Shownotes
Great minds are syncing alike today as we we uncover how to turn the hormonal chaos that many of us face into a superpower with Amy Thomas, founder of Sync Botanicals.
Forget about the quick-fix pills; we’re chatting about the transformative power of herbs, mindfulness, and the importance of including men in this conversation about cyclical healing.
Whether you've been writhing in pain on your bathroom floor or just curious about what cycle-syncing even means, this episode is packed with insights and practical tips to help you reclaim your energy and health.
So grab your tea, get comfy, and let’s get into it!
Links
https://syncbotanicalsco.com/ Insta: sync.botanicals.co
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🖼️The art of this episode is spilling the tea & water-breaking.
When the Water Breaks (30x45 Original, resin on panel) explores the courage to reclaim your rhythm, the brilliance of ovulation, and the ways cyclical living brings us closer to ourselves and to one another (both women AND men).
I was inspired to create this work after photographing the birth of my friend’s son (which you can see photos of here). What struck me most was when she told me,
"I love you so much, I'm so glad you were there. Not just because of the photos though, I'm glad you were there because you made me feel like I could do it."
If you’ve ever wondered how your hormones could be your greatest ally, this one’s for you.
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✅CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
05:30 The Creation of Sync Botanicals
09:36 Cycle Syncing with Sync
13:29 Understanding Cyclical Living
16:22 Men's Role in Supporting Cycles
19:12 Birth Control B.S.
23:21 Connecting to Cyclical Energy in Menopause
24:59 Ovulation Art Piece
30:24 A Daily Act of Embodiment
35:33 Cycle Syncing Research & Resources
39:22 Pain + Healing Resources
40:46 Biohacking with Art: Garden Cycle Syncing
46:10 $15 off Sync Botanicals
About the Podcast
Tired of being dismissed or told your pain is “normal”? So was I.
I’m Meredith Ochoa—ANOTHER F#%ING ARTIST, photographer, author & generational cycle‑breaker. After 17 years of endometriosis I faced my shit, healed myself, and turned the journey into art.
🩸 Face Your Shit, Heal Yourself is a movement + a podcast: Raw talks on healing chronic pain, hormones, trauma, endo, autoimmune disease and more.
We expose medical myths and spotlight the tools Western medicine buries—functional medicine, Reiki, Ayurveda, Taoist & sacred‑sexuality practices, cycle syncing, biohacking, and beyond. Episodes drop every third Wednesday with mini art‑process drops in between.
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Authenticity is the first dose of medicine; art is the second. Even though I was lied to by big‑pharma‑loving doctors; I found the experts & practices who helped me achieve what I thought was impossible—this show introduces them to you.
🩸art website= anotherfingartist.com
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Transcripts
I've had more men come to me asking about their wife, their daughter, their sister, their friend that they're like, I don't like. I hate seeing her this way. And this sounds like this is based on fact. What are you doing? This is really cool. This whole cycle sinking.
And I've found that my husband and different male friends that I've had have gotten really into it. Some of the main collectors for this series that I'm doing about cycles are men. Because I think it's.
It's not only, yes, it's cyclical living for women, but it's universal. Everyone understands pain. Everyone understands what it's like to feel like a prisoner in your body. And this is sacred.
This is how we come into the world. We could not come into the world. We could not be housed in the uterus and grow for nine months without this cycle.
So what are your thoughts on men's role?
Amy Thomas:I think we need to first normalize conversations about cycles. And so many women don't know that they have more than just their period. And so not only should women learn that, but men should too.
And I think that if more people are talking about cyclical living, then we can support women and men can support women in syncing our schedules and our workouts and our rest.
And I think that like we talked about, that there's just so many good outcomes when that happens, that it's not just women expecting themselves to be the same every day, but all of society needs to stop doing that. And yeah, and that includes men. And yeah, yeah.
I think just recognizing those needs of women are different at home and at work and in our relationships. And you can just unlock so much potential and power once we know that.
Meredith Ochoa:Great minds are sinking alike today on this episode as we spill the tea on making your period, your superpower, not with a new gadget or with a supplement, but by simply acknowledging what has always been true, the truth of your body, that it is cyclical, not linear. Men must be a part of the cyclical healing conversation as well.
So if you've ever died on the bathroom floor, like I have, in pain with your period, or wondered what the hell cycle syncing was because a lot of people are talking about it now, or we're told to just go on the pill by your doctor, this one is for you. We are having this tea time conversation with Amy Thomas.
She had the genius idea to create Sync Botanicals, a cycle syncing tea company designed to support women through each phase of their cycle. Nothing worked for her, so she created something that does.
