? And so I started talking to people who worked in production and different manufacturers downtown. I spent hours, days driving around, just meeting with people, learning about textiles and different fabrics. And the more that I learned and the more that I researched, the more I kind of just became intrigued by the clothing that we wear. And, you know, in addition to that, the disposable products that we are given to use and what they're made of. And I sort of um I, you know, I went from intrigued to sort of like outraged that with like even fast fashion, like when you're wearing synthetic fibers, a lot of the times, they're made and sprayed with toxins and chemicals. And um it's kind of even in front of our face, you know. A lot of like the uh brands, the disposable brands we grew up with, they list on the ingredient box like all these crazy names that when you think about it, we wouldn't put, we wouldn't eat food with like these ingredients in it, you know. So, like, why are we putting these products in our bodies? So it was just a ton of research, and I kept making samples. And after two years of producing and uh perfecting the fit and the function, um, I launched Flower Girl, and it is the only thing that I wear now to manage my cycle. I'm really proud of the materials that are used. I I use the best quality materials. And right now I'm producing in small batches in Los Angeles. Um, my hope is of course to like really prove product market fit and scale. Um, but yeah, I and I love that it's produced close to home too because I get to be a part of the process entirely.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Yeah, I remember when we chatted learning that it's produced in your town, let alone within the US, is huge. And I really love I love that that's important to you and that it's fun for you to be able to kind of manage that production process as well, because we don't have a lot of companies like that, and and always love the small, the small companies, but such such good points about the the toxins, and if we're not going to consume them, we're still technically putting them inside our body. So why are we doing that? And I know a lot has been coming out recently in the past few years, especially about all of the toxins and tampons and pads and even pads, right? We're not really like putting them in our body, but they're right, right up there.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Sitting next to the most absorbent part of our body, yeah.

Toxins In Period Products And Missing Research

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Yeah. So let's let's kind of start there. And then I would love to obviously break down if you've never tried period underwear, like where do we start? What is that? But let's kind of start with that journey of learning about all of the toxins that we're putting in our bodies. And are there because I know that there's organic tampons or natural tampons or whatever, are there okay options out there, even though a lot of them have a lot going on, or what is your take there?

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Yeah, no, there are definitely a lot of small brands, I would say, that are out there that are really trying to do better for women. Um, so you know, it is an the responsibility, I believe, of the customer for uh as women to be doing our due diligence and research in regards to what we're using. Unfortunately or not, you know, that's just the world that we live in because there are so many big brands that have owned the market for so long that don't have our best interests in mind, unfortunately. So there are something else that I found fascinating throughout this journey was how little research is actually done and known about women's bodies. So I started to get all of these ideas for marketing in my head and just like different stories that I could tell to help promote this product. Um, and in addition to how little is known about women's bodies, um there was no research or studies done on the disposables that we were using. So in 2024, at the first study ever on tampons, they tested 30 different brands, organic and non-organic. Um, and they found uh high levels of lead, arsenic, heavy metals, all these horrible different toxic chemicals in every sample tested. Um, and why it was found in organic is because if you aren't really doing um proper research when you're creating an organic brand about where your cotton is coming from, cotton is sprayed with pesticides a lot of the time, you know. So there's still all of these chemicals in it, unfortunately. But to your point earlier, I don't want to say that every brand has toxic chemicals in it because there are a lot of disposable brands that do their due diligence and are, you know, using alternatives that are better for your body. Um, so you know, I was I again, I was just like, gosh, I really just want to, you know, make something better for women because nobody's really looking out for us. Like our bodies were not included in medical clinical trials until 1993. So think like that was not that long ago. You know, it was always studies on a male body, men's anatomy, which is not near as complex. You know, we are cyclical beings because of our cycles. Um, so all of these things, I was just like, oh my God, this is crazy that we're not talking about this.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

I was just scrolling through Instagram and I didn't even fully read it, but I was reading something that tampons were actually not tested with blood either. They were tested with water.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

I found that out while I was creating this underwear too. As as I'm testing literally for two years every single batch with my real blood, I was like, yeah, they were using like saline solutions and water to test period products. Yeah, it's crazy.

