Humans have been living cyclically for time immemorial. It's in our DNA. Over the last few centuries, however, we've lost touch. We've replaced our connection to natural cycles with timelines, deadlines, artificial hormones, artificial light, and this incessant need to stay plugged in and turned on at all times.
This is where we have veered from our path of wellness, individually and collectively.
The female cycle (which mirrors cycles found in nature) has been dismissed and villainised, used as an excuse for why a woman may be "crazy, moody, unpleasant ..." This is so utterly disempowering, and also inaccurate.
The feminine cycle, when in harmony, follows a predictable flow of physical and energetic changes. When learned properly and followed with heart, this cycle serves as our inner compass and is a great source of information.
One important thing about our cycle is that it's closely affected by stress in our inner and outer environment. When stress burns out of control, it wrecks havoc on our inner compass, creating tidal waves of emotional and physical discord.
When I was having fertility troubles, I became really curious about my cycle. I read some incredible books and started tracking it. What I found blew me away. There is so. much. power in the (mostly) predictable flow every month. I did end up conceiving and birthing a beautiful baby, but just as significant, I became more embodied, and began to heal the wounded feminine within. Now, 5 years later, I use my cycle as my inner compass - guiding decisions, business, relationships, boundaries and how I manage my energy.
If the feminine cycle is so powerful, why has it been shamed for so long? ... I have a few theories, but one thing's for sure: It's time for a reclamation.
So how do we start then? By learning the ins and outs of what a feminine cycle actually is, how it relates to the natural world and how it is actually working for us, not against us. With knowledge and self-compassion, we become embodied. And this is one of the most powerful steps towards reclamation of the feminine that we can take - starting with ourselves. And believe you me, when we make repairs within ourselves, we contribute to the repair of the whole.
So let's begin:
Our menstrual cycle is the mind-body connection between our brain, ovaries and uterus. It governs our reproduction, or life-giving superpower. But it's actually much more than our ability to reproduce. It is our inner compass for managing our energy. Our cycle can be broken into 4 parts. Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulatory & Luteal. These 4 parts mirror respectively the energies of winter, spring, summer & fall. And if we are to look at how we mirror moon cycles, these parts line up respectively with the new, waxing, full and waning moon.
Let's dive into each phase of our cycle:
Menstrual:
Your menstrual phase is considered day 1 of your cycle. This is when the inner lining of your uterus sheds, if you haven't become pregnant this cycle. This is an inward, introverted, introspective time in your cycle as your hormone & energy levels drop. This is your inner winter and mirrors the energy of the new moon. This is your time to rest, intuit and dream. This is your time to take stock of your life and take note of what's working and what's not.
Practices to Honour this time of your cycle:
- Say no to social gatherings and people who drain your energy
- Take naps (if you can ... even 15 minute can make a huge difference)
- Journal in the morning or evening
- Make sure to eat warm, nourishing foods
- Find slower activities to enjoy
Follicular:
Your follicular phase is the time between the last day of your bleed and ovulation. This time is governed by the hormone estrogen. This is your inner spring, and the energy aligns with the waxing moon. During this time, your ovaries are busy building follicles around the chosen eggs, preparing for ovulation. This is your time to step out a little. This is when you may want to say YES to everything and anybody! As you venture deeper into this phase of your cycle, you may find you have the energy to go go go for days, skipping meals, operating on 5 hours of sleep and still feeling like you can thrive. (This is not recommended btw and is not sustainable). This is the time when you step into your extroverted self.
Practices to Honour this time of your cycle:
- Use your energy to expand your limits of what you thought was possible - try something new!
- Engage in social gatherings
- Network
- Plan and create
- Get cardio exercise
- Drink loads of water
Ovulatory:
Ovulation is technically an event, but we call it a phase as the energy of ovulation lasts a few days. Ovulation is when the chosen egg bursts from its follicle and enters the fallopian tube, ready to meet a sperm if one is there. An egg lives for up to 24 hours before being reabsorbed into your uterine lining or being shed with your menstrual blood. There is a peak in hormones and body temperature with ovulation. This is your inner summer and matches the energy of the full moon. This is your peak of creativity, life force energy and extroversion.
You are your most magnetic self during this time, shining bright for all to see.
Practices to honour this phase of your cycle:
- Set time aside for creativity
- Find time for connection with your partner, if you have one, or somebody dear.
- Express your intimacy and sexuality in respectful and empowering ways
- Use cardio exercise to move excess energy and to ground yourself into your body.
Luteal:
And at last, we come to the luteal phase of our cycle. This is when our ovaries create something called the corpus luteum from the burst follicle of ovulation, and our uterine lining primes itself for a possible implantation. This phase of our cycle is governed by the hormone progesterone. This is the part of our cycle that draws us inwards. This part of our cycle is culturally misunderstood. We tend to look at low energy and introversion as something that we should feel ashamed about and need to fix. But really, there is so much potential in the shadow side of our cycle. When we give ourselves the chance to slow down and rest a little more, we find our intuition and spiritual connection.
Practices to honour the Luteal Phase:
- Slow. Down. Even if just by 1%.
- Take a daily nap. 15 minutes is all you need to replenish your reserves.
- Eat warming, nutrient-dense foods
- Connect with nature in whatever way feels most aligned for you
- Partake in more gentle exercise (ie, walking, yin yoga, swimming etc)
Every cycle is an initiation. Every cycle is an opportunity to know yourself on a deeper lever. Every cycle is an invitation to heal yourself and your red thread (your female ancestral lineage). This is the way. By reclaiming the feminine power in yourself, you can start to bring this understanding of feminine power into the world.
Here are some incredible resources for starting or continuing your journey of self-discovery through menstrual cycle awareness:
- Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
Let me know how this lands, I'd love to receive reflections via email.
Craving deeper connection and transformation? Get in touch to learn more about my 1:1 and group coaching containers.
Much love,
Kelsey