Like so many women, she struggled with fatigue, mood swings, cravings, and painful periods, and was told birth control or pain meds were the only options. But she believed there had to be a better way, and she was right. She turned to herbalism and modern science, researching botanicals that support.
Support women's hormones, and started crafting her own blends. Drinking them daily completely transformed her energy, mood, sleep, and skin. She stopped breaking out around her period for the first time.
And when her friends saw the difference, she knew she had to share this. With the help of nutritionists, herbalists, doctors, and master tea blenders, Sink Botanicals was born. And I can't wait to share it with you.
Are you drinking the. Are you drinking? I'm totally drinking my sink tea.
Amy Thomas:Which one is it?
Meredith Ochoa:This is because I'm on. It's actually the last day. I'm on about day six of the menstruation. The very first, which I believe is root.
Amy Thomas:Root. We're. We're drinking the same one.
Meredith Ochoa:Oh, my God. We're.
Amy Thomas:I'm on Route 2. I actually think I might be day six as well. Whoa. We're synced up.
Meredith Ochoa:We're synced. Hey, listen, great minds sink alike. You know, it's. It's a tree.
Amy Thomas:There are so many tea puns that I have up until now, mostly avoided using, but, like, spilling the tea and. I mean, there's so many of them, but there's a lot.
Meredith Ochoa:I love this one. I did, like, just a dash of maple syrup and this one, and it just. It's like I didn't even look to see who I placed in it. It's just the smell is just.
That's what hits you first. And I just love it. And it reminds me of that entryway into fall. We're in August, so it's like, perfectly synced up.
Amy Thomas:That is good. I like that. Yeah, I. A lot of women tell me that one makes them feel like they're getting a warm hug, which I just. I like that idea.
Especially when you're on your period. A warm hug sounds amazing.
Meredith Ochoa:Yes. And necessary. Most days. So speaking of hugs and reaching out and touching people, I'd love for you to share what led you to sync?
What led you to this work you're doing today? How have you come to face your own shit?
Amy Thomas:I have always been really into herbalism and women's health generally. And I used to have bad cramps, and I would have. I had sugar cravings. I had, like, low energy a lot of the time, especially in the afternoons.
Pms Nothing super severe, but just all of that normal stuff that people that so many women deal with. And I thought it was just like a normal part of being a woman.
And I started reading more and more about herbs and how you can use them at different points in your cycle to help balance your hormones and to ease symptoms. And so I started to make different herbal tea blends in my own kitchen.
So I bought a bunch of herbs and changed the type of tea that I was making for myself every single day.
And I was doing this, I got like little sandwich baggies with a Sharpie marker and I put the number on each bag that to correspond with my current cycle phase. And I was drinking them every day. And after a couple of months I noticed all of these amazing changes in my body.
Things that were getting better that I didn't even realize were hormone related. Like I mentioned the sugar cravings, that's hormone related. And my sugar cravings got better and I slept better and I didn't even need as much sleep.
I can get away with much less sleep. I used to think I needed nine or 10 hours and I don't anymore.
Now that my hormones are more balanced, my PMS got better, my cramps are non existent now if I am drinking these cycle syncing these teas every day. Yeah, I don't have cramps. And I used to have really bad cramps. I used to try, I did acupuncture, I might all ibuprofen.
Like I was someone who, when I was younger I used to throw up from having such bad cramps.
Meredith Ochoa:Same.
Amy Thomas:Really?
Meredith Ochoa:Oh yeah, we're dying. It's like there, you're dying on the bathroom floor. You think to yourself, does any. Is this normal?
You're literally living like this whole other experience, double life. I felt like I died every month right there in the bathroom. You're throwing up. You know, things are coming out of all ends, let's put it that way.
And it's, it's literally like you die.
Amy Thomas:I know no one tells you that's not normal, that, that there's something you can do about that. And we just. You don't hear enough about this stuff. Did you know that ginger is as effective as ibuprofen at reducing menstrual cramps?
There are multiple studies.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah.
Amy Thomas:Double blind studies that show that.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah. And it's. Yeah, it's crazy. But they'll still, they're never going to dole out a ginger chew or you know, just ginger, just raw ginger.
It'll be the ibuprofen and you'll find yourself in the bathroom.
Amy Thomas:I know. I think about that. If you could get a patent on herbs, we would see commercials for them everywhere. If.
Yeah, Big Pharma would be advertising them everywhere if they were profitable to them. But yeah. So anyway, so I noticed within a couple of months all of these amazing changes in my body. And.
And so I. I couldn't believe that nobody else was making this before too. A monthly box of tea that syncs with your cycle and has a lot of. We have over 30 certified organic herbs in each box and. And you really need that.
