Design Your Life by Your Cycle

Do you ever wonder why last week you felt incredible doing that hard-core bootcamp work-out, but this week you’re dragging your feet and can barely even think about going?

Or when you started that project two weeks ago you had so much time and energy, but today you would rather just sip tea and read all day?

There's a reason for this: Your hormone levels are different every day of the month, which affects how much energy, creativity, and spark you have.

When you get to know your body, learn how your menstrual cycle works, and accept that everything is connected, you’ll see your body in a new light — and it will blow your mind! You can reduce and release so much emotional tension if you’re living in tune with your full cycle, and you’ll understand why you crave different movement, food and behave differently!

Women's rhythms are beautifully aligned with the moon and the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. As you will see, our monthly cycle has it’s own ‘seasonal’ shift, and when we live in tune with it you will feel empowered and find that your perception changes on just about everything!

If you are no longer menstruating, or would simply like to track the moon cycle with your own, here’s a moon-phase calendar you can refer to.

Let’s dig into the four phases of your menstrual cycle and match them up to the moon and the seasons:

Follicular or waxing moon phase

This is the bridge between menstruation and ovulation. It begins after your period and goes until ovulation. During this phase, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) encourages follicles in your ovaries to grow. Each follicle contains an egg, and each egg matures and develops leading up to your ovulation. One of these follicles will become the dominant one and release an egg during ovulation. As these follicles grow, they release a special type of estrogen called “estradiol.”

Thanks to estradiol, you feel more energetic and have a higher libido during the follicular phase. It’s also why you feel more confident and good overall. If your estrogen is off — too high or too low — it can throw your whole system out of balance.

Season: Spring! A time when things are in bloom, animals are coming out of hibernation. Rejuvenation and jubilation everywhere! 

Moon phase: Waxing moon (it's starting to brighten daily)

Exercise: Amp it up! Hit the weights: lift heavy with fewer reps. Also add in dynamic movement!

In terms of energy, this is your DO phase (I like to think “green means GO”). You feel more confident and powerful and willing to take more risks. Put yourself out there, socialize, network. Your skin is softer and clearer, your cognition increases, and your libido is increased.

Ovulation or full moon phase

This is when your hormones are at their peak. Ovulation is the shortest phase in your monthly cycle, typically 2–4 days long. This is when the dominant follicle bursts open and releases an egg into the fallopian tube, where it survives for up to 24 hours. If there's sperm waiting to fertilize it, it’s possible to conceive and become pregnant.

During this time of ovulation, your estrogen levels are still elevated, so you feel sexy, confident and energized. Your body is primed to seek a mate, pleasure, or joy — if that’s what you crave. 

Season: Summer! A high energy, vibrant, celebratory time. Lots of light, energy, and festivity.

Moon phase: Full moon — it's bright and vibrant! This is when you hear teachers say the kids go to the principal's office more often!

Exercise: This is where bootcamp, running, and peloton come in!

Our bodies aren't meant to do these kinds of intense workouts every day of the month. Remember, we’re on a cycle!

This is when your brain is at its sharpest. It's the best time for communication, writing, and unveiling your next project. You may find yourself dressing a little differently or put more time into grooming. 

Luteal or waning moon Phase

This the longest phase in your cycle, typically lasting 10–14 days. The corpus luteum, leftover from the egg that bursts during ovulation, grows on the surface of your ovary, which is how your body produces progesterone. This signals your body to keep your uterine lining intact and for the pituitary gland in your brain to stop sending out FSH (follicular) and LH (luteinizing) signals so that only one egg releases in your uterus. If the egg doesn’t get fertilized, your corpus luteum is reabsorbed back into your body and progesterone levels start to drop, which signals your period to begin.

If your progesterone is low, perhaps you didn’t ovulate this month and produce progesterone, OR it is low in relation to how much estrogen you’re producing. This is when you’ll feel the following physical symptoms: bloating, gas, cramps, breast tenderness, moodiness, PMS, and headaches. 

Season: Fall. This is time for getting cozy and readying our home for winter.

Moon: Waning, getting darker 

Exercise: This is your time for yoga, pilates, Barre, resistance training, and walking.

Now is the time to slow down, prune your schedule, and prioritize sleep. It's a time for contemplation, incubation, and re-evaluation. It may even be a good time to reorganize an area of your home.

Menstrual or new moon phase

This is  marked by the arrival of your period. DAY ONE of your cycle is the first day of your bleed. This is where you can begin tracking your cycle. It's when Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Progesterone, and Estrogen levels drop off to their lowest point of the month, which signals the uterine lining to shed. A healthy cycle can last anywhere from 3–7 days long. 

Season: Winter. It gets cold and we get cozy, hibernate, and become quieter. 

Exercise: It's a time to walk, do yoga or pilates. Energy is naturally low so allow for that.

Moon: New Moon (when you don't see the moon, it has gone dark)

Now’s your time to get grounded, quiet, and in tune with yourself. It's a great time for journaling and assessing what is or isn't working in your life. This is aligned to the phase of our cycle when we want to energetically go inward and think about what's been working for you. It's a great time to plan.

It can also be a time when you feel annoyed or angry at the people around you (which is also a sign something is out of balance!).

As you can see, we don’t have to push and be “on” all the time. As women, we ebb and flow during the month, but our society is built on a 24-hour clock, not a 30-day cycle. By aligning yourself in this more natural fashion, you will start to feel things click in a new way. Perhaps you will even allow yourself down time without feeling guilty? Or change your workouts and notice how much stronger you get by following the flow above. I think you’ll be surprised by what you discover. And I can’t wait to hear how it goes for you.