The 2024 Tampon Study And Heavy Metals

SPEAKER_01 9:42

That is a true fact. It is vastly different. Totally. And how, yeah, and going back to what you said in the beginning, like tampons never really sat energetically well in my body either. And it was always, you know, if I'm going to the pool, I have to wear one or going to the beach. But I've always been a free bleeder. Like I've always I had always used pads. And then when I found out maybe a couple years ago, I don't even know how I found. I think it was like one of my coaches that mentioned them to me. I'm like, what the heck is period underwear? And I've never, never gone back, absolutely obsessed with it. And it feels so much more comfortable. And for so many reasons, I love it. But I am curious for the listener that has not tried period underwear, can you give a little rundown of what is it? And then what are the main differences between period underwear? And the closest thing to me that I can think of is a pad. So maybe you can go over the differences between those.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Totally. So it is underwear that is designed with a thicker gusset, which is the crotch area that you can essentially free bleed into. So a lot of period underwear I was finding like sometimes the entire backside is lined. So it's like a very thick underwear, but I did not want to design mine that way. Um, so I feel like I I worked really hard to make it, you know, thick where you need it. So really it's just like a built-in pad in the underwear and then thin where you um want it to be. So my it's designed with um a top layer that is meant to keep you cool and dry. A lot of misconceptions is that period underwear. Women, at least in my experience, have been hesitant because they're like, I don't want to feel like I'm sitting in like a wet diaper all day. And I'm like, don't, I swear. Um and there's a middle, very absorbent layer, and then there's a bottom waterproof layer, which ultimately keeps the flow from leaving the underwear. So the construction of that together um allows the underwear to yeah, just just capture your flow. And what makes mine different than other brands too is the materials that I use, you know. Um there were two brands, you know, that were promoting they were sustainable. And again, this is something just as a consumer, you really have to do your own research to read the fabric label of like what the you know, what composition it's made of. Um two brands got in trouble for because they ended up having PFAS, which is for the forever chemicals, you know, in their underwear, despite saying they were sustainable. So, you know, things like this happen. So I just I tried really hard and I found materials that are completely PFAS free, um free of all the toxic chemicals again that you find unfortunately in disposables and on a lot of synthetic underwear. Um, and then it's tested to withstand 300 washes, you know. So um it really holds up well and it ultimately replaces the need for thousands of disposables, which is it be it ends up being it's it saves on cost and then it's great for the planet as well.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

And yeah, so let's dive into the washes uh for people that haven't tried or that have tried, and because I do feel like I've read different directions of you can rinse it or clean it or soak it before you throw it in the wash, or you can just throw it in the wash. What is the best practice there?

SPEAKER_00 13:15

So I always recommend I'm like wear it into the shower with you. I just you know, I take it off, I let it sit and I let it rinse and run clear. By the time I'm done showering, I bring it out and I just throw it in the laundry with everything else. And it's so easy. Um, I definitely recommend rinsing it, although I don't think you always have to, you know, if you have a heavy flow, definitely. Um, but and then, you know, I I'm this is like probably bad of me to say. Like I throw it in my regular laundry with everything else on a full cycle. For optimal care, I would definitely say wash on a delicate cycle and hang dry. Um, but again, I've been throwing mine in the dryer too, and they really hold up just fine.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

Yeah, I think I've heard that too. Some brands have said hang dry. I just I do what you do. I just write in the laundry.

What Period Underwear Is And How It Works

SPEAKER_00 14:05

I I really wanted to design it for like the it's not being lazy, but just for the optimal, like easiest route possible. So that was another reason that investing in you know these high quality materials was important for me because they do withstand, you know, they're very durable.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Yeah. And the shower thing, great idea. I've never considered that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

You know, it's to me, it's like it saves the extra step then of like whether you're like rinsing it in the bath or saying, because I'm like, just wear it in the shower with you, and then it'll rinse and then be done by the time you know you're done taking a shower.

SPEAKER_01 14:39

Yeah. Which going going into kind of like this, the spiritual, the more, the more woo-woo sides, obviously that's one option. Love that. Honestly, I might try it because that sounds super easy. For I think that we do have, and one of the things that came up for me, and I'm curious if it came up for you, I think that we do have these barriers of resistance because for so long we've been taught that periods aren't something that we talk about. It's gross, like our blood is gross. And so, even though I know logically, like this is just something that we go through, and like there's it's actually really beautiful. And you know, all of these things that we can tell ourselves logically. I still realized that when I started using period underwear, there was that resistance, especially to rinsing it, of like putting your hands in it and and seeing your blood and all of that, because you're kind of used to just flushing the toilet when you go. So, one of the practices that came up for for me, and I see you have a lot of plants. I have a ton of plants in my background too, or just in my house. But you can use your blood, and we are our period has so much nutrients, yeah. So you can use it to water your um plants and like it's fertilizer basically. Yes. Um and that's a whole other layer that obviously is not a requisite of having period underwear, but or a requirement, but that's a whole other layer of if you're on that journey of kind of tapping more into your cycle in general, you can use this as almost like a ritual of soaking it and then you know, I just soak it in a bowl and then I just use it. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

