The female body is an extraordinary feat of engineering. Did you know that the cervical tissue is one of the most elastic parts of our anatomy? Keep reading to find out more amazing facts about your body and your menstrual cycle.
Understanding your cycle helps you understand yourself better. Remember the time you had a massive fight and can’t even understand why you were so angry? Or you burst into tears at a movie that never used to make you cry? Or got really upset when someone said something to you that, come to think of it, wasn’t even hurtful. In the same way knowing in advance what the weather is like helps you dress for it, knowing the phase and season of your cycle helps you prepare and look after yourself better.
THE TWO PHASES OF YOUR CYCLE
FOLLICULAR PHASE
It starts with your period until the moment you ovulate.
There’s a race and fertility is the prize. It starts in the ovary, where many follicles are competing to see which is the dominant one. This one will be The Chosen One which develops into an egg and runs the marathon. The rest will be reabsorbed by the ovary.
After your period, your endometrium (the lining of your uterus) is thickening to prepare for an embryo. Think of it as your uterus wanting to wrap up your potential baby to keep it warm.
In the follicular phase you have two seasons: Winter and Spring
WINTER – your period (however long or short it may be, mine for example lasts 3-4 days so I have a longer Spring)
Take time for self-care! You might be more emotional and vulnerable, exercise your right to say No during this time, especially because you might not be feeling very sociable.
SPRING – time for recess
Most motivational and creative time (typically). Your self-esteem and energy levels will probably go up, take advantage and create new habits or projects during this time.
LUTEAL PHASE
It goes from ovulation to the last day before your period.
The Chosen One travels to the Fallopian tube and gets excited about being fertilised. If it isn’t, it will then travel to the uterus where it is reabsorbed.
The endometrium then starts shedding, which causes your period bleeds. It is not the unfertilised egg, as many myths will have you believed.
In the Luteal phase you have two seasons: Summer and Autumn
SUMMER – feeling hot
Yes, this is usually when libido peaks! You feel social and your communication is at its best. Also, you feel prettier and you’re probably at your most productive phase.
AUTUMN – take a step back and analyse
You become someone who has no filter, be careful with your words! However, anything that comes up during this time was there all along and it really matters to you. Listen to yourself, analyse and make smart decisions.
There are so many different essential oils that support you in the different phases and seasons of your cycle. I share information about this on my Facebook group, which you can access for free if you buy the Starter Kit via this link. If you are curious about what the Starter Kit is, go read all about it!
Remember that while it is often said that a typical cycle is 28 days (4 weeks), every woman is different. The best way to know when you are in your different cycles is through cycle tracking. If you’d like to learn, I highly recommend to use a tracking app, such as Clue.