There's so many different herbs that plague such an important role.
And your hormones are doing this really delicate dance all month long, ebbing and flowing, and you need different herbs to support it, your hormones at different points in your cycle. So I decided to start. I decided to make it myself. And so it took me about a year after deciding to start making it for other women. And.
And I spent the last year building it and bringing it to life. And just two months ago in. In June is when I launched the business. And. And it's been an incredible first couple of months.
Meredith Ochoa:I.
Amy Thomas:You should see the messages that I get from women every single day telling me how much this has transformed their health and how shocking it has been to them. No one really expects it. And then all of a sudden you start drinking these herbs and you realize how powerful they really are.
I heard from a woman yesterday who said that she gave her box to her roommate because her roommate had such painful periods and that she used to have to skip work. And yes, she was so nauseous and had a loss of appetite and was throwing up all day and just really severe.
And that this is the first thing that ever worked for her. Wow. Yeah, I know.
Meredith Ochoa:That's crazy. I know.
Amy Thomas:And I had another woman who said she was on prescription acne medication and that this and that she stopped the prescription acne medication and is using sync instead and that this works better for her than acne medication does.
Meredith Ochoa:Wow. Incredible. Yeah. And listen, I did. And a lot of times there are. There are other things. Like we are consumed by so many toxins. It's not just.
There's rarely ever like a one stop, quick fix for anything. It is a lifestyle healing. It is a whole journey.
But I will say, as someone who has done a lot of the heavy lifting and done the detoxing and done the leaky gut and done the pelvic floor physical therapy and healed myself of endometriosis, there are obviously some months that are Better than others in everything. You can't get away from every single toxin in our world. I started this tea blend so about. Hasn't even been one about a month ago. About a month.
And I will say it is a noticeable difference. Even for me as someone, it is a noticeable difference in flow and in. And I think that has to do with. Because it's. Each stage is so targeted.
Like it's not just luteal, it's early luteal, then you're in the middle, then you're in late luteal, then you're in early menstruation. So it's like this whole. It's so targeted like how you're saying with the herbs it was an. A very noticeable difference.
And pain specifically like zero. Like whereas I maybe would have something mild before that. There's just nothing there.
So it's just, it gets better and better no matter where you're at. It's.
Even if you're someone that doesn't experience like dying every month or on the bathroom floor, like you're saying, I notice even just after a month a significant increase in energy and just flow overall. Like not only blood flow, but just energy flow in your body.
Amy Thomas:I hear that a lot. That's energy levels is something I almost want to say. That's the thing I hear most is that people are just like, I'm not tired.
Like I, I just feel like I have, like I feel more alive. I feel like I have a pep in my step. And I think the thing about hormone health is that it impacts all parts of our body.
There is nothing that it doesn't impact.
And so if your hormones are balanced, you're going to notice like a lot of women have been messaging me saying that they notice an increase in libido. Like all of these things that feel maybe like they're unrelated or indirectly related, they can. Once your hormones are balanced, you can.
Meredith Ochoa:Really feel that it's a whole new world. It truly is. And that comes from getting off of the everyday lifestyle we live, which is designed for testosterone.
Nothing against men, but it's designed by men for men. It's not designed for women. And getting on the every phase, getting on the cyclical.
So not doing the same thing every, not eating the same thing, not essentially doing the same activities where you're in a flow, where it's a longer hormonal cycle than just the linear 24 hour every day like men have. So let's. And this is the basis which I love because it's the foundation of Our power. Seriously, let's unpack this.
What do you wish more women understood about this cyclical rhythm?
Amy Thomas:Yes. You said it so well. I just couldn't agree more. We're not meant to feel the same way every day.
And our hormones shift our mood, our energy, our focus, our creativity and our physical needs.
And I think that being expected to feel the same way every day is just going to lead you to feel disconnected to your body and frustrated with yourself and it can lead to burnout and self criticism even. And once you realize that we are not, you're not broken, you're cyclical and yes, and it's all very intuitive too.
And so I think it's all very empowering.
Once you tune in and you realize that in your follicular, in the first half of your cycle you're higher energy, you're more social and more creative and in the second half you're lower energy, you're. It might be feeling more introspective and needing more rest. And that is so intuitive to most women.
And so it's so validating once you realize that is how you're supposed to be and you can lean into that. And I think that once you learn that it creates this body awareness and self compassion and better health outcomes.
Once you're not pushing yourself in your luteal phase when you should be resting, and once you're allowing yourself to maybe go on that run in the high in your higher energy phases, there are better health outcomes and your PMS can improve and you will have more energy. So yeah, it's very empowering to start learning to live cyclically.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah, it's, you're living in truth instead of living in something that's not true. Living in some out of integrity.
