The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant

Sex Between Your Ears

The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant

Show Notes

Ever wonder why your sex drive vanishes, your brain turns to mush, or you want to rage-quit your entire life for no reason? Blame your hormones, or, more specifically, how estrogen and progesterone run your brain. In this episode, Schuyler Grant and her expert panel (Dr. Jolene Brighten, Dr. Marisa Snyder, and Rosie Acosta) break down why it can feel like your brain is actively betraying you, particularly in perimenopause.

What you'll learn:

• Estrogen and progesterone are brain hormones (not just “lady parts” hormones)

• The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis explained in plain language

• Why perimenopause brings brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, and vanishing libido

• The menstrual cycle phases and how hormones shift throughout

• What's happening to your serotonin, dopamine, and GABA levels

• Why 80% of perimenopause symptoms happen in your brain

• A simple breathing technique to calm your nervous system

Here's the thing: for decades, doctors thought women's hormones only affected reproduction. Turns out, estrogen and progesterone control your brain, bones, heart, metabolism, gut health, and basically everything. When they start declining in your mid-to-late thirties, your brain goes through a massive remodeling. No wonder you feel like you're losing your mind. This episode helps you understand what's actually happening and how to take back control.

Featured Guests:

• Dr. Jolene Brighten – Naturopathic endocrinologist, author of Is This Normal? and Beyond the Pill

• Dr. Mariza Snyder – Functional wellness expert, author of The Perimenopause Revolution

• Rosie Acosta – Host of Radically Loved, yoga and meditation teacher

Try Schuyler's new personalized yoga app: https://schuylergrant.com/app

More from The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant

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Oct 13, 2026

Viagra was approved in 1998. It took another two decades before women's sexual health started being treated as a physiological issue instead of a mood problem — and most women still don't know there are three real prescription options for low desire.

Oct 6, 2026

Estrogen receptors are in nearly every organ in your body, so when estrogen drops, your whole body feels it. OB/GYN and menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver explains what that means for your bones, muscle, heart, brain, and belly fat. Recorded live at the Luminescence event in Texas.

Sep 29, 2026

Women lose up to 20% of their bone density during perimenopause, often silently, until a fracture makes it impossible to ignore.

Sep 22, 2026

55% of women say they've felt gaslit by a doctor. 80% delay care rather than walk into an appointment where they know they won't be heard.

See all episodes →