Cycle Syncing

May I start by saying that I would be overjoyed if non-menstruating people would read this post. I think at first glance it looks like it’s for ladies but it’s for everyone who has a menstruating person in their life as well as the people who menstruate themselves. Can you imagine if non-menstruating people could understand the people who do menstruate and how different they can feel from one part of their cycle to the next. It’s important that you don’t use this information against them but as a way to help them and help yourself to understand their change in mood and energy levels to create more harmonious communication.

It took me a really long time to figure out why my energy levels weren’t always consistent and it wasn’t until I was in my mid thirties that I even began to track the dates of my period on the advice of my obgyn. When I would go and have my yearly cervical pap smear, my doctor would ask me when my last menstrual period was and I could never give her a clear answer. It only took 3 months of tracking before I noticed not only the rhythms of my menstrual cycle ( 36 days apart - no wonder I couldn’t remember when my last one was) but also I began to notice the rhythms of my moods and the rhythms of my energy levels. From this point on I was no longer surprised when my period arrived and no longer surprised as to why I had a short fuse for the days leading up to it.

What has benefitted me even more is noticing how I can work more efficiently by registering my energy levels and putting in different kinds of work and recreational activites depending on what part of my menstrual cycle I am in. I googled this to see if i had caught on to a new idea and low and behold it seems many women had figured this out way before me and had given it the name

“Cycle Syncing”

Not everyone is going to feel exactly the same during each stage of their menstrual cycle but we can notice our own cycles and see that they are usually quite predictable. Even in perimenopause where things are slightly out of sync for me I can still see the rhythms of my cycle and how my mood and energy levels change.

Menstrual cycles can sometimes feel like an inconvenience in this patriarchal society where we are expected to work consistantly throughout the month. It’s my hope that going forward that society will be able to work in a way that respects the devine feminine and takes into consideration our levels of energy and variations in mood and allows for a schedule where we can still work productively but have the freedom to do it more cyclically.

We can definitely listen to our hormonal fluctuations when it comes to our personal yoga practice. Here at Setagaya Yoga Studio since opening the rooftop studio l really notice the seasons and have begun to teach in a more cyclical way. I like to create yoga practices that take into consideration my own personal rhythm and other natural cycles as well like the changing seasons, the phases of the moon and the times of the day for a kinder more natural practice. Whether we practice yoga or not we really can listen to our hormonal fluctuations and work with our bodies instead of constantly fighting against them.

Menstrual Phase

This is the time in our cycle when we bleed

low mood and irritability lift a day or so in.

We begin to feel more energy a couple of days into this phase.

practices - journal, meditate, Yoga Nidra, gentle asana, yin, restorative.

Follicular Phase

this overlaps with your period starting on the first day you bleed and ends on teh first day of ovulation.

Likely to have an energy surge, feel youthful and full of vitality and adventurous. be careful making big plans for the future here, you may regret aggreeing to do a hike up a major mountain if the plan coincides with a less energetic phase!

Practices - try a new type of yoga, do energetic practices and balancing poses, challenge yourself a little bit.

Ovulation

The ovum leaves the ovaries around 14 days before your period starts.

You may feel more social, more sexual and want to connect more with others.

Practices - Connect with yourself, hip openers, moon salutations, take stock of the beautiful things about your life and do gratitude practices.

Luteal Phase

you start to feel a bit like autumn is setting in. You might have strong emotions, possibly be a bit irritable. Now is the time you might regret the plans you made when you were in your follicular phase!

Practices - it’s a good time to finish up projects. Strong asana practices can help stress and focus. Build up a sweat if you can. as you get closder to your period take your practice to the ground, use props and withdraw the senses.

If none of this resonates with you it could be interesting to track your own cycle and see if what rhythms are present for you and see if and how you can work with them. I’d be truly interested to hear any of your findings or comments so please drop me a line at my email and let me know.