Interview by Rachel Stewart

I am going to do something I’ve never done before and say: as I write this, I am on day one of my period. About half the world’s population has a uterus, yet saying something that acknowledges this reality in a public forum feels almost taboo.

And yet, it also feels like the perfect day to introduce you to Kristin Lathrop. Kristin is a menstrual cycle coach and advocate who lives in Turner Valley, Alberta, where she works full-time in legal education as a communications and events advisor. She is also the creator of the Kindly Planner, which puts your inner cycle and your outer calendar on the same page. Her message to anyone who has (or had) a uterus is simple: commit to memory the words, “I trust my body.” Today, with a heating pad on my lap, I have a unique opportunity to sit with my own body and write about her radical work.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

RACHEL: Kristin, tell us about yourself.

KRISTIN: I was born and raised in Victoria, BC, and I was very nomadic in my twenties. Travel is a big part of who I am. My claim to fame is that I’ve filled up a passport backpacking around the world. I’ve been to 46 countries so far and I’m aiming to get to 50 by 50. Today, I live in Turner Valley and work full-time in legal education as a communications and events advisor. But of course, I’m also side-hustling as a menstrual cycle awareness advocate, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

RACHEL: How did you end up in legal education?

KRISTIN: Unexpectedly. I consider myself “astrology-curious” and there’s something about justice in my birth chart, and it keeps recurring in my life. My dad, a lawyer, called out of the blue while I was doing a professional certification in editing at Simon Fraser University and offered me a job proofreading legal course content. I said, “What are you talking about? I’m not a lawyer.” But it was my first full-time editing job. I stayed there for four years and thought I’d never work in the legal world again. Then I moved to Alberta, and some kind of divine intervention brought another legal opportunity that completely expanded my skillset.

RACHEL: The stars aligned! So how did menstrual coaching come into your life?

KRISTIN: I feel like I live multiple lives, and I am sure a lot of millennials can relate: you have your full-time career, but you also have passions that don’t fit into it. My counselor first told me about the Red School in 2024, which is the organization that founded menstrual coaching education as we know it. It lit a fire in me. I am always looking for things that empower self-awareness, and like astrology, this gave me language to understand more about who we are and the incredible power we have inside to learn from. I signed up for a bunch of newsletters and one day, I got a notice that the next coaching cohort was starting. Class started that September.

RACHEL: What is a menstrual coach, and how would you describe their work to someone who has never heard of it?

KRISTIN: A cycle coach works with anyone who has or has had a uterus to help them build a deeper understanding of their cycle and all the power within it.

We often think of a period as just five days a month: you bleed, you get through the next few weeks, and then it all starts over again. Often, people aren’t happy about it. It can be painful, and for some people it’s concerning how painful it can be. But the menstrual cycle has four phases, and every single day of it is a window into more self-awareness. With clients, we look at the entire cycle, see your energy levels, and follow that pattern from cycle to cycle. An important piece I learned in my training is to create a safe space for these conversations, because there’s so much shame and taboo. People feel embarrassed because we don’t talk about it commonly.

RACHEL: It’s so tied to social justice! I imagine you’re often talking to clients about life experiences you’ve never had yourself.

KRISTIN: Exactly. Every client is different, and every cycle is different. Coaches tailor their guidance to what each person needs. That could be weekly support through each phase of the cycle, or a single session to learn how to chart your cycle, followed by a check-in three months later to see what’s emerged. Coaches can also include other supports like nutrition or astrology, or build it into their main specialization like counselling or physical therapy.

Ultimately, it’s a radical act to pay attention to your cycle, and it’s so political. The whole reason we’re ashamed and embarrassed to talk about it is that we’ve been conditioned to believe it’s bad. Our power is being pushed down. When we pay attention to our cycles, we can step into that power and not be afraid to talk about it. It makes me tear up because the answer is right there. We just need to break through that barrier.

RACHEL: What was your training like?

KRISTIN: I trained at the Cycle Coach School and it was phenomenal. It’s a global certification, so it’s all online. It ran from September to March, with monthly group calls with the whole cohort led by Claire Baker, who started the school. The curriculum followed the phases of the cycle: more learning and reflection at the beginning, then building energy and momentum, and then final reflections. Claire brought in science and research to the curriculum and guest speakers. Every call showed us different ways we could help our clients. We each made our own toolbox of what we can offer. It was very impactful, and I’m still in contact with most of the women I learned with.

RACHEL: Millennials are balancing so much. Many of us have a career and a side hustle, and those with kids are often doing elder care too. Where does cycle awareness fit in when life already feels full?

