The magical language called your cycle.
- Nicole
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
For my 10 recommendations to bring balance back to your cycle & health, get my free FEMALE VITALITY CHECK-IN guide sheet by subscribing to my Female Vitality community
Did you know as women we have a language all our own, that our body speaks to us with?
This is how I like to visualize my cycle, as a magical language that my body and I can understand each other with. I think it is so amazing, and a true testament to Intelligent Design and a Creator, that our cycles are so intricately connected to the rest of our bodily systems, our heart and emotions, our stressors (inside or outside), our nutrition and our life situations and circumstances.
I wasn't always like this, I really didn't give my cycle or how my body really worked a second thought, when I was a young woman. I knew when I felt too full after a big meal, or didn't like that zit I got, but I was just so disconnected from my body's workings as a whole. I wasn't really listening, I wasn't respecting, I wasn't paying attention.
Now I can feel the subtle shifts of my energy as I approach ovulation, or I notice when I'm more on edge and then realize my bleed will be arriving soon, I notice when I have tons of energy, or when I just want to take a nap, when my head starts to hurt and I realize I haven't had enough salt that day or its time for my afternoon latte, I notice when my hands are shaky because I waited too long for lunch, or notice when I'm forcing myself to stay awake and watch that show, when my body is really telling me "turn off the light and close your eyes!"
And I try my hardest to live my life in tune with and honoring these signals.
And the way I started to understand my body's language, how to interpret my cycle, was by first learning to chart my cycle and REALLY understand what my body was going through each day and where I was at in my hormonal phases. It took me about 3 months to feel really comfortable with tracking and checking and charting, but after that it just became second nature.
And now, I have over 100 cycles worth of data that I can look back on! I also have all the confidence, knowledge and deep understanding of my body that comes along with that.
When you start seeing your cycle as something of value, something that gives you constant and reliable feedback, something that is communicating messages to you - I think you will be begin to appreciate it so much more.
I recently saw a post online where a woman was saying something like "between her PMS, her period, and her ovulation she only had 'like 3 hours' each cycle where she felt like herself." And I thought, no, all of those phases are YOU. Women are not some piece of themselves at a perfect point in their cycle, they are every moment of their cycles. (You could argue this if you're on hormonal birth control or other regular medications). All of those reasons you "don't like" your cycle or the different phases of your cycle, is your body speaking in the language she knows how to, to tell you that she needs something more from you.
Don’t negate this powerful language that your body speaks to you with. Learn to hear it!
Are your cycles out of balance? Do you feel tired most days, lightheaded or on edge? Are you not sleeping well? Do experience pain before or during your bleed? Does something just feel “off”?
I have experienced and still do experience some of these things throughout my cycles & life. When this happens, I try my best to observe and listen to what my body is telling me and then check-in on what I may be missing or forgetting about, then I implement gentle solutions to help.
Here are a few simple practices that may start a shift back towards more balance in your cycles, health and life:
+ LIGHT: do you let your eyes see natural sunlight in the mornings before you look at a screen or turn on lights in your home? Allowing your eyes to get natural light, by standing in the sun, sitting outside or simply opening a window is vital for setting up your circadian rhythm each day and building a daily foundation for your hormonal balance.
Blue light (from screens) first thing upon waking immediately spikes your cortisol. Your body sees it as “midday sun” and is confused why it is being asked to go from 0 to 100 right upon waking. It is not a great way to start your day. Open a window or step outside while your coffee or tea is brewing, while you much on a little snack and see if your body feels more at ease throughout your day.
+ STRESS: stress is a regular part of life and we have to be able to handle it and move with it, but regular, constant stress is detrimental to our health. (This is why you see presidents that look like they’ve aged 20 years in their 4 year term). Can you pinpoint some areas of your life that are constant stressors? Such as...not eating enough or not eating breakfast, unhealthy relationships, not resting especially during your bleed, not going to bed early enough, demanding job that never stops, working out too much, low carb diet (healthy sugars & carbs are your body’s favorite energy source), taking care of everything except yourself. Can you address some of these stressors and take some of the load off your sweet body and nervous system?
+ FUN: are you doing anything just for fun? Not partying or drinking heavily, but things that you do for enjoyment, laughter, good times. Something you don’t have to analyze, take photos of or share about, alone or in a group- good old fashioned lighthearted fun. Writing, painting, jump rope, playing sports (for fun), sewing, boogie boarding or surfing, gardening, reading, rollerblading. Having these peaceful activities gives your mind a bit of a break from all the things on your list, it brings joy and playfulness to your life, and it creates an environment where your nervous system can feel at ease.
And for the rest of my 10 recommendations to bring balance back to your cycle & health, get my free FEMALE VITALITY CHECK-IN guide sheet by subscribing to my Female Vitality community
.
Also, I invite you to check out my Women’s Circles (virtual & in-person) as well as classes for women about cycle tracking, postpartum and more on my Events Page.
Do you feel the deep connection with your cycle? I would love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below.
xoxo stay nourished,
Nicole
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