Live in flow with your menstrual cycle
Do you want to feel more in flow? Do you want to be in harmony with your body and its needs? I want every woman to sync their period app with their social and work calendar ASAP. And not just to consider swapping out white pants at that meeting, or moving the beach visit to another weekend. I want women to be in touch with all phases of their cycle and use it to their advantage. This will help you optimise your efficiency, prioritise your needs, feel in flow with your life, and enjoy the activities of your day.
Why should we sync all our calendars?
Women are cyclical beings. Just like the moon we are in continual movement through the phases of our cycle. Our hormones are made for a 28 day cycle, not the masculine 24 hour cycle. We should live life differently to our male cohabitants. Now I can already hear you thinking “But Jess, I have to go to work. Life doesn’t stop just because I got my period” I hear you. I’m not dismissing that and telling you to go live off grid in a commune of red tents. What I am asking you is, don’t you want your weeks to feel easier? Don’t you deserve to carve yourself space when you need it? Let’s dive into the nitty gritty..
There are 4 main phases to our menstrual cycle:
Menstrual (day 1 - 5)
Follicular (day 6 - 11)
Ovulation (day 12 - 16)
Luteal (day 17 - 28)
You also have your Natal Lunar Return (you remember that card game UNO? This baby is your wild card).
Natal - the place, date and time of your birth
Lunar - moon, in this case the moon phase that was in transit the day you were born
Return - every 28 days, the moon goes through her full cycle. Once every 28 days, the moon will return to the phase that you were born under
The Natal Lunar Return is often called your Power Day. It is a booster! I like to honour it like a mini birthday each month. The energy is aligning for you, and giving you the boost you need.
Now, I want you to journal and track the moon and your cycle for 3 months.
Why? Because NO BODY is allowed to tell you how you are going to feel at each stage of your cycle. Is it very common that women would feel low energy during their period, yes - but not everyone! Just like your lunar return, some people feel extroverted, some people feel a burst of creativity or productivity, some people’s sex drive heightens this day. We are all unique individuals, and to honour this, I would like you to journal your observations each day for 3 months (or 3 menstrual cycles). Here are some themes to consider:
Socialising: Did you feel like being social? Extroverted vs introverted? Did you want to call a friend and chat today? Did you need space or solo time today?
Work/Tasks: Did you feel productive today? How was your concentration today? Did you feel organised today? Were you efficient or did it take you a long time to get through your tasks or did you fumble through your day?
Energy: Did you feel like being physically active today? Did you feel energised or lethargic? Did you feel creative? Did you do any hobbies today?
Intimacy: How was your sex drive today? Did you crave physical touch (intimate or platonic) or were you touched-out?
Nutrition: What foods did you crave today? Hot or cold food? Big or little appetite? Did you feel like cooking?
The answers you will gain over 3 months will start to give you some interesting insight into what your cycles are like and where your energy peaks.
I’m going to give you an example of a woman who is living in sync with her cycles : Meet Eliza, she is a menstruating woman in her late 30’s, with a young child, and she runs her own business. After tracking her cycles she found these insights:
On her lunar return, she felt extroverted and noted extra confidence. She scheduled her video content for social media and zoom recordings for the days on and surrounding her lunar return. She noted how easily her confidence in the camera flowed, and resulted in less re-takes. She also found this a wonderful time to socialise.
Eliza found when she was menstruating her energy was low, she had intense food cravings but didn’t feel like cooking. So Eliza made sure not to plan too many meetings or social get togethers in this week. She also meal prepped the week before when her energy was higher.
Eliza found during her follicular phase she had motivation to get organised and be productive. She scheduled this week to get her life admin in order and get on top of emails and back-end admin for her business.
Eliza found in her ovulation phase she craved friendship and connection. This was a great week to organise date nights, social gatherings play dates for the kids and networking events where connection was important.
In the luteal phase Elizabeth found the biggest fluctuation in the week. She had high energy at the start, which was starkly different by the end of the week. Eliza knew in the luteal phase she needed to conserve her energy. Even if she felt able to do the high intensity workout at the start of the week, she knew if she swapped it out for a slower yoga class, her energy would be more stable throughout the week. Just because you have the energy doesn’t mean you need to use all your resources.
What changes could you make if you looked at the month instead of just the day or week? Can you change your goals / to-do list to stretch over the month?
When you are living in flow with your full cycle, life flows better. Your days are smooth and you have a natural drive to get the tasks done that are needed. You also honour your needs - filling your cup with connection, creativity or downtime when you need it. When you are in tune with your cycle, your days are no longer an uphill struggle and you have planned your life to suit your energy best.
Start today - google what lunar phase you were born under and mark your calendar with your lunar phase for the upcoming months. If you haven’t already, get a period tracking app and start tracking your period and ovulation. Buy a journal or open new tab in your Notes app on your phone.
Your body, mind and soul will thank you for taking away unnecessary hardship and bringing flow and ease into your life.