Free Flow Chattanooga

We haven't posted in a while, but we are still going strong. Today, we were able to meet the request of a homeless advocacy group and donate over 1200 pads, tampons and liners to homeless people in desperate need of period products right here in Chattanooga. Thank you to EVERYONE helping support this community project ❤

We believe period products should be accessible to everyone who needs them. Join us in working towards making that a reality. How you can help:
*Spread the word about our services! We are available to support individuals who need help accessing or affording period products.
*Donate products to us! Message us for more information or for the link to our Amazon Wish List.
*Donate funds to support the purchase of products. You can donate @ www.thecavewomanway.com/freeflow

Together, anything is possible!

First Quarter 2021 Free Flow Distribution Stats!!!
Pads/Liners: 1319
Tampons: 1010
Hygiene Wipes: 144

First Quarter 2021 Free Flow Donation Report:
Cash Donations: $165

Thank you to everyone who continues to support our work! We are currently partnered with 3 local non-profits, providing them monthly care packages, and available to support individuals.

Know someone in the Chattanooga area that needs support accessing or affording period products? Send them our way or fill out a referral form (link below). We can provide products to individuals through pickup or delivery. We are not equipped to help entire schools or large groups yet, but we can absolutely support several individuals each month that need our assistance.

www.thecavewomanway.com/freeflow

Help us spread the word! We are accepting requests and referrals from individuals in the Chattanooga area that need help accessing or affording period products. You can contact us via messenger, email, or fill out our online form at www.thecavewomanway.com/freeflow

If someone you know could benefit from some support, please let us know!

Moon Time celebrations are becoming more common in our society and that makes us so happy! Here are some thoughts and ideas for celebrating with a pr***en, teen, or girl in your life at the time of her first period.

https://www.drnorthrup.com/celebrating-a-girls-first-period/

Celebrating a Girl’s First Period | Christiane Northrup, M.D. Not only is your daughter's body changing from that of a girl to that of a sexually mature woman, her brain and emotions are also changing rapidly. In short, she is preparing to become a more independent member of her family and society. This is the time when her unique, inborn gifts and talents are...

Lots of cultures embrace menstruation differently... for some there is celebration and honor, for others there is shame and stigma. We found some wisdom in this article, and learned a few things we didn't know! May it inspire us to consider our own rituals and perspectives around that time of the month and be a little more accepting and loving towards our bodies.

https://blog.flexfits.com/menstrual-rituals-around-the-world/ #:~:text=%205%20menstrual%20rituals%20around%20the%20world%20%26,period%20blood%20on%20your%20face%20to...%20More%20

5 menstrual rituals around the world | The Fornix | Flex Did you know: In the Philippines, there’s a superstition that wiping your face with period blood can prevent breakouts?

A mensuration resource for teachers that we love:
https://www.unicef.org/rosa/stories/period-lesson-plan-guide-menstruation-teachers

Period lesson plan: guide to menstruation for teachers As a teacher, you have a wonderful opportunity to prepare the girls in your class for their monthly period.

April's Red Tent circle is open for registrations! We are gathering virtually on the full moon this month. The Red Tent is a place for rest, comfort, wisdom sharing and celebrating the cycles of both the female body and Mother Earth. The Red Tent sponsors the Free Flow program and is determined to help eliminate the stigma around menstruation (what we call "Moon Time" in the Red Tent). If you think you may be interested in joining us, you can read more at
www.thecavewomanway.com/redtent

Red Tent | The Cavewoman Way The Red Tent is a place of self-care and rest, multi-generational wisdom sharing, storytelling, creativity, bold conversations, and celebrating the cycles seasons of both Mother Earth and the female body. Red Tent circles are open to all womxn, including female-bodied, female-identified, trans-fem...

Looking for resources on which period products may be best for you and your lifestyle? We were happy to find this article that breaks down some pros and cons of each.

https://uthealthaustin.org/blog/period-products

Period Products: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly She’s not always a welcome guest, but like it or not, Aunt Flo is here to stay. Luckily, we live in a world with more period products available to us than ever before (and thankfully, those products no longer include lamb skins or rubber pantaloons). But with all the choices available to us, how d...

We haven't posted anything in a while... but we are still going strong! We continue to partner with multiple non-profits in Chattanooga as well as respond to individual requests for support.

If you'd like to know more, refer someone to our program, or make a donation, check out our website at www.thecavewomanway.com/freeflow

Lots of data related to period poverty comes from the UK or is reported at the national level, but we actually have period poverty facts and stats for TENNESSEE, thanks to The Alliance for Period Supplies (www.allianceforperiodsupplies.org). These numbers are from 2019.

