Understanding & Tuning Into Your Cycle
The only thing I used to know about my cycle was that it included my period and I didn't like that so obviously I didn't really want to learn anything further about it. In fact, I really just wanted to ignore it flat out! Maybe even rebel against it and try and pretend it didn't exist. But part of my own discovery of the miracle that is my body and it's incredible wisdom has included learning about my cycle. And the more I've learned about it, the better I've been able to tend to my body's needs in an intuitive way.
Maybe you're like me and wanted nothing to do with knowing about your body and the cycle that each of us have. But, I guarantee, understanding more of what it is to have a cycle as a woman can help you tremendously in connecting with your body and with understanding what healthy looks like for you, individually.To start from the beginning, let's talk about the basic phases of your female cycle.
The Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle
Your menstrual cycle is composed of 4 phases: menstruation, follicular phase, ovulation, and luteal phase.
Menstruation, you probably know, is that time of the month where we have approximately 5-7 days of bleeding where the lining of the uterus is shed if a woman doesn't become pregnant.
The follicular phase happens actually simultaneously when menstruation starts, and it's where the ovaries prepare an egg to leave. But first, the hypothalamus stimulates your pituitary gland to release FSH, or follicle stimulating hormone which prompts approximately 15-20 follicles to mature and mature eggs. Of these eggs, only one usually makes it to the next phase. The developing follicles in this stage cause a rise in estrogen and then at this time the hypothalamus recognizes these rising levels and releases Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone, or GnRH which prompts the pituitary gland to release leutenizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone (aka LH & FSH). Basically a lot of signaling going on all over the place!
Next up is ovulation, or the time of your cycle where a mature egg is released and travels down the fallopian tubes and either is fertilized and implants in the uterus leading to the development of a baby, or what happens most frequently which is the egg is not fertilized and is discarded along with the uterine lining that had been building up for potential pregnancy. Leutenizing hormone causes the release of the egg in this phase.
Lastly is the luteal phase. During this time the follicle that had previously matured the egg is transformed into a structure called the corpus luteum and starts releasing progesterone, another hormone, and some estrogen. Together these two hormones work to increase the thickness of the lining of the uterus to get it ready in case the egg gets fertilized for implantation. In this phase, if pregnancy does ensue, the egg produces human gonadotropin hormone (or HCG--the pregnancy hormone) which helps keep this corpus luteum present and secreting progesterone for the thick uterine lining. But if the egg does not get fertilized, the corpus luteum dies and quits producing progesterone which leads to the release of the uterine lining and...da, da, da, daaaaa...menstruation.And the cycle starts all over again :)
Why does knowing any of this matter?
Phew! I know that was a lot. But, having a little overview and understanding of how your body works is oh so empowering. Am I right!?
Like I said, this was the last thing I ever thought about. But since paying attention to my body's natural phases I've noticed a change in my ability to be intuitive with other areas of my life too!For example, paying attention to how my body feels at each of my different phases helps me know how to best treat my body during those times. Naturally, most people feel better, more empowered, more energized and creative during their follicular phase compared to feeling less energy and more pensive during their luteal phase. Unfortunately as working and busy women we can't always just stop everything at our times of the month when we naturally don't feel as well or up to working. But, knowing how your body feels can help you adapt your life, the things you can change, to feel your best.
For example, if you start to notice that you do indeed feel so much more productive and more social at the beginning of your cycle (your follicular phase), you can intentionally plan more times together with friends, do that deep clean you've been wanting to do of your house, or plan eventful weekends. You may feel more apt to a hard core workout that really gets you sweating and your heart rate up. On the flip side, knowing that maybe you don't feel as much energy during your later half of your cycle (your luteal phase) you can give yourself more grace to not be as productive, not do such rigorous activity and exercise. Maybe during this time of your cycle you do more walking and yoga as opposed to HIIT workouts or long runs.I think a lot of times we, as women, ignore the fact that we are cyclical beings and can easily demand ourselves to be equally active all of the time. Instead, if we live intuitively in our cyclical nature, we can tune into our body and understand why we wake up some days not feeling like working out and not feel like we're forcing ourselves to move and be what isn't natural for our bodies at that time.
It's an amazing thing, our cyclical nature. It's like our bodies have a natural way of helping us slow down and be all that it is to be a woman...loving, sensing, peaceful, gentle, kind. No, this doesn't mean I think women aren't powerful. In fact, I feel that understanding our cycles can empower us to be more of all great things women should be! Powerful in our own way, and gentle all the same.