I'm gonna try that next that I have. Yeah, because I've heard it and I see it. I'm on the heavy woo-woo matte like mystical woman uh TikTok and Instagram. So like I see what all the free bleeders are doing, and like to your point, yes, like our blood, especially period blood, is so understudied. But as like women are starting to, as we're starting to learn more about it and like the stem cells that are in it and how we can um, you know, really get a I like to call it a report card from our body every month. Like we are so blessed that we get to see, you know, because the color of your blood is a great indicator for to as to like what's really going on. The like level of your flow, you know. So often I talk to women who are like, My flow is so heavy, I'm like nervous about period underwear. And I'm like, well, a really heavy flow isn't isn't not great. You know, you shouldn't be bleeding through tampons and maxi pads and having to change it every like two to four hours. Like that's another signal from your body, like what's going on. Um, so just learning, you know, different ways that we can utilize it. I mean, I've seen women, some women go as far as like using it as like a face mask if you feel like great for your skin. And I'm like, I would have I would try that.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

And actually, that's such a great reminder. I I haven't tried it. Um, not that I have an objection, I just haven't, but one of my good friends says, and she, speaking of the shower, she just does it in the shower. So it's like you don't, you know, you it's washing off, like you can put it on and then you like wash your hair, whatever, do you shave your legs, do your thing, and then wash it, but be that have that be the last thing that you wash off. And it's kind of keeps down the messiness, and you know, again, like it's a huge practice of settling into this gift.

Care, Washing Routines, And Longevity

SPEAKER_00 18:19

And I love that you call it a blessing because it is we have so I mean, if you think about it, that's an entire life that you have that you're bleeding out because it is a yeah, our period is a signal that our body like is able to create life, you know. It really is such a beautiful thing, and something else that I learned that that I think you'll find interesting is like it was really in like the 1930s when tampons were invested, and this was like during the Industrial Revolution when we started mass producing things. Um, by the way, the tampon was invented by a man. Um that's when they started to really market it as like a hygienic problem to like plug up, you know, and cut and don't talk about because prior to that, periods were very like sacred and honored, and women in the communities when they were bleeding, you know, it was like a beautiful spiritual thing that was happening. And I think our society just really shifted that narrative, unfortunately, and now it's so stigmatized, which again, I can't believe that like 50% of the population, you know, is like this happens every month. And honestly, it like affects a lot of women a lot, you know, and and their impacts their day-to-day. And how are we not talking about it more? Um, so my hope is that the pendulum is kind of like swinging back and that we are going to start just like talking about it. For me, it's been such an amazing way to connect with women too. You know, I'm so fortunate, like I'm able to have these conversations. And unfortunately, a lot of them still start with like, sorry, this is TMI, but and I'm like, no, like let's talk about it, you know?

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Uh-huh. Yeah. You you mentioned that you had your first in-person market the other day. Yeah. How I mean, such a beautiful invitation to explore talking about it because it is, it's so stigmatized. I even myself, I know that I had a lot of resistance talking about it and exploring it for myself. And it is one of those things that the more that we talk about it and the more that we explore it and educate ourselves. Like I love that you bring up that it was something that was super sacred. And I know in some book, oh shoot, what's it called? It's called Wild Power. If you haven't read it, amazing book on cycles.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

It's by Alexandra something, and then a hard name to say, but Wild Power. And that's all about your cycle. And they talk about how they used to like tribal communities had what they would call a red tent, and those that's where the women would go and they would bleed, and they would literally just hang out there and free bleed onto the earth. But it's also one of the times where our intuition is the strongest. And so it's almost like a week long meditation that these women would have. And come out and have all of these beautiful insights and downloads and connections that they would be able to share with the tribe for the betterment of the community. And that's really ultimately what our period is. And it's not, it's such interesting to for you to bring up that history of the Industrial Revolution and it being turned into this like thing that's dirty or unhygienic. But uh I was going to ask you how your time was, how you're feeling about holding the in-person events. And yeah, obviously, yeah, I'm sure a lot of the women walked up and they were like, I'm sorry, but yes, yeah.

