The Benefits of Free Bleeding
Table of Contents
Free bleeding - as in, without a tampon, without a pad, without a cup. Just free.
The evolution of period awareness in recent years has been so beautiful to witness. Women transforming from a place of not knowing even when their period would begin, hating and hiding it the whole time, to a place of tracking their cycle as a whole, and connecting to the subtle seasons within.
The gaining popularity of menstrual cups allowed so many women to become comfortable & intimate with their own blood. The texture, colors, smells, and changes became accessible and the blood became sacred.
Period art, nourishing blood facials, self discovery, all became possibilities for the woman willing to be curious about the inner workings of her body.
But now something even more radical has shifted for women. We don't just want to catch the blood. We want to connect to the blood in real time, warm and dripping down our inner thighs!If you're still tip-toeing around free bleeding, here are some reasons why you might want to try this beautiful practice.
Why Women Choose Free Bleeding
1. Free bleeding is an act of connecting to your ancestors, women across the globe, and the Earth. Not everyone has been gifted the convenience of menstrual products, but since when is bleeding about convenience?! Bleeding is about connection. Can you feel the women before and beside you, who birth and bleed on Mother Earth?
2. Free bleeding is the absolute most natural way to bleed. Tampons prevent the downward flow, pads feel like diapers, and both can prevent fresh oxygen to your genitals (yes even the organic/cloth products). And while cups are great, they can both cause unnecessary cramping and block airflow to your precious cervix. (P.S. if you're leaning towards period panties, beware of toxins!)
3. Free bleeding connects you with the rhythm of your bleed. Menstrual products simply don't allow you to connect to the actual feeling of your blood as it comes down the vaginal canal. What would it feel like to experience the warm gush as your uterus cramps? What would it feel like to connect to the heaviness or lightness of your flow during each day of your bleed? What would it feel like to really notice the different appearances and thickness of your blood? Perhaps you might start to connect the dots as to what your body is responding to. Free bleeding is a radical act of self love that dissolves shame around period blood. It's messy. It's scented. It varies in color. But that's nothing to be embarrassed about or hide. What would it feel like to see blood on a towel, or on your clothes, and feel proud of the sacredness pouring out of your heavenly body?
5. Free bleeding is comfortable (and even pleasurable!). Pressure on the uterus can cause resistance in the body. Products can feel annoying. Even clothes sometimes feel unnecessary. Bleeding completely naked undoubtedly brings you closer to the feeling of your raw, primal, body. How would you connect differently to your body and the process of life/death that bleeding symbolizes, naked?!
Conclusion
If this at all sparked curiosity or inner reflection within you, I celebrate you! The best way to begin is to get naked and lay down a blanket.
Will you paint, self pleasure, read, or simply breathe?
Below are some questions that you may consider journaling about to see where you're at on YOUR journey of bleeding.
Journal prompts:
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How has your period made you feel connected to or separate from women as a whole? Consider women before you, with you, and generations to come.
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What has been your experience with menstrual products, from the very beginning until now? How do they enhance or hinder your connection to your bleed?
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What's your level of awareness around how your period changes month to month? How would you like that to look differently?
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How do you feel or think about your blood when you see it? How would you feel if someone else saw it?
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Have you ever looked at your naked, bleeding yoni? If so, what did you notice in your feelings or thoughts?
Written by Megan Bloom
Instagram @bloomingwombs
Frequently Asked Questions
The benefits of free bleeding aren’t measured the way traditional sanitary products are studied, but women all over the world are discovering the health in letting menstrual blood flow free. Tampons absorb, cups can cause cramping, and pads trap moisture against sensitive skin. Free bleeding allows your blood flow to move naturally through the menstrual cycle, without the interference of disposable period products. Women in the free bleeding movement often report less irritation, fewer infections, and a deeper awareness of their own body. And when you use period panties or period underwear, you can still stay comfortable and dry while giving your yoni space to breathe.
Free bleeding is as safe as any other way of handling your menstrual discharge. Disease control agencies remind us that bodily fluid like menstrual blood can, in rare cases, carry infectious diseases like hepatitis B or hepatitis C, but the actual risk in daily life is extremely low. Think of it like a cut on your finger: the blood itself isn’t “dirty,” it’s part of your body. What makes it “unsanitary” is the period stigma we’ve inherited. Yes, you might get blood stains on your clothes or normal underwear, but that’s nothing a good wash can’t handle. Using reusable pads, period pants, or even laying on a blanket at night makes free bleeding safe and practical.
Your menstrual cycle has its own rhythm. You can’t rush your uterus like a to-do list. What you can do is create conditions where your flow feels freer. Some women notice that sitting on the toilet, squatting, or lying naked on a towel lets the blood gush more fully, which can reduce spotting and shorten how long it lingers. But remember, menstruation is a process of life and birth moving through your body.
Absolutely. Period blood is not waste, it’s menstrual discharge filled with iron, stem cells, and information about your health. Women in recent years have begun to normalize menstruation by reclaiming blood stains, creating period art, even offering nourishing blood facials. Your menstrual blood can be a teacher: its color, thickness, and smell reflect the state of your cycle. Some women even return their blood to the earth, reducing environmental waste from tampons, pads, and other traditional period products.
Others wear period panties or a few pairs of period pants to save money and cut down on the environmental impact of disposable period products. The free bleeding movement is about raising awareness, breaking shame, and showing the world that menstruation is natural. Just look at Kiran Gandhi in the London Marathon, her choice to free bleed wasn’t about comfort, it was to draw light, draw attention, and raise awareness about period poverty and buying period products that so many women still struggle to afford.