Cyclic living is the practice of aligning your routines with the natural cycles of life including the moon, the seasons and your menstrual cycle to create more flow and get the most out of your days/weeks/months. Think improved mental and physically health, better sleep, easier nutritional choices, feeling more empowered around your work schedule and a general reduction in feeling like you are always dragging yourself against the flow.
Now, some of you may naturally already live in sync with the seasons; you spend more time outdoors during summer and spring, you exercise more and eat lighter meals compared to winter when you crave comfort and heavy, hearty meals. You also are drawn to more social and extroverted time during summer compared to hibernation and introverted times during winter.
These changes are similar to what women go through for their monthly menstrual cycles; we are more flirty and outgoing during our internal summer and more introverted and closed off during our internal winter (more on this below). Unfortunately we are never taught to live in respect to these hormonal changes, we are taught that each day is the same; we wake up with energy and mood stability, move through the day, hustling and getting everything done, then we fall asleep at night ready to do the same thing the next day. Part of this is because the above is exactly how a man's hormonal cycle moves, resetting every 24hours, while women go through their hormonal cycle every 28 days (anywhere between 21-35days may be your normal).
The more you learn about your unique hormonal changes and what your body and mind needs for each week of your month, the more aligned you will begin to feel.
How to live more aligned with your hormonal cycle
One of the best ways to create a deeper understanding of your body and begin to identify and optimise the fluctuations in your energy and mood is to learn how to track your cycle.
One of the easiest ways is to download one of the many period tracker apps -Flo, ovuview, clue, stardust (includes astrology). The more information the better, it should have the ability to track ovulation and your fertile window. This can be used if you are trying to fall pregnant, as a form of contraception with fertility awareness methods and to see if you are creating enough progesterone throughout the 2nd half of your cycle to support a healthy period.
Minimum information to track If you have an ‘easy’ cycle (same length every month, minimal symptoms, short bleed) the minimum to track is all symptoms relating to your period;
Cycle length from first day of your bleed to last day before your next bleed-Length of your bleed including number of heavy vs light days-Quality and quantity of your bleed- colour, amount (average tampon and pad holds 5mls), clots, mucous ect
Pain- scale from 1 to 10 and location (ie lower back, left side stomach)
Any PMS symptoms- acne, mood, food cravings, breast pain
Digestive symptoms- stool changes, bloating.
This will give you the basics of how long your cycle will generally be and where you are in your cycle each week.
Digging a little deeper
If you want to get to know your cycle more intimately, work out if you are actually ovulating and therefore creating progesterone or if you experience irregular, painful or heavy cycles then as well as the above, tracking your daily cervical mucous and basal metabolic temperature will be required.
Your basal metabolic temp is done first thing in the morning before you get out of bed and you want a thermometer that shows 2 decimal places.
Around ovulation your temperature will dip slightly then as progesterone starts to be released your temperature will increase and, if you are making enough progesterone, it will stay higher for 10-16 days through your luteal phase. It then tapers off just before your bleed.
When it comes to mucous changes, as your estrogen increases around ovulation you begin to create a more sticky, slick, egg white consistency mucous, which is designed to help the sperm travel safely to the egg. This should happen before the temperature spike and last for around 4 days. If you notice this same mucous again later in the cycle it can indicate that you haven’t ovulated, as progesterone balances the estrogen release.
Once you have gathered the information above and have more understanding of where you are each week, you can begin to implement some of the changes recommended below for each phase. Or even better, experiment a little and work out what works best for your body and mind.
Menstrual cycle phases
Period-New moon 3-5 days- day 1 is first day of bleed
Internal winter- introspection, craving comfort and slow days.
The time for rest and hibernation as our hormones drop and our body lets go of our endometrial lining. Wherever possible, take it easy on yourself and prioritise rest. The drop in our hormones allows for clearer communication between your left and right brain, so you can use this time to plan your next cycle, meditate, journal and listen for the clues from your intuition. Don't feel bad for asking for help! Let your partner take on some of the responsibilities- work and home life or push them off for the week. In business/work- Try not to schedule any major work or social plans over this time as your energy and your desire to be around others will be low.
