The menstrual cycle superpowers you didn’t know you had
So you’ve been hearing about this ‘thing’ where women are syncing with their menstrual cycles, swearing by how life-changing it is and now you’re curious.
As far as you knew you got a pesky period once a month since you were a teen, have experienced your fair share of cramps and PMS, and you may even feel how unfair it is that you have to put up with this until you’re in your 40’s or even 50’s!
Maybe you’re saying “hey where’s the unsubscribe button?!” But what if there was another way? More and more women are discovering now that their menstrual cycles are wise and a source of power. Say what now? Stick with me.
Let’s start with this first basic truth bomb: as a female, you are cyclical.
Just like the moon, the Earth’s seasons, the tides, you ebb and flow in a predictable repeating pattern. This isn’t woo-woo, it’s science. Your female hormones that govern your reproductive system rise and fall predictably in each of the menstrual cycle’s four phases every month (or so). And along with these we are affected and changed not just physiologically but also mentally, emotionally, socially, creatively, and so much more.
In short, yes it’s normal to feel like a different person every week, sometimes day to day! This does not make you crazy, it makes you say-it-with-me-now cyclical, and with that, gifts you with superpowers!
Let’s meet the four phases of your cycle and dive in for a quick overview, yes?
Menstruation Phase
Superpower: Rest and Visioning
The days you bleed (not spot). Usually this lasts anywhere from 3-7 days, though 3-5 is most common. Heads up that the first day of full blood flow is what counts as Day 1 of your cycle. Your hormones are at the lowest levels they’ll be in all month.
This is a time when you may feel your energy levels are quite low, and mentally might experience a dreamy foggy quality to your thoughts. It may be a time when you feel socially withdrawn and crave quiet, alone time, and cocooning. It’s the built-in deep rest point of our cycle.
This is a great time for planning and dreaming into what you want to create in the next cycle.
Follicular Phase
Superpower: Strength and Ideas
The days that follow menstruation and leading up to Ovulation. In a textbook 28 day cycle this would likely fall over Days 6-12, though every menstruator is different and it can vary cycle to cycle (this is where the practice of charting your cycle is crucial).
Estrogen is on the rise here and along with that so is our mood, energy, confidence and libido. You may feel stronger at the gym, more able to focus on your tasks at work, able to parent with more ease and patience, and generally just more agreeable. It’s easy to say yes to everything here.
It’s a wonderful time to try out new things and run with some fresh ideas!
Ovulatory Phase
Superpower: Communication and Connection
A day or so before you ovulate, during ovulation and up to a day after. Note that the act of Ovulation itself only lasts for 12-24 hours. Estrogen, Testosterone and Luteinizing hormone (LH) are at peak or have peaked by ovulation.
Because by design our bodies are trying to achieve pregnancy every month, we are gifted with our peak powers of communication, connection, and desire during our most fertile time. It’s also a time where you might feel a bit like Superwoman, doing everything with ease and having a deflector suit where not much really gets to you.
This is a great time to schedule those important conversations at work or ask your partner out on a date!
Luteal Phase
Superpower: Discernment and Reflection
Ah the premenstrual phase. The time of the cycle following Ovulation up until Menstruation. Gets a bad rap this ‘time of the month’, but it doesn’t have to be bad, with proper education and tools to support ourselves through it!
Here, Estrogen has dipped, and Progesterone is the star of the show. We may feel more tired, more sensitive, more moody, and may crave more alone time especially in the second half of this phase about a week pre-period.
Nesting tendencies show up here much like what happens at the end of pregnancy, a desire to finish things off and tie up loose ends. The rose-tinted glasses of the follicular and ovulatory phases have come off now and suddenly we see issues for what they are.
It’s a great time for reflecting, assessing, editing, and saying no to things and people who don’t serve our best interests!
Can you see how understanding how your cycle changes you across all four phases, learning to run with the strengths that come with them, and care for the vulnerabilities that show up, could be super helpful?
This is what cyclical living and Menstrual Cycle Awareness (MCA) is all about!
I promise that it’s a total game-changer and you’ll wonder why nobody ever told you about it until now! I didn’t learn any of this until I was 37 years old- so no shame here. Start now and start where you are- your future self will thank you.
If you’d like to learn more, a great place to start is by getting on the list for my monthly-ish free newsletter that’s filled with cycle musings, tips, and first look at any of my offerings. Click here to get on that list. You can also find more frequent content on my Instagram here!
