Your Menstrual Cycle - The Power Inside You
Love them, loathe them, dread them or celebrate them - if you’re a person who experiences monthly periods, you might feel like you already know all you need to about them.
But I’m here to tell you there is power in them.
Power, which once you learn to understand, you can harness for your own well-being, productivity and self-discovery.
Unlocking the secret of your menstrual cycle
If your upbringing was anything like mine, then your menstrual cycle was an inconvenience and an embarrassment. It was hidden away and NEVER discussed.
Tell me, why was this?
Why was it seen as something dirty, hidden even feared?
Because the menstrual cycle has always been so misunderstood. It’s so much more than the monthly shedding of blood, and I want to help everyone, not just those who experience them themselves, understand the magic and power within them.
Understanding how the ebb and flow of the cycle can be used to align your personal and work life phases, and your own unique rhythm, will help you better communicate with those around what you need and when. The full comprehension of this monthly rhythm will bring you inner-calm, power and peace.
The Four Phases of the Menstrual Cycle
Our monthly cycle can be broken down into four phases, each one spotlights a particular goal. When we understand this we can focus our attention there and harness the superpower that our cycle naturally provides for us.
Menstrual Phase: Often referred to as the ‘winter’ of our cycle, a time for rest and reflection. For increased selfcare and looking inward to listen closely to what our body and mind need right now.
Follicular Phase: As we move into the ‘spring’ phase, we can take the opportunity to plan our growth and creativity. We may do this through learning, journalling, listening and creating.
Ovulation Phase: When ‘summer’ arrives, it brings with it an increase in energy and a drive for connection. Based in the natural push for procreation, connection doesn’t always mean romantic or physical, perhaps it’s being within a group of likeminded others where you can recharge and feel a belonging.
Luteal Phase: Known as the ‘autumn’ phase of the cycle, as the body prepares to shed and renew. We once again move towards a focus on our inner self, and introspection that allows to plan out what we need as we move forward through our next cycle.
First steps: getting to know your cycle
Learning to identify and track these phases can bring clarity in mood, energy, and productivity. Everyones cycle is different, there really is no one size fits all. The average cycle lasts 28 days with the different phases broken down into, follicular phase up to 7 days, ovulation up to 3 days, luteal phase 10-15 days, and menstrual phase 3-7 days, these are only approximations of course and your ‘normal’ could look totally different.
To start tracking your phases simply, make a note each day of one word, just one, to describe how you felt, think along the lines of ‘quiet’, ‘energetic’, ‘hopeful’, and ‘anxious’. Align your tracking with the actual days of your period, and over a couple of months you will start to see a pattern forming as you move through your month.
Turning your knowledge into power
Amazing work, you’ve done the hard part!
Tracking your moods throughout the month can feel laborious, but once you see how it will pay off you’ll thank yourself for persevering!
You can now start applying this knowledge to your cycle and giving your body and mind what it needs throughout each phase.
‘Self-care isn’t selfish’
Listening and responding to your body and its rhythms is an act of self-care. It can take many forms, it doesn’t have to be a pedicure in a fancy spa. An early night with a good book during menstruation, planning social activities during your ovulation phase, anything that will nurture your body and mind, giving it space and empathy to thrive each month.
Even more exciting is the ‘power-up’ you can apply to your professional and productive life. If you thrive on connection during ovulation, schedule those important meetings you might normally dread. You’ll have more energy for them during your ‘summer’.
Get creative projects on your agenda during your ‘spring’ phase and tackle your administrative to-do list during ‘autumn’. You’ll be amazed at how small changes to align with your monthly cycle will affect your outlook, productivity and overall wellbeing!
What you put in is just as important as what you get out
The way we fuel our bodies is vital too, by intuitively tuning in to our cycle and making informed choices of what to eat, we will nurture ourselves at every stage.
Think about giving your body energy-boosting food such as bananas, oats, leafy green veg and fatty fish during your ‘spring’ and ‘summer’, and comforting, grounding foods such as root vegetables, lean meats, ginger and turmeric during your ‘autumn’ and ‘winter’ phases.
A note on hormonal contraception
Hormonal contraception, for example, the contraceptive pill and some IUD’s will have an impact on your natural cycle. This is after all what they are intended to do. Using hormones to help prevent pregnancy will naturally deviate your cycle and can also affect how you move through the phases of your cycle.
You should be aware that they may suppress your here awareness of your body’s signals and could have their own side effects like mood swings and low energy. Ensure your doctor has explained any possible side effects to you.
Please don’t misunderstand, this is not a call for you to throw out your contraception for you to align with your body’s natural rhythms! If you are concerned that your phases are not as easy to identify, whether that be down to the use of hormonal contraception, or for any other reason, get in touch with me here to find out how I can help you identify your patterns and move towards a more aligned way of being.
Why society doesn’t like talking about menstrual health
As you learn more about your cycle and the power you can harness when you align your life with its rhythm, you’ll understand the profound difference it can affect.
You may wonder why our society refuses to embrace this natural power and instead creates a negative narrative around it. Young girls may wish for it to arrive as a sign of growing up but then hate it when it does, becoming embarrassed, afraid, and anxious that someone else will know and see it as a weakness.
We now know this is actually a strength in us all, we need to embrace it and allow this alignment to transform our lives for the better.
Perhaps the age-old stigma around our monthly periods comes from the fact it was previously so misunderstood. And when a society doesn’t understand something it fears it. It creates a story to instil fear and ignorance around it, strengthening the idea that it is a blight, an unfortunate infliction and weakness within the ‘weaker sex’.
But tell me . . where else in the natural world can a creature bleed for 4 days straight and not die?
That is strength my friends, a deep, primordial strength that we can tap into and harness for ourselves!
Embrace your cycle, empower your life
It’s time to re-write the story. For yourself and for all those around you.
Imagine if all of society were better educated about the menstruation cycle, how much more aligned we could be as a people, not just those who experience periods.
Let’s start today, talk to your daughters, nieces and sisters. Tell them what you’ve learned here and encourage them to travel with you on this journey of discovery to a more aligned way of living.
Start tracking your cycle today and share this blog with those you care for, help them reclaim their power too!
Who am I and how can I guide you
I'm a women's hormone cycle coach, aromatherapist and somatic movement facilitator always reminding you how powerful you are.
I’m here to listen to your story and empower you to shift your pain into courage. I will guide you to emotional resilience so you can inspire others.
If you’re interested in delving deeper into ways to naturally align yourself with your own feminine energy, then let me guide you through a bespoke 1:1 coaching programme that will be tailored, uniquely to you.
Together, we can uncover the glow that was always yours.
Feminine energy coaching is the key to realising a powerful, nurturing, and healing way of life. Improving your well-being and helping you live more authentically.
We will work to improve communication and develop emotional intelligence, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase creativity and enter a "flow state" more often.
You’ll start to enjoy a genuine connection with others and the natural world around you. You will be your authentic self, and experience an empowerment that draws your desires to you magnetically.
Why not book a free consultation to find out which one of my services would best suit your needs, I can’t wait to meet you 🖤