And essentially we're all unintentionally living out of integrity, not only with ourselves, like with our body, by essentially being just born into this every day, gotta get up at 5am all these systems and all of these trends and all of these fads really come from data that's based off of more of the linear hormonal cycle. So to have to totally shift out of that, it is a game changer for your life.
And we talked a little bit about men and obviously nothing against men, we love men. This is how the creation process happens, how we all got here from a woman and a man.
I want to chat a little bit about men's role in supporting this cycle because surprisingly, and I don't know about you, but just in like my every phase series and the some of the work that I do, I've had probably more men come to me asking about their wife, their daughter, their sister, their friend that they're like, I don't like. I hate seeing her this way. And this sounds like this is based on fact. What are you doing? This is really cool, this whole cycle syncing.
And I've found that my husband and different male friends that I've had have gotten really into it. Some of the main collectors for this series that I'm doing about cycles are men. Because I think it's.
It's not only, yes, it's cyclical living for women, but it's universal. Everyone understands pain. Everyone understands what it's like to not to feel like a prisoner in your body. And this is sacred.
This is how we come into the world. We could not come into the world. We could not be housed in the uterus and grow for nine months without the. This cycle.
So what are your thoughts on men's role?
Amy Thomas:That's so right. Yes, absolutely. I think we need to first normalize conversations about cycles.
And so many women don't know that they have more than just their period. And so not only should women learn that, but men should too.
And I think that if more people are talking about cyclical living, then we can support women and men can support women in syncing our schedules and our workouts and our rest. And.
And I think that, like we talked about, that there's just so many good outcomes when that happens, that it's not just women expecting themselves to be the same every day, but all of society needs to stop doing that. And. Yeah, and that includes men. And. Yeah, yeah.
I think just recognizing those needs of women are different at home and at work and in our relationships. And you can just unlock so much potential and power once we know that.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah.
And some of the hurdles, I think, to why men have been like the first people coming, or because of this fear, the contraception piece, the birth control piece, you know, well, I don't want to have a baby. And so we're so programmed that birth control is the only answer to that is the only guarantee, which it's not, but that is the only guarantee.
And so people feel trapped in that. Oh, well, if I don't want to have a child, then I'm going to have to be on this fake hormonal cycle. I want to demystify for the audience.
Birth control that it is, it takes away ovulation and shuts down this whole cycle. And it's often prescribed without education. What are your Thoughts on this? What do you think needs to shift in this conversation?
Amy Thomas:Yeah, I know. I just can't believe how we give it to such young girls.
And the first sign that women, that young girls say that they have painful periods, doctors just prescribe it as though it's the solution and it just covers up the symptom. It, of course, is. Has nothing to. Is not in any way healing the underlying root cause of these pain of painful periods.
And instead it's just this quick fix that shuts down a woman's ovulation or a girl's ovulation and with it the natural ebb and flow of your hormones. And yeah, when it's used long term, without understanding, it can dis disconnect a woman from their own body.
And here we're saying that connecting is empowering, disconnecting is disempowering. And so I just think that education is so key. Of course there is. Birth control is useful and that some people should be on it.
And I don't ever judge a woman for deciding that's the best decision for her. But education is so, so key. And if someone stays on birth control, they just need to know that what it's actually doing to your body.
And doctors have a duty to be explaining that to. To young girls.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah. How can you even make a choice when you don't know what you're choosing? You don't know.
You don't know that it shuts down the communication between those areas in your brain. You don't know that. You don't even actually know that your period is more than just when you bleed.
Like we could even go back there, like just the phases. Just knowing this hor.
Whole hormonal cycle and that you will not experience ovulation, which therefore takes away obviously not only the ability to conceive, but the mental toughness, the confidence. There's a lot that comes with ovulation that is. Has nothing to do. Your skin has nothing to do with having a baby.
It's like, okay, well, do you want to look younger and like, be happier?
Amy Thomas:That's right.
Meredith Ochoa:Those are some of the conversations that I didn't know. I didn't even know that my cycle was more than just my period.
Amy Thomas:That's right.
And most women don't learn until the year that they decide that they actually do want to get pregnant, that there's only a few days a month when you can get pregnant.
And I think that when we're young and in public school health classes, we're taught that don't have sex without a condom or else you're going to get pregnant. And turns out there's actually only a few days when you even can. But nobody even mention that until much, much later in life.
Meredith Ochoa:Yes. For thousands of years, people have been doing the rhythm method.
There was a time, there was a time before birth control, and people weren't having babies all the damn time because they tracked their cycle. So it's basically.