Moving Past Stigma And Rituals With Blood

SPEAKER_00 21:45

It's the best to get in-person feedback, and that's like a huge goal of mine going into 2026, is I really want to start bringing community together more and just holding a space where women can talk about it. And I actually love the reference you shared about like being able to sit together in this sort of really meditative way. Um, because that's one of like my greatest values with this brand, too. You know, and for I feel like our society has gotten so loud and noisy, and we live in such like instant gratification. Go, go, go. The day is really built around to support a male's, you know, circadian rhythm. Um, so my hope with this brand too, and just like hosting in-person events, and then the way that I got to talk to women yesterday is just like to remind us like it is okay to slow down, and that is actually what our body is asking us to do, like when we're bleeding.

SPEAKER_01 22:41

And what a cool, I've never actually thought about it this way. But as you're speaking, the act of using period underwear and just the little bit of extra care that it does require of like rinsing out and throwing in the wash rather than just like yanking out a tampon and throwing it in the trash. That's also can be used as this reminder to just take a beat. It doesn't have to be like going into a tent and taking a week off of work, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

And we can just free bleeding into the earth. Although that sounds cool too. Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

I know, like I would I would do it, but I would try that for sure. Would would maybe would be a long week. I definitely am very busy, but yeah, as I know practice of just slowing down, like and I have not found any discomfort. Like, I I think that it's actually the most comfortable form that I've explored because even the pad, you kind of I feel like that's more wet. Yeah, if that's even describe.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

No, it is, and you're like sitting in plastic. And in my experience, you know, it's it irritated my skin, it would make it itchy. They the elastic or not elastic on the other side, the like plastic um would like come up and move around and bunch up. And by the end of the day, it was just like not comfortable. So the fact that like with this underwear, it's just completely like built in, it doesn't move around at all. It moves with your body as you're moving, but like you don't have to worry about anything like coming up. Like, I I don't like check my butt all the time anymore, you know, to see like, oh my gosh, am I like did something happen? So it's been great.

unknown 24:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

And then what's the difference? I've never personally used them, but I do know a lot of people that I've mentioned period underwear too. They're like, oh, I use the cup. What is the difference between? I mean, there's physical differences, but yeah, even energetically different.

SPEAKER_00 24:36

I for me, it's a really an energetic thing because it feels very similar to kind of just like plugging and going about your day, you know. Um, I definitely think it's a better alternative to a lot of the tampons and disposables that are available because very often they're made with like a silicone or medical grade, you know, silicone that's good for your body. Um, so from like an alternative, I think that's better. However, I can't wrap my head around it. And to me, it's like it's actually like fully in there. And I've never tried one. So I can't give like too much of an opinion on it, but I just be for me, it's because I'm like, I'm scared it'll get stuck and I won't be able to get it out. Although, you know, I don't think that's too entirely the case. I have heard situations where women are like, yeah, that did happen to me. I also heard this horror story of like, because it suctions to you, right?

SPEAKER_01 25:31

Like in your I guess, yeah. In a way, it suctions.

SPEAKER_00 25:35

So this woman I heard she was telling a story. She was like, I sneezed at a dinner party and the cup just came flying out. And she's like, it looked like there was like a massacre. And I'm like, that sounds horrible. I don't like really trust it.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

Oh my god, I've never heard that. I would imagine, yes. That makes sense. That's petrifying. I've definitely been more, yeah. How do you get it up? And then although I've heard that it's very easy, and it's good to know that I didn't know the silicone differences and stuff. So it's good to know that it's a better alternative than tampons, pads, or disposables. Totally. Yeah, yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah, that's petrifying, but yeah. Um yeah, no, so tell tell me a little bit about the name of the company. I'm curious why, why flower girl?

History, Marketing, And The Hygiene Narrative

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Yeah, it I had the hardest time naming the company. I was like sitting for months, like, and it kind of just came to me one day. I was out on a walk and I love flowers. I love like gifting people flowers as like I just think they're like such a beautiful, natural, like, you know, from the earth. I've also always wanted to open a flower shop. It's definitely like on my bucket list in this lifetime at some point. Um, so I was kind of like playing on all of those things and then also thinking about our, you know, vagina and like our cycle as like a ultimately like a flower and like the whole process. And then I had some like marketing come ideas come to me with the uh name Flower Girl in mind. So um, and then you know, I got some feedback from Woman Girl is like a little bit of a younger, you know, you think of a get a younger woman. Um but to me it like kind of like helped bring us back to like our inner child in a way. So um I once I got that idea in my head, I'm like, all right, you know what? I'm gonna call it Flower Girl.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

