The Four Phases of Menstrual Cycle
Did you know that your monthly cycle has four juicy, delicious and distinctly different phases?
Each containing their own strengths and gifts - like little windows into your soul, if you're aware enough to open up the curtains and allow yourself to look inside.
Who are you in the follicular phase as estrogen is rising?
How do you feel energetically when you're ovulating?
What is your inner narrative like when you're luteal?
How do you look after yourself when you're bleeding?
Being female is like having a different outfit to wear each and every day, an outfit born from within!
The more fully and boldly you wear those outfits, the more empowered you will become.
FRISKY FOLLICULAR
(aka the phase of the short shorts)
Whilst you may have been taught that your bleed is the beginning of your cycle, I want to challenge that. In a big way.
When we put menstruation first we already fundamentally rob ourselves of the understanding of our cycle, what it does and what it's for.
Menstruation is a result of ovulation. Of your egg not being fertilised and the subsequent release of that egg. Your bleed is the end of a process that begins when your estrogen begins to rise again - the phase known as follicular! Aka frisky follicular aka the phase of the short shorts!
This is that magical sparkly time when the bleed has begun to wane, you're rubbing your eyes and blinking as you start to wander once again out of the inward cave of mentruation and all of a sudden. BAM! Your swagger is back you delicious babe!!
Estrogen is on the rise, so is your positive self-talk, you're feeling fine, frisky and the extrovert within you is reaching for the short shorts (or whatever your equivalent) and the world seems just that bit more manageable than it may have just a short week before.
This is a time for embracing creativity, good energy levels, more vigorous exercise and deeper conversation.
OVULATION OVERKIILL
(aka power to your passion project!)
The peak of the estrogen mountain! But what does that mean for you in real terms?
Ovulation can be an ovary owners fave phase of the month. Self-belief is steadier, creative juices are flowing, the energy is there to support those ideas and there's a natural primal swagger in your step.
But there is a caution. Elevated energy that is left unaware or ungrounded can become a little manic, tipping into agitation or anxiety. Participating in practices that help anchor and capture, will instead create a powerful focused efficient energy that you can pour with steady purpose into your passion projects.
LANGUISHING LUTEAL
(aka the inner and maybe the outer critic)
The phase of your moon cycle with the worst reputation BUT with the deepest gifts to offer.
The luteal phase comes after ovulation and can feel like a gloomy free fall after the dizzying heights of your estrogen peak.
Inner narrative can shift dramatically from 'I'm brilliant!' to 'I'm so bummed'. Rather than wallow in the doom and gloom, taking the role instead of the curious observer, can reveal the most fundamentally important aspects of ourselves: negative patterns and trigger points that are causing us harm.
Allowing ourselves to study this phase deeply and kindly - like watching a storm roll in and out - can be the most important learning of all the four phases.
MAGNIFICENT MENSTRUATION
(aka meeting yourself)
How do you feel about your bleed? If you're not yet embracing this powerful time of permission, then you're missing a fantastic opportunity to say 'fuck no, I'm bleeding!'
This is the time to let yourself go inward, be with this version of you that has the least amount of hormones than any other time in your cycle. Rest up as best you can and if anyone has the audacity to call this action 'weakness', give them a light but firm tap to the testicle and then have a conversation about weakness.