Welcome! I’m Cassidy, your guide in love, pleasure, and purpose. Today, we’re diving into an important topic—cycles—and specifically how they show up in women's lives.
I'll share how you can navigate and work with these cycles to bring more alignment and flow into your life. If that resonates with you, keep reading!
Cycles Are Everywhere
So when we look around at life, at nature, we start to notice that everything in life, everything in nature is in cycles. We, of course, have the cycles of the seasons. We have cycles of life and death. And then individually, we have cycles of expansion and contraction. Cycles are life; they're all around us.
Women’s Connection to Cycles
Now, women have a particularly deep connection to cycles because of our menstrual cycle and because of the way that we grow life and give birth. But when we look at the structures that are set up around us in our society, we can start to notice that they really aren't optimized for women's cycles.
Most workplaces follow the 9 to 5, Monday to Friday structure or something similar. And this is really a lot more optimal for a man's body. A man has a daily hormonal cycle where their hormones reset every 24 hours. And this is really optimal for being able to show up every day consistently and, you know, work in a steady way like that.
However, a woman's body, of course, has closer to a 28-day, give or take, cycle of fluctuating hormones. So while in one phase of her cycle, she might feel that energy to get out and accomplish and do the things, in another part of her cycle, she might feel like just being alone, not doing anything, going inward. And unfortunately, our society, for the most part, is really not set up to allow for a woman to follow her cycle and to respect the impulses of her body.
The Importance of Embodiment
So a really important part of embodiment as a woman is learning to tune into the rhythm of our cycle and to really listen to the body's needs at different parts of the cycle. Now, when we don't do this, it can really start to create some imbalances and some challenges in the body physically and energetically.
That's something that I definitely experienced even as early as high school. Being a teenager who has a menstrual cycle but still needing to show up every single day at the same time to school, no matter how I was feeling, I remember getting horrible, horrible cramps to the point where I would have to go home and sometimes I would even end up vomiting from the pain.
And looking back, there was this expectation that there's no difference whether you're in a female body or a male body. You show up every day, and you're expected to be consistent and to perform every day, regardless of what's happening in your body.
My Experience with Birth Control
Now, when I was about 17 or 18, I went on to hormonal birth control, which actually suppresses the cycle entirely.
So instead of getting this fluctuation of hormones throughout the month, your hormones are basically just flatlined.
And so for many years, this hormonal birth control really suppressed the ups and downs of my cycle. And over time, this meant that I just became really disconnected from my body because I couldn't feel the ups and downs. I couldn't follow that natural rhythm that would have been present otherwise.
Working Hard, Feeling Burnt Out
So years into being on birth control, I found myself working really hard in real estate as an agent and getting started with my husband Matt in our real estate investment business. And I was really showing up for the grind, you know, showing up, trying to be consistent every day, showing up no matter how I was feeling and getting done what needed to get done. But I really started to feel burnt out.
As I started to tune into my body more, it just didn't feel right to be putting those hormones in my body anymore. So I decided to go off of the hormonal birth control and get a copper IUD instead, that has no hormones, and I was able to then start to feel the ups and downs of my cycle a little bit more at that point.
And I'd be trying to work consistently, but then I'd be wondering, why is it that one week I feel super motivated, like I can tackle anything, on top of the world, and then the next week I feel like everything is overwhelming, I don't want to do anything, nothing is working?
Learning About My Cycle
When I started learning about the phases of my cycle, it brought so much understanding and self-acceptance to my changing energy, my changing moods, and really helped me start to live in a way that was more in alignment with what my body was needing at any given stage in my cycle.
And I didn't only notice this with myself but also with clients that I coach. When I walk them through the phases of the cycle, I see this light bulb go off. It brings so much self-understanding and self-acceptance.
Now, let’s talk about the phases of the menstrual cycle and the qualities of each of these phases.
1. Menstrual Phase (Winter)
That's, of course, the part of our cycle where we are bleeding, we are releasing, shedding, letting go. And this lines up with the winter season, the time when things are more still and more dormant. This is a really good time for turning inward. For the most part, we tend to want to be in our own space.
We tend to get a little bit more introspective and feel more sensitive as well. So you can honor this phase of your cycle with a lot of rest, with opportunities for reflection, like journaling, and with nourishing your body with warm and hearty foods. The winter menstrual phase is also associated with the new moon.
2. Follicular Phase (Spring)
This is when your hormone levels are starting to rise again. You're starting to feel this fresh energy in your body, and it has that springtime quality. It's all about new beginnings, new possibilities.
And this is a really great time to put new projects in motion or to make plans, really to plant seeds for yourself. And this spring is also associated with the half moon.
3. Ovulation (Summer)
This is typically the time when we feel the most energized and when we feel like our energy is most outward-focused. So this is a really good time for social events or for things like presentations. This is the time when you just feel like getting things done, like you're unstoppable.
So take advantage of that energy and try to schedule those things, like social events, presentations that require that energy during that ovulation time, so that you have great energy to bring to it. This summer phase is also associated with the full moon.
4. Luteal Phase (Fall)
And then after the summer phase, we start to move into fall. So this is also called the luteal phase, and we're moving toward the menstrual cycle again. This is when our energy level starts to drop a little bit and our energy starts to turn more inward.
This is a really good time to wrap up projects, to tie up loose ends, to organize, clean things. It's a really good time just for, like, completion. And you might find during this part of your cycle that you're feeling less like going out, socializing, being in that outward energy, and your focus starts to turn more inward.
During this time of the cycle, we can also start to become aware of things that aren't working in our lives or that don't feel like they're in alignment.
So it's really good to notice those things as they arise. Often, that can show up in the form of like heightened sensitivity, right? Irritability, or those other symptoms of PMS that we often notice.
If we really pay attention to those, there's often something underlying that's not working for us. And this phase is a really good opportunity to do that investigating and to look at different areas of our lives a little bit more closely. And this is again associated with the half moon in the fall.
Honoring Your Cycle
The most important takeaway from all of this is to listen to your body. By tracking how you feel during each phase, whether in a notebook or through a cycle tracking app like Clue, you’ll be able to align your life with your energy levels and emotional needs. This will help reduce the dramatic swings and allow you to move through each phase of your cycle with more ease.
When you start honoring your cycle, you’ll notice fewer painful periods, less emotional upheaval, and a smoother flow from one phase to the next. I know for me, once I understood how my body worked, I no longer had to fight against my natural rhythms. Instead, I embraced them, which brought more peace and clarity.
The Need for Flexibility in Our Lives
Our culture tends to celebrate the "summer" phase of our cycles—productivity, results, and outward energy. But we don’t often celebrate the winter phase, the time for rest and stillness. However, it’s during these "quiet" phases that so much is happening beneath the surface, preparing for the growth that will come in the spring. Every phase has its value.
Your cycle is not something to fight against. By being more flexible and compassionate with yourself, you can start to work with your natural rhythms, not against them. And it’s not just about you—it’s important to bring this awareness into your relationships too. Share your cycle with your partner so they can understand your changing energy and emotions, especially when it comes to intimacy and desire.
Conclusion: Embrace Your Cycles
I hope this blog post helps you get curious about your own cycle and how it affects your life. By understanding the phases of your cycle, you can start to align your life with your body’s needs and create a more harmonious flow.
Remember: You don’t have to fit yourself into rigid structures. Honor your cycles, listen to your body, and find ways to incorporate flexibility into your daily routine.
If you’re ready to explore how your body’s natural rhythms can guide you to a more aligned and balanced life, I invite you to download my free guide on how to optimize your cycle and energy levels. Let’s take this journey together!