And you can obviously confirm this and share your thoughts on it, but you're not having sex during ovulation or you're having some kind of protected sex. And those are the. That's like the most fertile window for conception.
Amy Thomas: s right. That's right. And in:I wear this Oura ring that takes my temperature all day, every day, or I think maybe every morning. And it tells me exactly when I'm fertile and when I'm not. And there's just so many methods that women can use now that.
That are not hormonal birth control. And.
Meredith Ochoa:Right.
Amy Thomas:I. We're just. It's amazing how few doctors tell girls this. And women.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah.
And for those that are perimenopausal, postmenopausal, or not menstruating, how can they also connect to their cyclical energy after the menstruate, menstruating years?
Amy Thomas:I love this question because I think it's an incredibly cool answer, which is that when women's cycle is not clear or consistent, many hormone specialists recommend using the moon as a guide as opposed to your own period. So that's because it's a natural rhythm that your body can follow even if you're not bleeding regularly.
And I just think that is the coolest way to connect to nature and the natural world. I just think it's a beautiful way also to give your body consistent support without needing to know exactly where you are in your own cycle.
You're still nourishing. When you're cycle syncing with the moon, you're still nourishing your hormones in a rhythm. It's just guided by the moon instead of your period.
And yeah, so you start on day one is the new moon, and then you. And if you're drinking sync botanicals, you drink one cup daily.
And in sync botanicals, there's 28 bags of tea, just as the moon has 28 days in its phase in its cycle. Yeah. And so you finish at the waning moon. And it just worked out Perfectly that way. And women's. I. I learned this. I think it's so cool.
Women's bodies are. This isn't like a random pairing of the moon and women's bodies.
Did you know that before the invention of artificial light, women did menstruate in, like, in sync with the moon more often than we do now that we're exposed to artificial light.
Meredith Ochoa:So if you need a visual break, I want to talk about today's sponsors. Oh, by the way, it's me. I'm going to tell you a little bit about why I created this show. I created this show because I have lived it.
I faced my and healed myself by unraveling all of the medical and pharmaceutical lies I had been told about my endometriosis and was able to heal myself after 17 years of debilitating pain. My experience inspired me to literally live my art.
So not only did I create this podcast you're listening to right now, I first created an ongoing art series about it called Every Phase. All of the artwork you see in my clips and within this episode is from my Every Phase series, which will span for 13 years.
The pieces illustrate how I healed myself as I live by the phases of the female hormonal cycle. So the artwork shows what's happening in the brain and the body during each phase and reveals how to biohack and leverage this energy in your life.
The art that is pouring literally and figuratively out of this episode is when the water breaks, a 30 by 45 resin on panel. Original right here from my Every Phase series.
This piece represents ovulation, the most fertile, playful and expressive phase, when estrogen peaks and our voice becomes sharp, clear, and fearless. The resin surface captures that fluidity and brilliance, reflecting both the boldness and beauty that ovulation embodies.
I was inspired to create this work after photographing the birth of my friend's son, which you can see photos of in the show notes and what struck me most was when she told me, I love you so much. I'm so glad you were there. Not just because of the photos, though. I'm glad you were there because you made me feel like I could do it.
Ovulation mirrors that same energy, the confidence and the courage to step into pressure and transform it into freedom. Just like Sync, Botanical's teas are crafted to support each phase of the cycle.
This artwork is a reminder that our hormones aren't a burden or something that separates us from men, but a source of power and actually connection to one another and men as well. And they're also necessary because it's how we all got here. From a woman that ovulated. I did. And I am constantly.
I'm not wearing them now, but I wear them on my intros because you all see me in my orange glasses everywhere. And anyone that knows me by those blue, black or orange glasses, they look cool, but they also block a hundred percent of blue light.
Sometimes I get tired of seeing everything in orange so I take a little break, you know, some balance. Because stem blue light in the morning does actually help a little bit wake up some things. But we are inundated.
It's just like you could wear them all the time and still be fine because it's going to find a way to seep in because we have artificial light everywhere. And it is crazy how much that affects cortisol, which then affects your progesterone. And that's like the theme hormone of the year.
I feel like I've talked to so many people with progesterone issues and again that goes back to especially perimenopause. Progesterone becomes a huge topic of conversation. So yeah, orange glasses for the win.
Amy Thomas:I love that. That's wonderful. Maybe you'll menstruate in. In sync with the moon more often because you wear those probably well.
Meredith Ochoa:And I've. Because the phases, they somehow are like. It will eventually get off, but it like comes back around because not everything's so exact.
I usually bleed on the full moon, I think is when it is so. It's like opposite where you're so. And there again there is no supposed to. This is. That's so.