Oh yeah, I love that. And what a great reminder, yeah, to bring us back to that inner child or that moment when we first because even that, even like your first bleed, there's so much around that, whether that's like fear or depending on ultimately depending on your parents, probably. Hopefully, maybe your mom.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

And just how like again, it's so sad to me that as like girls, like and it's no fault to like our parents or anyone, like we're just like not really taught anything. And I think it goes back to the fact that we don't know a lot about our bodies um and like the phases that we cycle through when we're not taught how like we're gonna be a different woman like each week of the month, depending on our hormones and our cycles and how we're taking care of ourselves that month or how we're not. So um, yeah, I think that there's so much work we can do as women around how to you know better prepare the next generation. And for me, period underwear is like a big part of that.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

It is, it is. I I had a um, let's see, it would have already been posted. It's not posted at the time we're recording this, but it would be posted by the time I post this podcast. This incredible woman, Nicole Lang. She's a Chinese medicine and acupuncturist, but she works with cycles with women. Uh, and it's like she's incredible. She does a lot of like trauma-informed stuff, but she was telling us about how you can use your period as that report card, like you were saying, of learning the differences between what is acceptable because we don't even really talk about that. Like if you have a really heavy period, or you shoe is sharing something about your luteal phase, like how long your luteal phase is makes a difference, and all of these things, your body is always talking to you. And one of the superpowers that we have as women is using our period as that communication log. And there's so many things that we can learn, small nuances that our body is is trying to tell us and looking at your period and using again, like to me, it just reiterates using period underwear versus like you can't really assess the well, maybe you can, but maybe not as well if you're using a tampon, like the coloring and the consistency and the flow and the um yeah, the flow, like the heavier light, and you can really certainly do that with period underwear.

SPEAKER_00 30:10

Totally, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:11

Yeah. So many conversations. I have another one, Elizabeth Tidewell, I think is how you say her name. She would be going back in the archives, but she would be someone like I really love, and this would be something fun for you to explore if you haven't already in your area. But whoever's listening as well, look in your area for someone that might be leading like women's circles or cycle classes, or Elizabeth is really cool because she does it with younger girls, like she does your first lead stuff. Yeah, that's incredible. But like learning that because opening up the conversation is just it opens up so so much. Whether it's just learning the you know, specifics of your period or learning the energetics and yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

I love to hear that. That's again going like I a goal of mine. I should look in the area if there's anything around it, but like women's circles. Like I I want to do that with the brand.

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Oh, yeah. And it yeah, it would flow very easily for you. Yeah, definitely. It's really cool, and just the importance of getting together as women and celebrating.

Comfort Comparison: Pads, Cups, And Energy

SPEAKER_00 31:19

Yeah, and talking about it and knowing like a lot of these things we're going through, like you're not alone. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Yeah, which you feel very much. I I wasn't really taught of like what should you use. My mom was just like, I use pads, that's what that's what you should use. And like that was kind of it.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Yeah. I mean, I just remember getting a tampon and not putting it in right. Like, I feel like so many girls probably remember that first time. And it's I mean, it's such an intimate thing, it's not really like anyone's there, like helping you put it in, you know. Like you kind of just like figure it out. And if you feel like it's not comfortable, I I think I remember my mom being like, Okay, well, it needs to go up higher then, you know, it's not in you should feel like it's not it. But it's like that's such a scary idea and concept to do when you're that age.

SPEAKER_01 32:06

Yeah. Oh, I didn't know. I felt like for years, honestly, I was still not putting it in right. Yeah, like it never felt comfortable. It always kind of hurt. It was never, never something that really jived with me. But I don't really think I would argue that it is really supposed to jive with anyone. Right. Totally how we were created.

SPEAKER_00 32:29

Yeah, agreed.

SPEAKER_01 32:30

Very generator of you, by the way. When you're like, I just made my own company because I thought that I wanted. Um, I feel like that's a big thing about generators, is they're kind of in human design, they're kind of the they're the manifesting generators and generators are the two energy types that are definitely like, I haven't seen anything like this, or I haven't found something that works perfectly. Let me just create it. And I love that for you that you're able to create this beautiful company that is serving so many people and opening up so many important conversations to be had. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah. So I have two more questions and then we'll kind of go how to how to find you and all of that. But um I know that you have a lot of conversations, you're you're on a lot of podcasts. One of my last questions is what is one thing that you wish that you could talk about more that you wish the podcast host would ask you that you would be able to talk about and share?

