Everything goes through cycles. That is the natural and the rhythm of life. Every 24 hours, the sun rises and sets, with day there is always night. There is the lunar cycle every 28-29 days, and the Earth seasons every 365 days. Anything that has “life” (humans, plants, animals, sun, moon, Earth etc.) has a cycle: birth, growth, full bloom, harvest, death. In fact, every process of transformation follows this same cycle. And every cycle is reflected in every other cycle.

 

So by understanding the wisdom within the cycle, you can experience more flow with that energy, in flow with life.

 

The good news is that women who menstruate have an inherent cycle within their body, with the average length of a menstrual cycle lasting between 26 to 31 days¹. By tuning into this internal cycle, you can learn to work with your body’s changes and play to your strengths across the month.

We live in a culture that celebrates being always-on. We’re so focused on the ‘go’, many of us have forgotten how to pause and rest. Sleep is hugely important for our health and wellbeing but we also need to honour wind down time too. This is a precious time to lean into the learnings from each day. Your menstrual cycle is your own internal wisdom that supports you in knowing when to rest and reflect, and when to expend more energy and be more expressive.
 

Tapping into your own inherent wisdom means listening to your body, your womb, your cycle, and honouring it as opposed to overriding it.

Your menstrual cycle and your hormonal fluctuations affect your physical and mental wellbeing but these changes don’t have to be negative. By learning about each phase, we can begin to recognise and honour how we feel across the month.

The Rest phase starts on Day 1 of the menstrual cycle when you’re bleeding and feeling the first day of flow. During the menstruation phase, it’s important to allow yourself rest and take it easy. It is an opportune time for reflection, meditation, deeper intuition and inspiration. Often my best ideas arise during this phase when I allow my days to be spacious and be gentle with myself. This phase represents an inward-looking time, perhaps more solitude. And so if you’re feeling low on energy, not sociable, not very talkative, unable to focus at work, it is completely normal during this phase! It’s important not to beat yourself up about how you’re feeling. It's a powerful time, and one that I hope all women are inspired to reclaim eventually. Instead, if you’re struggling to communicate or spend time with others, ask for space from family, friends or colleagues. Communicate your needs and own how you truly feel.
 

How can you lean into the Flow phase? Take time to rest and reflect or try gentle movement like yoga (no inversion postures) or walking. During this time, when you’re experiencing period-related symptoms, give yourself permission to rest. It’s also helpful to create comforting environment like pillows, books, candles, herbal teas and hot water bottles.

By about Day 4 or 5 you may feel your energy increasing to being a little bit more active as you move “up” the cycle. Your inward energy during your menstruation phase changes into a more outward energy during the pre-ovulation phase. With this increasing energy, it’s a wonderful time to start a new project or to socialise more.
 

How can you get the most out of the Rise phase? Follow the flow of this upward energy. Perhaps use this time to pursue a personal or work-related goal while your energy, stamina and self-esteem are all on the up. I use this phase to design workshops, write, set up work meetings and catch up with friends.

At around 14 days into your cycle, ovulation occurs and your oestrogen levels rise. Your energy levels are typically high during ovulation. For many women, this is an expressive time when you want to get out and see the world. This is a great time to put yourself out there by doing presentations, giving speeches and going to conferences. Like the full moon, at a subconscious level, you are the most attractive, most “full of You” in this phase. This is also the phase when you’re most fertile.
 

How can we peak during this phase? It’s the time to let your full Self, shine! Plan social outings to connect with the people around you, let your voice be heard, and let your light be seen. It’s a good time to ask for that promotion, present at an important meeting or make new connections.

During the Release phase, your body is preparing for your period, and energy levels are decreasing. It’s usually a time when you’re quite aggravated hormonally. You may be irritated a little easier and feel anxious and stressed. This is like the “autumn” or downward part of the cycle, and so in keeping with the wisdom of this phase, it’s a time for harvesting, pruning, preserving and releasing. I typically use this phase of my cycle to do admin work and evaluation of programs.

 

What’s best for Release? It’s an ideal time to “harvest” your learnings from the past 3 weeks, and reflect what in your life is working well and what needs to be let go. It may be a time to consider the activities and interactions that stressed you out over the last 3 weeks, and ask yourself, do you still want that in your life? Or do you want it to be different? This is generally a time of emotional volatility so you should press pause on the to-do list and try to prioritise self-care instead. Go for long walks or runs to work off any anxious energy.

If you can, cook some healthy meals before your Rest phase so you’re prepared with food that will nourish your body while you’re feeling tired.

 

Each phase can be a great time of the month when you better understand how to lean into what your mind and body are telling you that you need.

The more you learn about your menstrual cycle, the more you can tap into how you’re feeling across the month to decide when to push yourself and give yourself permission to rest. By viewing about your menstrual cycle as something to work with, rather than monthly struggles, you can accept and honour your body and reclaim your sense of self to live a healthier, happier life.