The Female Cycle: Planning Your Routine
A woman’s body and the female cycle are connected to the Moon and the Earth. A woman, through her menstrual cycle, goes through the different lunar energies (new moon, first quarter, full moon, third quarter). These in turn are connected to the different seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter).
Formerly, this link between women and nature was a part of culture and customs. Rites were performed and stories told explaining this relationship. So, girls had this understanding of themselves, their body and menstruation. They understood it as “sacred,” not as dirty or annoying or shameful.
Currently, in Western countries women tend to not pay attention to the changes in emotions and energy they experience during their cycle. Usually they try to live as if they weren’t affected by their phases, and this implies a loss of well-being and a waste of all the potential in these phases.
The moon and its influence
The phases of the moon coincide with the phases of the menstrual cycle. Mental and hormonal states are under the influence of the Moon. Just as the Moon takes about 28 days to circle around to Earth, a woman’s menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days. That’s how our cycles are connected, as well as the four lunar phases: new moon, crescent moon, full moon and fourth quarter. It is in this ideology that we should learn to create our routines.
Menstruation. New Moon. Winter.
This is the reflective phase, the darkest phase, the phase of silence, introspection, solitude. A woman in this phase wants to be calm, so interaction with the outside world can even be annoying. Your body is much more sensitive, so you’re able now to connect in a special way with it and its messages. In this phase, a woman can rely more on her instinct and intuition. When choosing your meals and herbs, go for the ones that are most harmonious with your body and give you a deeper focus. You'll want to stay away from the baths and allow your body to expel impurities. Add Seamoss to your intake and increase foods and herbs that contain Iron and Zinc (refer to the Prescription for Nutritional Healing).
It is an auspicious moment to keep quiet, be calm and meditate. This means taking the time to menstruate, if possible. This is where the female body naturally recycles energy. That is, it looks for rest to recover and start the next phase of the crescent moon with vitality.
Pre-ovulation. Crescent moon. Spring.
The week after a woman has her period corresponds with spring, renewal, and an increase in physical energy. It is a transition phase between menstruation (darkness, winter) and ovulation (light, summer). Therefore, they are ideal days to start projects that will materialize during the next phase (ovulation).
Now is when women have enhanced analytical capacities, concentration and planning skills. Mental strength reigns and thoughts are clearer. Emotions are more stable and life energy is at its peak. During the Crescent Moon, a woman needs less rest and is more sure of herself. There is a penchant for being social, for going out and having fun. Incorporate meals and herbal remedies that have the highest natural proteins, vitamins, minerals and adaptogens.
Ovulation. Full moon. Summer.
Ovulation is the expressive, sociable, empathetic, radiant phase. We are more able now to surrender to what we love. It is a time when a woman is more fertile, which is why it’s a phase full of energy and vitality. In fact, it is a fertile phase in all aspects of life: work, personal life, family projects…
During this period of time, self-confidence and self-esteem increase along with sex drive. This is a good time to incorporate bathing rituals and manifesting. Continue to indulge in the Energizing herbs and fill up with raw fruits and veggies.
Pre-menstruation. Waning moon. Autumn.
In this phase, physical energy begins to decrease. A woman feels the need to clean and let go of anything that does not benefit her, much like how trees shed their leaves in the fall. Many women in this phase experience the infamous premenstrual syndrome.
These are days where a woman turns inward again. Memory and ability to concentrate also go down. It is an ideal time to look into our desires, needs, fears… This phase is ideal for healing and moving forward in the process of personal growth. Sexual desire can also become more intense these days. Add a lot of your HERO herbs here and let nature take its course.
What happens in menopause?
Although there is no menstruation, the cycles continue to exist and exert their influence. It looks different since it’s a different stage, but from the hormonal perspective, the female cycle remains.
A woman in menopause is not subject to her reproductive cycle; she has transcended it. When she no longer bleeds, she retains more energy. All that energy, which was renewed month by month by flowing outwards, now initiates an internal circuit that feeds back and sustains the natural feminine rhythm.
OBSERVATION
NOTE YOUR SYMPTOMS ON YOUR MENSTRUAL CALENDAR. SEPERATE THE 4 PHASES AND CHART THE SYMPTOMS OF YOUR CONDITION ALONG WITH THE PHASE. LET YOUR BODY TELL YOU THE STORY!