SPEAKER_00 33:35

Yeah. Oh, so much to unpack there. I'm trying to let me try to think too about something we haven't already really talked about. Um I think for me, and it's coming out of like after like over a decade working and being a millennial and just like the way that our generation was programmed. I think just letting women know that it is okay to slow down. And really by doing that, it will allow you to hone in and listen to your body. Because to a point you made earlier, like I I know women are we are the most intuitive beings on the planet, and especially when we are having our cycle, you know, we have we can access so many inform so much information and so many answers to questions we might have about like what should I do here and this and that. And like, you know, I know for me, like I was very often like always like a yes person and like just learning like it's okay to say no and it's okay to slow down and like just listening to your body and tuning in um to how you feel and honoring that is something that I wish our society did more, but I do feel like we are on the path now just by even having these conversations to like learning that's okay and to doing that.

Naming Flower Girl And Inner Child

SPEAKER_01 34:51

Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, I'm really thankful for all the conversations we've been having about learning. I always call them your superpowers, like you have different superpowers in each phase of your cycle, and it's not oh my luteal phase, I'm more emotional and tired. Like there's a superpower in your luteal phase and your menstrual phase and your follicular phase. And I mean, we pretty much always think of our ovulation phase, but that's only a couple days, really. Yeah, like three to five days that we ovulate, and yeah, there's so many other days in the month. Yeah, um speaking of slowing down, that was my last question. Speaking of slowing down and learning, and it kind of is also teaching your body because we're taught to be always going and in that high function, like that ovulation phase of peak performance. So, what is one thing personally that one practice or one thing that helps you come back to yourself when you're feeling things are really chaotic or feeling unclear, feeling overwhelmed? What's one thing that really stands out to you that feels supportive?

SPEAKER_00 36:00

Yeah. So I'm going to say meditating, but I hate when people just throw out that word because there's I feel like a stigma around meditation now that you have to like turn on a guided app and like sit in silence for like 20 minutes and like not think about anything because like our thoughts are constantly racing, but really like just sitting and being with yourself. Like I like to um like I try to take my dog on walks in the afternoon where I don't bring my phone. And for me, just like disconnecting, um, and or whether it's five minutes that I have that, you know, that day to just like sit in my apartment if if it's coming home and just sitting for five minutes um with again without looking at any device and allowing myself to like really be with my thoughts in that time. Um, because meditate meditation can be so hard too if you aren't practicing it, you know, and um it is hard to like silence. Sometimes there are days where I'm sitting and meditating and I'm like, my thoughts are running crazy. And that's okay, is just as long as you're consciously taking the time, you know, to like be with yourself um to reconnect and to make sure you're not just acting on autopilot and that you're truly like tuning into like what your body needs.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

I love that invitation. And there are so many stigmas around meditation.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

So yeah, I know. So I I hate to say it, but then so something else I did, like I bought myself a red light, you know, panel. I'm like finding like little things with self-care. I I love self-care. So whether it's even like putting a face mask on in the act of like doing that and then like taking it off, that's like a 10-minute, you know, process of just like something that um gives back to myself. That's like meditation for me, you know.

SPEAKER_01 37:52

Yeah, there's so many different forms of meditation. It really is ultimately at the bottom line, just slowing down, coming back to wherever you are right now and getting off your device. And even if it is five minutes or 10 minutes, it makes a huge difference. We underestimate the five, 10-minute meditations, and yeah, it doesn't have to be this hour-long thing.

Teaching Girls, Cycles As A Monthly Report Card

SPEAKER_00 38:19

Totally, totally like consciously being like, Where is my energy? What am I doing right now? And like again, I I have such a love-hate relationship with like social media. It's like we're expected to be on it, especially if you have like a business, a podcast, like all these things. And I'm like, as long as you're not like doom scrolling, you know.

SPEAKER_01 38:39

Yeah, yeah. It's a it's a whole it's a whole practice for sure. It is, yeah, yeah. Um, so where can people find you? Speaking of social media, yeah, where can people find you? Where can people learn more about flowergirl and continue to keep up with you and your journey as well?

SPEAKER_00 38:57

Yeah, so um my socials are at flowergirl.co with an underscore at the end. Um, and then my website is flowergirl.co, not dot com. Um, so if you, you know, submit and contact requests from the website or a DM on social media like you're talking to me, I'm more than happy to answer any questions and continue this conversation because I just love talking about it all.

SPEAKER_01 39:21

I love it. Thank you so much for this conversation and your time and education on period underwear. This is a really fun introduction to something that I've been using, but I don't really talk about that often. So I love having people like you and experts in your field to come on and chat more about it. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 39:41

I appreciate it.