You can see state-specific data for other states, as well as the national data from The Alliance for Period Products at www.allianceforperiodsupplies.org/period-poverty-fact-sheets

A huge THANK YOU to the gals keeping FREE FLOW going by helping create monthly care packages and collect/deliver supplies. We are in our 4th month and have been able to consistently provide period products to 3 local non-profits each month, plus we have the inventory to help individuals if anyone has a request or referral to send us.

Pictured: FREE FLOW leadership volunteers
Left to Right: Michelle, Tish, Amelia, and Heather.

We believe all people who need them should have easy and affordable access to feminine hygiene and period products. It is our mission to help end period poverty, and eliminate the stigma around menstruation, in the greater Chattanooga community.

"It's hard to feel like a Goddess when you're worried sick about how you are going to feed your kids. You can do all the affirmations and self-help work you want, but it is a rare woman who feels empowered living in poverty."
-Trista Hendren

FREE FLOW is accepting requests and referrals via our webpage. If you, or someone you know, needs help affording or accessing period products, we can help! We make the delivery and services are confidential.
www.thecavewomanway.com/freeflow

Artwork: Amber Brooke Studios

The numbers are in! Thank you for everyone who supported FREE FLOW during the month of January. We collected $175 and are so grateful for this. We will be making our monthly deliveries to our non-profit partners next week. Stay tuned for more updates!

MOON TIME by LuAnn Morris

Magickal moon time
I welcome your
Power of transcendence
As I take my worthy place
In the rhythms of
Your universe

My third eye opens wide
As I receive your
Gifts of divine insight
And bathe in your
Sacred crimson life force
Of inspiration

"Go with the flow" literally!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2c17e5naow

The Power of the Period | Lucy Peach | TEDxPerth What if PMS isn’t a curse, but is instead part of a cycle that can be both a powerful creative muse and life coach? Lucy Peach shares how learning about her ...

This gentle yoga practice is beginner friendly and restorative. It is a great self-care activity to try during Moon Time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JaCcp39iVI

Yoga for Cramps and PMS | Yoga With Adriene Join Adriene and Benji in this gentle, loving practice created to support you, whether you are feeling physical pain, discomfort, or just need a little TLC. ...

If anyone has given making DIY pads a try, we'd love to know how they turned out. If you want to experiment, here's a great tutorial.

https://sewingsociety.com/how-do-you-make-reusable-cloth-menstrual-pads-links-to-free-sewing-patterns/

How to Make Reusable Cloth Menstrual Pads (FREE Sewing Patterns) Cloth menstrual pads are not a new idea – women have been using them since the beginning of time. Disposable pads didn’t become popular until the 1960s. But, I know what you’re thinking… Why would …

Thank you to everyone who supported FREE FLOW with donations, supplies, and encouragement this month! Together we are making a difference and empowering each other as we go!

"When you phoned home from California
to tell me you had started
A brilliant globule of blood
rolled out over the surface of the desert
up and down the Continental Divide
through the singing prairies
parting the Mississippi
leaping the Delaware Water Gap
until it spilled into this tall red kitchen
in Rocky Hill, New Jersey
where it skittered across the linoleum
and cracked into hundreds of little faceted jewels.

I will not diminish the day with labeling
I will not say foolishly
"now you are a woman"
I will never tell you
"don't talk to strangers"

because we are each of us strangers
one to another
mysterious in our bodies,
the connection between us
ascending like separate stone wells
from the same dark waters
under the earth

But tonight you delight me like a lover
so that my thigh muscles twitch
and the ni***es of my breasts
rise and remember
your small mouth
until I am laughing to the marrow of my bones
and I want to shout
Bless you, my daughter, bless you, bless you;
I have created the world in thirteen years
and it is good."

-Penelope Scambly Schott, from I'm On My Way Running: Women Speak of Coming of Age

FREE FLOW is an extension of the Chattanooga Red Tent Circle. In honoring the cycles and seasons of the female body, we also want to help each other during times when it is hard to afford period products. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from free pads, tampons or other supplies, let us know! And, if you are looking for a circle that embraces our monthly cycles as something sacred, powerful, and meaningful, we'd love to have you join us.

Learn more at www.thecavewomanway.com/redtent

Artwork: Circle Dance by Lane DeMoll

Period Pain? This meditation is an example of a mindfulness practice that may help relieve discomfort and pain.
https://verv.com/menstrual-meditation-for-your-period-pains/

PMS Meditation. Meditation for Your Menstrual Period Pains Painful menstrual cramps are very common. But this time around try practicing period and PMS meditation for pain relief instead of taking meds.

Moon Time can be more than physical releasing. We can tune into our deeper selves, take time to rest and reflect, and find ways to honor our selves through the process each month. Incorporating self care practices or other rituals can make Moon Time something special, rather than an inconvenience or dreaded time of the month.

Artwork Source: Composed Nutrition