Movement- Low impact, nourishing and restoring- slow walks, yin or restorative yoga. Nutrition- Nourishing , warming, grounding foods and nutrient dense foods. Increasing zinc and iron intake over this time to support nutrient loss. Think hearty soups, curries and stews, fresh warming herbs, and anti-inflammatory foods such as oily fish, ginger, turmeric, green and herbal teas.
Follicular phase-Waxing moon
Can last 7-21 days- this phase determines the length of your cycle.
Internal spring “New beginnings” Inner child, creative energy!
The race to ovulation- estrogen & FSH levels are increasing to prep the follicles for maturation.
Your energy is starting to build, you are shaking off the stagnant heavy energy of your bleed and you are beginning to feel more confident and outgoing, you are ready to try new things and take over the world.
In Business/work- book appointments and meetings for this week of your cycle, the closer to your ovulation the better
Movement- Best time for medium intensity exercise to get the heart rate up; pilates, barre, power yoga, walking, jogging and swimming. But remember to not don’t over do it! Your energy is building over this time.
Nutrition- We tend to move towards lighter meals in the phase as we are able to maintain our blood sugar levels more efficiently. Leafy green salads, greek yoghurt, eggs, sardines, fruits, avocado and legumes are all good options that also support egg release at ovulation.
Ovulation- Full moon Energy last around 4-5 days- actual ovulation is around 1-2 days. Internal summer- Flirty, magnetism energy
This is your peak! In energy, in confidence and in your hormones. This is when testosterone and estrogen are at their highest and you get a surge of LH to help stimulate egg release. This is when we are feeling sexy, magnetic, flirty and ready to mingle! Your libido will also be higher here. In business/work- Good time to launch something in your business, record those reels/videos, attend the social networking events or schedule work presentations. You will have the sustained and magnetic to support, but don’t over commit, this energy won’t last long.
Movement- This is the best time to hit those personal best during exercise as you will feel your strongest and energy is at your highest- think high intensity, heavy weight days! Nutrition- Hydrating, fiber rich foods to help the GIT support clearance of excess estrogen. Think cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage and high antioxidant colourful berries to support the liver. As well as fiber rich and fermented vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and legume to improve digestive elimination.
Luteal phase-Waning Moon Lasts 10-16 days. Internal Autumn- Energy is starting to decrease and you feel like closing loose ends A healthy luteal phase is determined by a healthy ovulation as the now empty follicle turns into a corpus luteum which produces and releases your progesterone. Energetically you are starting to wind down and go inward, beginning to release the things that you no longer have the energy for and decluttering your mind and space. Your emotions will begin to shift and you may notice you are becoming more self critical. Allow yourself to step back from all the chaotic high drive energy of ovulation.
In Business/work- move towards more back of house things within your life and business. Admin tasks, bookkeeping and organisation. Say no to things you don’t actually want to do. You will be wanting to wrap up projects in this time.
Movement- your body temp is higher during this phase so ensure you are staying hydrated and lean more towards low-impact/ low energy exercises like walking, yoga, pilates, light weight training.
Nutrition- Metabolism starts to pick up and you may start to crave random foods as your blood sugar levels fluctuate. Lean towards more nutrient dense, stabilising foods that also support your blood sugar, gut and liver. Protein rich meals with starchy carbs will be your friend- chicken, fish, legumes, dark chocolate, potatoes and pumpkin.
Reducing caffeine, alcohol and sugar intake in this phase can also be highly beneficial to reduce symptoms of PMS.
One last thing to remember- we are all different. Our cycles are unique and evolving. What works for you might not work for someone else and something that works for you now, might not work in the future. Be open to the changes and variations of your cycle and get one step closer to your optimal cyclic living.
Thanks for reading beautiful human!
Samii
BHSc- Naturopathy Sacred Natural Health Founder.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your health practitioner before making any changes to your treatment.
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