I know what you thought, that it's going to be like that song, "Let's talk about sex", but no sorry, this is about a more interesting and at times taboo subject, called the period. Drum roll, please!
What exactly is a period? For those of you who don't know (hopefully, not many) a period is part of a woman's menstrual cycle. During ovulation, an egg is released and the womb of a woman is covered in endometrium lining, to help protect the embryo in case of successful fecundation. However, if fecundation does not occur, the egg and the lining will be eliminated during the bleeding days. Most women bleed for 5 days, with varying degrees of pain and uncomfortableness.
Because a cycle of a woman can last for 28 days, it is also sometimes referred to as "moon time". There are some people that disagree with that connotation and terminology, as they see it as untrue. A while ago I downloaded this book called "Vagina: A re-education". The moment she started slamming moon time, I stopped reading.
I am very much into woo-woo (I like supernatural and mystical stuff) but for the past 20 years since I got my period, I tracked it using the full moon. And let me tell you, except in a few instances it was always spot on. Now everyone is entitled to their opinion, and this might be too far out for some people, and that is fine. I try as much as I can to live with nature rather against it and I do believe that everything is energy and everything is connected. You can't tell me that a satellite up in the sky that has the power to move oceans has no effect whatsoever on the human body which usually contains 60% of water.
In ancient times, the stages of a woman were associated with the triple goddess or female archetypes. Maiden, Mother, (Wild Woman if pregnancy has not taken place) and Crone, these three stages are also associated with the menstrual cycle and womanhood.
Now, most of you might be very well acquainted with the period. But did you know that a woman's cycle has a total of 4 phases? I must admit I don't remember being taught that in school. The 4 phases are menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulation phase and luteal phase.
Let's have a look at them one by one and see how they affect the body.
1. Menstrual phase or as it is more commonly known the period
The cycle of a woman starts with the first day of her period. This is the time that the unfertilized egg from the previous ovulation phase is being released. Because pregnancy has not taken place, the levels of progesterone and estrogen drop. This phase can last from 3 days up to 1 week.
During this stage, a combination of blood, mucus and tissue from the uterus is released. Some symptoms include cramps, tender breasts, mood swings, irritability, headaches, tiredness, low back pain. I used to have them all. So fun.
In spiritual terms, this period is associated with the Crone, if you menstruate during the dark moon or new moon. Some women menstruate during the full moon. Usually, if you track your period during the moon cycle, (which I have been doing) you will notice that most women tend to move around a bit. This could be due to many things, like stress and hormone levels, taking the pill and coming off it to conceive, etc.
Now, what does it mean when you menstruate during the new moon or "white moon", as it is traditionally known. This cycle is more traditionally linked with fertility and motherhood. There is a surge in intuition for a "White Moon" woman, with a tendency of withdrawal and self-renewing. It is "you" time. Take a home spa day and relax. Let the world pass by, and enjoy some ice cream and binge watch some rom-com.
But if like me, you menstruate during the full moon or "red moon" you use your creative menstrual energy in an outward manner. In ancient times, bleeding during full moon was associated with shamanism, high priestess and healers. "Red Moon" women are said to focus their "darker" energies outward rather than inward, in order to nourish and teach others from their own experience.
In general, this is the time to focus your energy inward and release anything that isn't serving you mentally or emotionally. It's a great time for meditation and rest, reading the books that pile up on your nightstand.
2. Follicular phase
The follicular phase starts on the day that menstruation ends and finishes the moment the ovulation phase begins. In medical terms, what happens is that the hypothalamus sends a message to the pituitary gland to release a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The hormone stimulates your ovary to produce 5 to 20 sacs of follicles. Each follicle contains an immature egg.
Only the healthiest egg will eventually mature. Sometimes two eggs will reach maturity. The rest of the follicles will be reabsorbed by the body. The maturing follicle will set off a surge in estrogen that will thicken the lining of the uterus. This phase usually lasts for around 16 days.
Usually during this phase energy levels are high. It's time to focus on the external world and all the things that we want to accomplish. We now have energy to do so. This is the time of the Maiden or Virgin. We feel good, flirtatious and sexy.
In terms of exercising, with renewed energy levels, HIIT workouts and cardio workouts are best during this time.
3. Ovulation phase
This phase of the cycle is pretty self-explanatory. It's the release of the egg from the ovary and the possibility of creation of life. Ovulation is the only time within the cycle that a woman can get pregnant.
This is the peak of feminine creativity corresponding to the Mother archetype. Women have increased sexual energy, increased intuition and it's the perfect time to start new projects, give birth to new ideas or create new life.
This period is the best used to get in touch with our feminine side doing perhaps some low impact cardio workouts, everything that might have a dynamic but still rather feminine feel to it, like ballet-inspired workouts that will bring the heart rate up.
4. Luteal phase or more commonly known as PMS-phase
Once the follicle released the egg, the structure will become known as a corpus luteum. It will release mainly progesterone but also some estrogen. These hormones will keep the lining thick and ready for a fertilized egg to implant.
If you get pregnant, your body will start to produce the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is the hormone picked up by the pregnancy tests. Corpus luteum and the lining is kept in place and thick by this hormone.
If, on the other hand, pregnancy does not occur, the corpus luteum withers and dies, progesterone levels fall and the unfertilized egg together with the lining will be shed and the cycle begins anew.
This is also the time a lot of women will start experiencing the usual symptoms of PMS, like bloating, breast swelling, pain and tenderness, mood changes, headaches, weight gain, changes in sexual desire, food cravings and trouble sleeping.
It is normal to feel hungrier during this period. Energy levels are low, and no matter how long you sleep, you wake up feeling tired. Honour your body. Do not stop yourself from eating whatever it is you crave. If you want some crisps, then have some and indulge mindfully.
This period is associated with the Wild Woman archetype. She is her own self, unapologetically. In terms of working out, pilates or yoga are beneficial, something that does not require a lot of energy.
So there you have it. A woman's natural cycle. Just to make something clear, I am no doctor or specialist in anything medically related to a woman's cycle. These are things that I have researched myself, read in books and sought out. I do feel that sometimes as women we are not really given a manual on how our bodies work.
I have a Garmin app were I track my period but also use the usual way to track it, by looking when a full moon is due. That's how I know I am nearing my period. One of the more important reasons why I started tracking my period religiously is that my cool brother sent me a wonderful tea to help with my terrible PMS-ing and excruciating pains I have with my period. It's an amazing tea I drink every day during my PMS phase and I can totally see and feel the difference. I have almost no symptoms during my PMS phase and my period pain is less. For the past 3 months as well, I have exercised following a calendar workout plan specifically made for a woman's body and the way our hormones affect us, and it could be a combination of those two.
One of the first books I read about the period was Miranda Gray's "Red Moon", and since then I read a number of other books relating to menstruating, like "Moon Time" by Lucy H. Pearce and "Journey to the Dark Goddess" by Jane Meredith.
I also read other books about female empowerment and the female archetypes. One of my favourites is Tanishka and her books "Goddess Wisdom" and "Inner Goddess Makeover". There are nowadays so many resources out there that support a woman's path, find the one that speaks to you and follow it unapologetically, like the wild woman we all are.
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