Menstrual Cycle Awareness Guide
Your body has a built in life-death-rebirth cycle every single month.
Every menstruation is a portal to a potential ego death, where we can begin anew - new perspectives, new dreams, new goals, and shedding anything we are no longer wanting to carry into the next cycle. This is the ever-shifting, evolving, creative, intuitive, inherent wisdom within every single person with a womb (or has once had a womb - cycle wisdom continues into menopause, including for those who have had hysterectomies).
Note: this graph is a generalization of a cycle. Ovulation does not always happen on day 14, which will be explained in greater depth below.
Your cycle consists of:
2 phases - follicular and luteal
2 events - menstruation and ovulation
Important:
The following charts on the phases and events of the menstrual cycle are guidelines - and only that. What is true for you any particular day takes precedence over what your read here or from any other source. If you are near ovulation, and you read in the activity column “high intensity workout”, but you would rather take a nap or an easy stroll, that’s MORE than okay - honor what your body is actually communicating.
Pay the most attention to the “energy” column and the information given below each chart (especially for those with a history of body dysmorphia and/or disordered eating). The most impactful way to connect to your cycle is through your energy. Everything else follows as long as you are in tune with the energy of the phase.
The Portal of Menstruation
Bright red blood marks Day 1 of the follicular phase, menstruation typically lasts 3-7 days
Menstruation is an event, a portal, to your deepest intuition. This is a time to reflect on the previous month, and set intentions for the next month.
“Do” as little as possible, and focus on “be”ing with your Self. Spend time doing nothing, away from others if possible. Let yourself be bored, or go lie in the sun!
Stay receptive to messages/intuitions regarding what is true for you in your work and home life (even if they don’t make logical sense). Journal/free-write if that feels supportive.
If you are a mother, if possible once a quarter, once every 6 months, or once a year, ask for someone to take over parenting duties so you can spend a bleed really going inwards without consistently attending to the needs of others.
When we are working, parenting, or doing the tasks that we absolutely need to do while we are menstruating - you can do these necessary tasks in a different energy. You can show up to work while honoring the slowness, intuitive, and inward energy. Maybe you’ll only engage in conversation that’s absolutely necessary, and save the small talk. Maybe you’ll plan your week so that there are fewer tasks to do in this week. Maybe you’ll prepare meals for yourself and kids that require less work - like a one-pot or a crock pot recipe. Start brainstorming how you can support yourself to stay in the menstrual cave for your next bleed while still completing your necessary daily activities.
The Follicular Phase
Day 1 of bleeding through day of ovulation.
This phase is like riding up an incline of a hill. Day 6 versus Day 12 of follicular will feel different! Even day 6 and day 7 will feel different.
Early follicular energy is much more attuned to menstrual energy, and late follicular energy is much more attuned to ovulation energy. The in-between days are a unique variation between the two.
Focus on slowly and intentionally coming out of menstruation and into the higher energy state - You are more likely going to enjoy the higher energy state of late follicular/ovulation if you have actually RESTED enough during early follicular/menstruation.
The Surge of Ovulation
This is a 12-24 hour event that marks the end of the follicular phase and beginning of the luteal phase.
The exact date that you ovulate depends on many health and environmental factors - can be as early as day 6, or way later depending on your cycle length!
Only about 10-20% of women ovulate on day 14.
Your ovulation date will likely vary in-between your individual cycles.
Biologically, the egg “attracts” the sperm to it.
Energetically, when we ovulate we are in a state of “attracting” to us what we desire. Speaking becomes more fluent and easier, our skin tends to glow a bit more, and sometimes we feel more confident and outgoing in this phase.
While we are fertile, our womb becomes receptive to “social intuition”. In contrast to the inward intuition we experience in menstruation, this is an outward intuition more focused on those outside of us. We are particularly receptive to social cues. Studies show we experience increased emotion recognition accuracy, and stronger cognitive empathy (understanding another person’s perspective).¹
Note that not everyone experiences increased confidence and positive feelings during ovulation. For many women, the heightened state feels jarring and can lead to mood swings or emotional sensitivity. If this is your experience, hold yourself with so much love and compassion as you navigate the sharp ups and downs of the hormonal changes here. Seek professional help if these mood changes feel challenging or disruptive to your life.
Sometimes, rather than going to a social gathering, we actually feel like taking 4 extra naps. Take the nap. Every ovulation (and every cycle) will feel different.
The Luteal Phase
Starts immediately after ovulation through the next Day 1 of menstruation
Physically, our bodies don’t actually know if we’ve conceived until 1-2 weeks into the luteal phase. Your body is maintaining and protecting the uterine lining as if you were pregnant.
Energetically, our bodies go into energy conservation mode. We are not meant to expend energy on much other than protecting ourselves, our family, our womb, and potential pregnancy. Of course, there will be other tasks for work and home that need to be done, but stay in an energy of slowness and ease as you do these tasks when possible.
This is the ultimate self-care phase (along with menstrual!). In this luteal phase, set yourself up for a quiet menstrual phase by tying up loose ends (work tasks, home tasks) so you can rest while you bleed.
Eat enough calories! Our caloric intake increases about 200-300 calories/day in this phase. (Ever get super hangry before your period? This is why!)
Be protective with your self-care rituals and your boundaries, especially in later in the luteal phase as you approach menstruation.
Cycle awareness practice
Each day, take a moment to reflect on your cycle day, and how you are feeling physically, energetically, and emotionally. Write down a few words, or journal as much as you want, with your cycle day in mind.
Example:
April 21, cycle day 22
Physically: slept in late, a bit tired during the day, enjoyed some sunlight
Energetically: enjoying focusing on detail-oriented tasks and moving slowly today
Emotionally: feeling grateful for my pet, feeling emotionally sensitive, giving myself grace
I originally learned this practice from Veronica Rottman, IG @wakingwomb.
Do Not Reproduce Without Permission.
Study cited: Derntl B, Hack RL, Kryspin-Exner I, Habel U. Association of menstrual cycle phase with the core components of empathy. Horm Behav. 2013 Jan;63(1):97-104. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.10.009. Epub 2012 Oct 23. PMID: 23098806; PMCID: PMC3549494.
