If you're new around here, welcome! I'm a menstrual health expert and hormone ND. I have helped thousands of women welcome in healthy periods and balanced hormones with my program Period Reboot! Be sure to hop on the waiting list so you're notified the next time the doors open!

How do we get our desire back to enjoy intimacy and feel sensual in our body?!

Few challenges require as much love and compassion as the libido healing journey. ❤️ You are not broken. It's not that you are getting old or any of these common reasons that are attributed to low libido. Let's get to the root cause of what is really going on in your body!

What is libido anyway? 

Libido is defined as sexual desire. 🔥 Our libido is influenced on a biological and psychological level. When we refer to libido, we are referring to the emotional energy attached to our biological sexual desires. Hormones and specific neurotransmitters impact this relationship, as do social and environmental factors. 

Note: There is no general standard for what libido levels "should" look like and this range varies from person to person. I encourage you to think about yourself and your experiences to reflect on the times in your life when you had high libido. How did sex feel? What was the pleasure like? Did you desire it? These types of questions will help us to understand what our libido base line is and how it may be fluctuating. 

Once we have established our libido baseline, we are able to get a more accurate picture of where we currently stand. With this information we can determine if we are experiencing low libido today and then take action. 

It is important to explore the deep emotional connections that may be influencing our libido. These may be uncomfortable topics to explore, but they may hold the key to unlocking potential root causes of low libido. 🔑 Why might our sexual desire be impacted right now? Are we feeling self conscious after having babies? Was there a traumatic experience that occurred? Are we not feeling safe with or connected to our partner? 

We also want to explore WHY we want to restore our libido? Do we feel obligated to "get this under control"? Are we being put down or shamed about our desires? Or is it because WE want to be in control and feel more open and receptive? Do we want to feel sexy and enjoy intimacy again? 

There is a huge difference between these two perspectives and I invite you to enter this journey because you truly want it not out of shame or feelings of guilt. 🤍

Symptoms of low libido may include:

• no interest in sex or masturbation
• never or very seldom having sexual desires or daydreams
• personally having concern over your said lack of desire 

Some common physical factors that can affect libido include certain medications, surgeries, medical conditions, fatigue, smoking as well as phases in life such as menopause, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Libido can also drop due to emotional factors like stress level, depression, anxiety, poor body image and trauma. 

We have to look at libido through all these different levels to truly understand what is going on so we can address it properly. There is no one supplement that can fix low libido.

Next I look at what could be impacting libido hormonally 

Hormones, especially testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and cortisol, can 100% play a role in sexual desire. If there is an imbalance in sex hormone levels, we may experience a decrease in sex drive. If for example our body is in fight or flight mode and producing high levels of cortisol, reproduction is not a priority- our body is focusing on staying alive. I find the DUTCH test to be so helpful when my clients want to restore libido because we are able to see exactly what is going on with hormone production. 🎯

So what are some natural solutions for low libido?!

It is often the foundations that are the missing pieces for restoring libido levels.

• Consuming a nutrient dense diet
• Eating enough food (bio-individual but generally around 2,000 calories a day!)
• Prioritizing quality sleep (in bed by 10pm) 
• Sunshine and movement daily
• Reducing stress levels...

And remember, stress is a libido killer!

Our body reads stress as danger. Stress = Stress. It does not differentiate between stress from our life being in danger and stress from a job or workload. We cannot overlook the stress piece when trying to restore the body's health. 💛

After we confirm the body has enough energy to expend on things like sexual desire, we can also bring healing to those deeper emotional layers. If we're struggling to feel sensual because of a lack of connection with our partner, what do we feel we need? Would it be helpful to explore these feelings in a safe environment with a therapist? Would a spontaneous romantic trip feel good? 

And if the lowered desire is coming from self esteem or changes after baby, it's again powerful to look at what exactly you're feeling. Why do you feel less desirable? What if your body is sexier than it's ever been because it gave life and is now soft and curvy? Sitting with what feelings are beneath the surface can help you see where to either seek help or help you process through those feelings on your own. 

Supplements

Only after all these foundational pieces are in place, could we look into the support of supplements. Some of my favorites include maca root, ashwaganda, panax ginseng and high quality fish oil for libido support if it's coming from hormone imbalances. 

Have you been wondering what is going on with your hormones? Have you been struggling with your libido?

On the CYCLICAL Podcast: Restoring Your Libido Naturally

In this episode, I go through the physical and emotional layers to libido, what can cause us to feel like our libido has decreased and then also practical tools and tips to restore our libido back to our baseline!

Want to hear more?? Be sure to tune into the CYCLICAL podcast!

Episode "Restoring Your Libido Naturally" 

You can find the CYCLICAL Podcast on iTunes, Spotify or anywhere you enjoy podcasts

Learn how to work with me here

You don't have to feel in the dark about your symptoms anymore and if your doctor is saying "NO" when you request hormone testing, please know there are options! If you're ready to get to the root of what's going on, check out my Work With Me page to learn how to begin this journey of support, nourishment and hormone balance. 

If your hormones feel off, they probably are! So don't brush it off and assume everything is "normal" when you feel anything but. xx

Dr. Cassandra