KRISTIN: Menstrual cycle awareness doesn’t have to take much time, but if it’s a habit you really want to stick with, I recommend developing a practice. You can’t track your cycle one day and be good for the next three months. Daily is best, but if that’s not realistic, start with once a week. It can honestly be three minutes, and as simple as a few words in your phone notes app or journal. See how you change week to week, and from there you can see how you change day to day.

I also created something to help with this. I’m a full-time, hybrid office lady and am obsessed with day planners. For the last couple years, I’ve tracked my own cycle every day and made notes in my planner to see where my inner world intersects with my outer world: work, appointments, deadlines, all that. This year, I made a planner that has both. It’s called the Kindly Planner, so you can plan kindly with your cycle and bring harmony to your inner and outer worlds. It’s all hand-designed, no AI was used whatsoever.

I made it because we’re cyclical beings, but we’re entrenched in a linear world where we work 9-to-5 and are expected to be the same person day in, day out. Anyone with a uterus knows that’s not possible. The intention is to live kindly and cyclically so you can plan around your life and your body.

RACHEL: What does the daily check-in look like?

KRISTIN: Whether or not you have the planner, checking in with yourself is a beginner-friendly way to get started. The approach I use is to check in with your four bodies: physical, mental, emotional and cosmic. It gives you a snapshot of each day and is a great way to start seeing patterns.

RACHEL: Does one of those bodies tend to be louder at certain points in the cycle?

KRISTIN: Every cycle is different, and every body is different. The biggest advice any cycle coach will give is to trust your body. That said, there are common themes. The premenstrual, or the luteal phase, is the one we all hear about. PMS often shows up as physical symptoms like cramps, sore boobs, and digestion issues, so your physical body might be loud, but the emotional body will be just as loud, if not louder. But there are gifts in our cycle, too. I actually look forward to my period. It’s a relief, and I’ve grown to accept that my body needs rest. Point blank, I am not taking on anything new on my period. The voice of productivity guilt hasn’t disappeared, but it’s so much quieter now that I am aware of my needs.

RACHEL: Tell me more about the high points. Could I learn which part of my cycle I am at the top of my game?

KRISTIN: Absolutely. The follicular phase covers your period and the pre-ovulatory phase. Your estrogen rises, your hormones trend upwards, and your energy comes back. It’s different for everybody, but for me it’s a time of lots of creative ideas. I want to write a lot and connect with people. That leads into ovulation, the peak event of the cycle. Every cycle is different, but usually you’re more extroverted and more willing to be in the spotlight during ovulation. Your energy flows outwards and you want connection. If you have a presentation at work, good for you if it’s in your ovulatory phase. Your introverted or extroverted nature still matters, but it’s maybe a little easier when you’re ovulating, because your body is saying, “I want to be out with people.”

RACHEL: It sounds like that’s when you’re the most “on.”

KRISTIN: Yes, the most switched on, but again, every cycle and every client is different. Some clients feel most themselves in the luteal phase or on their period. And ADHD can get a little chaotic during ovulation, because you’re thinking and doing so much and being so productive that it can feel overwhelming.

RACHEL: What does a person who bleeds monthly have to gain from cycle awareness?

KRISTIN: Literally everything. It opens you up to respecting yourself and every other person who has a cycle. It connects all of us. You’re joining a collective movement and awakening to step into this power and say, “Eff you, patriarchy, we’re going to do it anyways.” It’s cliché to say, but it feels really empowering to know your cycle. And then you know that half the population goes through this too and think: how can we all help each other?

RACHEL: And what’s the problem with ignoring the menstrual cycle, from a cycle coach perspective?

KRISTIN: Part of the reason we encourage tracking is to catch symptoms and signs. If you’re not tracking, you have nothing to tell your medical practitioner about what’s going on and could be ignoring an undiagnosed condition. I also want to mention that cycle coaches don’t give advice or diagnose, and if anything concerning comes up, we always encourage the client to seek professional help.

RACHEL: If a reader wanted to start paying attention to their cycle today, what’s one thing they could do?

KRISTIN: First, figure out what cycle day you’re on, because that gives you a point to work from. At the time of this interview, I’m on cycle day 17, in my pre-ovulatory phase going into ovulation. Then, when you know your cycle day, write whatever comes to mind for the next 30 seconds about how you’re feeling. You can check in with the four bodies or just one of them. It gives you a snapshot of that cycle day, and it’s the perfect embodiment of: How do I take care of myself today?

Resources

Want to learn more about menstruation and cycle coaching? Kristin recommends the following resources:

Bio