Hey there! I’m Teo, a menstrual cycle & hormone coach on a mission to bring the topic of menstrual cycles into mainstream wellness…
As women, we weren’t designed to fit into a mold created for men. Yet, we eat like men, we work out like men, we work like men, we live life just like men. We do all of it in a woman’s body and still expect to show our best self at home, in relationships, and at work. Yet this leads to feelings of being misunderstood, often resulting in frustrations, meltdowns, and burnouts. Our natural rhythms differ from men’s, and it’s time to shift our perspective on our bodies, bringing menstrual cycles and hormones to the forefront of the conversation.
Join me as I spill the deets on the ride through my own adventures with menstruation, PCOS, hormonal birth control, low-toxic living, and the beauty of cyclical living.
Now, you might be wondering, how did I end up here? Let’s rewind and explore the moments that led me to this incredible space.
Ready for the story?
Ah, the first period saga! I remember how excited I was when my classmates were starting to get their periods one by one. There was a thrill among my girlfriends. When I got mine, it felt like stepping into the unknown. I cried my heart out while telling my mom about it. I remember how I could not even pronounce the word “period”, I just pointed towards my down parts. I felt embarrassed.
Few years later, after going through debilitating symptoms throughout my cycle and excruciating pain during my period I got diagnosed with PCOS. At the same time there was this lingering belief from the older generation that you could conceive any day of the month (spoiler alert: not true). So, having my OBGYN advise me to get on the pill to “treat” PCOS and my painful periods sounded like a double victory. With the notion of safety in mind, and a painless cycle I took the plunge without hesitation.
Being in a weird headspace for a few years and having gained a few extra kgs I decided to stop the pill altogether. Ah, the big decision to say goodbye to the pill in my early 20s – a moment that opened the door to an entirely new world. Little did I know, it also ushered in a rollercoaster of emotions.
It brought back the PMS, headaches, acne, mood swings, and excruciating pain during my periods. The journey into the natural ebb and flow of my body proved to be both enlightening and challenging.
Around the same time I entered the 9-5 journey in the creative industry, bouncing between boutique, mid-sized, and network agencies.
Anyone familiar with the creative/content production realm knows the rollercoaster it can be. The highs of winning a pitch or seeing a creative idea come to life are exhilarating, but they often get overshadowed by the relentless challenges – long hours, tight deadlines, demanding clients, and a chaotic creative process that sometimes feels like a madhouse.
I got on the edge of burnout a few times, fortunate enough to recognize when to hit the brakes and step back.
Unfortunately, not everyone around me shared that luck. Watching my female friends and colleagues surrendering to burnout was a heartbreaking experience that hit close to home.
A few years later, I started my fitness journey, and fell in love with weightlifting. I soon got to realise that the gym was quite a toxic environment for the well-being of women.
Women train just like men: weekly lifting schedule, caffeine-fueled workouts, obsession with weight, body image, and an unhealthy muscle focus. Emotional tolls followed – acne, embarrassment, anxiety, depression, and for some women burnout again. Even periods are considered frustrating. The quick fix? The pill, to numb the pain and get more progress at the gym.
Rather than fostering a stronger bond with our own bodies, this culture encouraged the opposite.
These experiences triggered a profound realisation in me: The real struggle of the modern woman is she wants to do everything men do in a woman’s body and still show up her best self at home, in relationships, at work, and with friends. She wants to achieve everything yet at some point she recognises that she cannot do it all, not all at the same time without damaging her physical and mental health.
This made me question everything and made me search for a better way. A way that actually works for women.
Over the past years, I’ve dug deep into the world of wellness, explored different forms of movement, studied and researched the science of menstrual cycles and hormones.
My mission? To find what truly works.
Here I am. I found the way.