What's so cool about cycle syncing is that it's intuitive and you get to find your own rhythm with everything. And it's way more than just what we're even talking about here. It's really like an embodiment. But you.
So you're supposed to ovulate, I believe, on the full moon. Yeah. Shining the light on everything. Astrologically speaking, the full moon is. It's lighting stuff up. It's making you aware of stuff.
It's more energized, I guess you could say charged in a way. You know, if you had like crystals that were moonstones, you wanted to put them out. They're charged in the moon, just like ovulation.
So again, this connects to all of nature.
Amy Thomas:That's right. Yeah. I always think of it as like the full moon. It's. It's all lit up and you can stay up late and stay out late and it's still light out. Exactly.
Because when you're ovulating is the time for social activities and engagement and connection with others.
Meredith Ochoa:Totally. And this brings me to talking about tea as more than just tea. It's really what you've created.
And what we're referencing here is more of a ritual, it's more of a lifestyle. It's a being rather than a doing. And it's just. It's so simple, but it's so deep and sacred.
What do you think makes your approach to cycle syncing with these herbs unique compared to. Because there's tons of other.
And I'm happy now that this is coming because it hasn't always been a topic of conversation, but there are other cycle syncing resources out there. What do you think makes sync really special and stand out?
Amy Thomas:Yeah, I love the way you describe that. Yeah. Drinking a cup of tea can be a daily act of embodiment, of just connecting to your own self.
And it's a moment to pause and to connect to your body and your intuition.
And I think that I've heard many women who drink sync botanicals describe it as support that you can feel like you can feel in your body that you are doing something kind to yourself for yourself, and you're helping your moods to be steadier, more energy, fewer cravings. Like, it's this moment of connecting to where you are in your cycle too. And it's a daily reminder of, oh, I'm in this phase.
And on each, each of the tea envelopes, the bag, the envelopes that the bags go into, it describes a little bit too about where you are in your cycle that day and what is going on for you. And I think it's just a nice reminder because part of this is education.
Meredith Ochoa:It's it.
Amy Thomas:These words are tricky, follicular and luteal. Not everyone knows them, and you don't need to know them.
But just knowing a little bit about how you might feel that day is just such an empowering way to go throughout the day. Because then when you do feel a little more energy, you're like, oh, I don't know why this is. I know where this is coming from.
Or if you feel the opposite, you allow yourself to feel like you're in the mood for to rest and that you don't need to feel disappointed in yourself. And so I think that act of drinking your tea daily is this reminder of where you are and connecting with yourself and your intuition.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah, it's so, so beautiful.
And it's genius that you created something like this because, you know, we're used to supplements, and of course, I think there's some awesome supplements out there that, especially if you're just starting on this journey, can help you detox and help the inflammation inside and help you be able to experience some of the more natural alternatives. Because that's the thing.
The more and more and more that you detox, the better, better, better that everything else that's good for you is going to feel. So it's like the feeling better never ends. Like, it just gets better and better and better. That's the best part. That's the good news.
That's like, okay, yeah. You know, I think people get a little bit like, oh, I gotta do another thing every day. I gotta do all this. But it.
This makes it more like it's a privilege to do this. This is my own, not only connecting to my body, but it's like you said, it's validating. It's validating of I am in this phase. It's not forever.
It's a phase and it'll repeat again. And it's like this constant creation. It's a creative process creation and then action and then being. And it's like the being and the doing.
The being and the doing. It's like I said, genius. And I love that. It's so simple. And it does connect the two. It does connect the everyday aspect.
And you're changing the different T's or the phases, but you're still doing it, like, every day.
Amy Thomas:That's right. That was one of my goals, is I just think that this stuff can get really complicated really quickly.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah.
Amy Thomas:Cycle thinking, Ken. Understanding the phases, what's going on in your body, and then how to eat differently and how to support your body differently.
Meredith Ochoa:Yes.
Amy Thomas:It's complicated. And I've just tried to really simplify it and just. And by. All you have to do is drink one cup of tea. Many women already drink tea.
I put it in a tea bag. It's not loose leaf. You can bring it with you and have it at work. I just wanted to make it an easy way that women can just start to cycle sync.
And if you start with herbs, that is an excellent place to start because they can be such powerful tools to help you to heal your body, to reconnect with yourself, and to help you feel the best that you can every day.
Meredith Ochoa:Yes. And that is some really heavy lifting that you did. Researching all of those herbs. That's. That's a lot.
Amy Thomas:You can see why it took me a year.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah. So do you? I. You mentioned a little bit about other resources.
