ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Period Nirvana, a menstrual product store and museum, will celebrate its grand opening with an all-day celebration this Friday.
Originally founded as a website by menstrual researcher Kim Rosas, Period Nirvana is now a brick-and-mortar resource for all things period, from menstrual supplies to advice and guidance.
The shop will host its launch party from 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 1 at 315 Haywood Road, followed by an after-party and “Time of the Month” trivia beginning at 8 p.m. at Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Road.
What is Period Nirvana?
“Our store is what I would call a ‘cycle care boutique,'” Rosas said. “We sell menstrual products, so tampons, pads, menstrual cups, discs, period underwear and sort of adjacent items. So, we would sell things for postpartum care, gifts in that realm, educational books for people getting their first period, going through menopause. I like to tell people if it involves the uterus, it’s something we’re probably going to sell something for.”
Rosas founded the shop after realizing that despite the wide array of individual needs associated with periods, most individuals have very little education about period products. With Period Nirvana, she set out to change that.
“Periods are very personal and typically, we’re not given a lot of information about the products we should use that are best for how heavy your cycle is, or your anatomy, especially when it comes to internal reusables like menstrual cups and discs. Most people don’t even know they exist because they’re not taught in a school curriculum,” Rosas explained. “This is something they find in adulthood and research online, but there’s never been a place where you could go and actually touch them, ask questions.”
I like to tell people if it involves the uterus, it’s something we’re probably going to sell something for.
Rosas said she sees the positive impact Period Nirvana has among its visitors even after just one visit.
“Nine times out of 10, they walk out with something, and they’re feeling very confident, and they know more about their bodies than they’ve ever learned,” Rosas laughed.
Uterus decanters and period Plinko
The celebration at Period Nirvana will feature prizes for visitors, too. The first 10 guests at the shop on the day of the grand opening will receive a free goody bag. Visitors who play a Plinko game could win a prize or store discount. There will also be themed refreshments.
“We’ll be serving some refreshments from a uterus decanter. It’s a glass-blown uterus-shaped decanter, which is pretty amazing, I know. You just don’t know that these things exist until you start looking for them,” Rosas chuckled. “A little early for red wine, so we’re going to be doing red juices.”
Later, from 4:30–6:30 p.m., the Sweet Cub ice cream trailer will be handing out free soft serve to the first 100 visitors who obtain a ticket from Period Nirvana staff.
The Smithsonian of menstruation
Another unique aspect of the Period Nirvana storefront is its museum of menstruation, curated and collected by Rosas.
“Truthfully, it’s my background. I studied history, and I’ve been researching the history of reusable period products for years, and it just turned into an exhibit and we put it into the store,” Rosas said. “We have two glass cases plus some older pad dispensing machines from the 1930s, 1950s, 1960s. Our oldest items go back to the 1930s.”
The exhibit is the carefully arranged history of period products, chronicling development, access and innovation across decades. To Rosas, it’s part of the experience of Period Nirvana to understand where menstruation products were nearly 100 years ago mere inches away from where they are now.
For more information about Period Nirvana, visit www.periodnirvana.com, or visit the shop between 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday, 315 Haywood Road.