Are there other resources you help or give out to people if they want to go deeper or continue their journey?
Amy Thomas:There are so many good books out there about cycle syncing. Alyssa Vitti is the person who really got this all. Yeah, yeah.
She's written some amazing books and yeah, you know, feel free to find my Instagram as well. It's St. Botanicalsco and I am very active there.
I post every day and my goal with that page is to just be educating women as much as possible on how to support their bodies in a cyclical way and what herbs to be drinking and when and things like that. So yeah, there's. That's. Those are. And my website as well, I have.
There are research studies behind every single herb that we've used in these blends and the effectiveness of them. I think so many people think of herbs as being woo woo. But there are. There's so much white, so many white papers.
There's so much research on all of this stuff. I am not making this up. It has been. All I've done is put it together in a simple way. I have not invented anything new here.
I've just taken all of the research and put it into tea bags in a way that is easy for women to incorporate in their daily lives. But if anyone wants to read more of the research going, you can go to my website and I have links to white papers on every single one of these herbs.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah. And it. When people say that it's woo woo.
I'm like, how do you think before white papers and all this other stuff that like people even got here existed herbs and like the natural world. Like of course there's real legitimate research and like necessary nutrients that we need.
Not even a question that there's like factual information in herbs and what we're putting in our bodies from the earth.
Amy Thomas:That's right.
Meredith Ochoa:I know.
Amy Thomas:And most pharmaceutical drugs are based on herbs as well.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah.
Amy Thomas:So cool. You know, they're not alternative. They were the original medicine and women or. And people all over the world have been. Are still use it.
But you know what else I think is cool too is that like women were traditionally the keepers of this knowledge too. Right. Those were the original witches and herbalists.
And I don't, I don't want to get too radical here, but you can't help but wonder if that's part of why we have come to doubt. Come to think of them as being woo woo or alternative.
Meredith Ochoa:Oh yeah. Oh, you can be as radical as you are face her shit, healing yourself. Trust me. Trust me. But you're so right.
The medicine women, the priestesses, all of that, even the female shamans, all of that kind of stripped away from not only history but being just discussed and talked about. So yeah, that again, totally. It's that embodiment. It's the yin, it's the being, the being. Because the doing, the yang. Right, the doing.
And we live in a very yang or masculine oriented world. You can do, do, do, do, do, but if you're not being who you need to be to get the desired result, all the action is going to be lot.
You're never going to get where you are. So it really, it starts again with the being at the root. And that is connecting to your feminine energy, which everyone has, men and women.
Amy Thomas:That's right, we have both.
Meredith Ochoa:We have both. You need both. You need both and you have both for a reason. And yeah, you can't have one without the other.
And you can't just delete one and expect things to go well, which is why we're chatting today, thank God.
Amy Thomas:That's right.
Meredith Ochoa:So, speaking of radical, it's time now for my favorite part of the show. I want to take this time to thank you for having the bravery to face your shit and heal yourself by listening to this show.
Because this is more than just a podcast. This is a movement and a necessary one.
If you've looked around at the world today, if you want to live the movement or you want to go deeper into your healing journey.
I've pulled together everything I wish that I would have had so practical tools, longevity and biohacking resources, insights, pain relief tips, healing practices, all the things most doctors won't tell you about into one beautifully designed free ebook. Inside, you'll learn how to work with your cycle or with your body instead of fighting against it.
What the mainstream gets wrong about pms, endometriosis and hormonal health. Why pain is a messenger, not a malfunction. Plus curated direct links with all of the juicy golden episodes that started it all.
Whether you're navigating chronic illness, endometriosis, burnout or hormonal chaos, this free guide will help you start reclaiming your power, your body and your truth. Download it instantly when you subscribe to my substack newsletter, where I share raw stories, healing artwork, and I write a badass email.
It's the biohacking with art question. Are you ready?
Amy Thomas:I am so ready.
Meredith Ochoa:You're cycle synced. You are. You're born ready. If you could Describe the power of cycle syncing with sync. Botanicals Tea as an art piece.
How would you make it, and what would you choose?
Amy Thomas:All right, I think this has to be an installation and a garden installation. And so what if you had, like, a circular garden with sections for plants that are spring, like summer, like autumn, like, and winter.
And each of them have maybe some of the herbs that are in our blends of each of the blends. But spring is so similar to the follicular phase, which is that first half. And so you could have herbs that have.
And plants that are reminiscent of a time of renewal and growth and rising energy. And you could have, like, fresh greens and blossoms.
The herbs that are really good in the follicular phase are nettle and hibiscus and raspberry leaf. Those are all very colorful, like spring. And then. Wow. Right?
Meredith Ochoa:This sounds amazing. So would this be, like, this garden be like, community?
Amy Thomas:I love that. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, love that. Yeah. And then you have your ovulatory, which is, like, summer.
And so you imagine the peak energy and confidence and magnetism, and you have bright blooms. We have an ov. Our ovulatory phases.
It's butterfly pea flower and roses and red clover and these, like, vibrant plants that have maybe, like, really colorful, uplifting scents as well. And then you could have. For the autumn, which is your luteal phase, so that's like, your second half of your cycle before your period.
You could do autumn, like plants, and you can imagine the colors and earthy roots and grounding spices. We have cinnamon and burdock root and dandelion root in our. Our autumn blend. In our luteal blend. And. Yeah, I just. You can so easily imagine this.
And then. And the final one would be the winter, and that's your menstrual phase. And you could do one. A garden that invites rest, maybe a bench or a hammock.
And at this point, your hormones are at their lowest. And so you could do calming herbs and spices, and the plants could be evergreens, but nothing too, like, floral.
And it's just maybe more, though, that part of the garden could be a time that invites more rest and time to slow down and just restore before your next cycle.
Meredith Ochoa:I love this so much. I totally. Oh, you should totally do it.
It's very biophilic design, which you're seeing, like, when you see the moss walls and, like, different living walls at spaces. That's kind of what it reminds me of, because you're incorporating nature into your life. Into life, which is life is art.
So you're combining the two, and it's. It's so beautiful and it's so natural, and it's so true.
It's like how we were meant to be living in connection with the Earth, in connection to this beautiful planet we're on. I love that you take it, like, thought about this, so. And it's.
Amy Thomas:So.
Meredith Ochoa:It's just. It's targeted just like the sink. I think I thought of the sink box. It's like a mandala. Reminds me of that in this whole garden as you.
I have one here.
Amy Thomas:Yes.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah, you have one. Sweet.
Amy Thomas:Yeah, I have a few like this.
Meredith Ochoa:Yes. Look at that gorgeous show.
Amy Thomas:The tea bags, too. I have a few missing here. I've been drinking it, but.
Meredith Ochoa:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Exactly.
Amy Thomas:And I just think one of my favorite things about cycle syncing with herbs and sink botanicals, too, is it really does feel like you're connecting to that natural world and nature. And nature is supposed to be cyclical. It's. And. And that's my favorite part. Like, I used to.
I grew up in Southern California, and as much as I love it there, it doesn't feel as cyclical. I live on the east coast now, and I just love feeling the highs and lows of the year, and I think that's part of why I like cycle thinking.
Meredith Ochoa:Oh, yeah. You really feel the seasons over here. Yes, definitely.
Amy Thomas:Yeah.
Meredith Ochoa:You definitely feel the heat. We're in the heat right now, I call it. I'm in the ovulatory phase of this podcast, and with my every phase series being aligned with the seasons.
And yeah, we're in Leo season. We're in August. We're in the heat. You really feel it.
Amy Thomas:You do. It's true. That's true. My mom always reminds me.
My mom, who still lives in Southern California and is very definitive of it, reminds me that there are still seasons. They're just more subtle. So her opinion there.
Meredith Ochoa:It's like a breath. It's like. Like, that's winter. Yes. That's so awesome. It has been so cyclical chatting with you today.
Tell us where people can find you, connect with you, learn more about your work. We're going to list all of these, of course, in the show notes, but what would you recommend would be easiest for people to reach out to you?
Amy Thomas:Yeah, My website or my Instagram. My website is www.stbotanicalsco.com and my Instagram is the same. Sync Botanicals co. And.
And if anyone wants to try Sync Botanicals, there'll be a discount code in the show notes, it'll be face your shit 15 and you can get $15 off your first box when you choose delivery and recycle.
Meredith Ochoa:Love that. Face your shit 15. The best $15 off ever. You're just going to be like syncing as you're typing that promo code in. I love it. That's awesome.
And I hope everyone is able to take away something from this absolutely magnetic and completely cyclical conversation we've had here today with Amy. Thank you so much, Amy.
Amy Thomas:Thank you for sharing. Thank you for having me. This was so much fun.
Meredith Ochoa:Yes. And I know everyone will be able to take away something to help them go out, face their shit and therefore healing themselves.
And remember, as always, the truth will set you free. We will see you all next time.
Amy Thomas:Thank you.
Meredith Ochoa:If you liked this episode or if you think this show would be useful for someone else, the best way you can show your support is to share it on your social media outlets with family and friends, or leave a review on podchaser.com, comment on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Thank you so much for listening and for having the bravery to face your shit and heal yourself.
