We somehow forget that we are cyclical.
No matter if the world has gone crazy with performance culture, we are not supposed to always go, go, go!
We all have 4 inner-seasons matching the 4 phases of our menstrual cycle and learning to work WITH your cycle instead of around it, will bring more balance in your life.
It will even help you get your creative power flowing.
Think about it for moment. As you align with nature’s cycles, you also align with the intelligence of the natural world. You feel less crazy, flawed and separate, and you feel more like you belong to the whole web of life.
Even if you are not menstruating at this time in your life, your hormones will still bring you up, down and all around - we all feel the cycles. Our moods, emotions, arousal, energy, and focus fluctuate week after week according to the seasonality of our hormones.
If we haven’t retreated and restored enough during our inner-winter (bleeding time), and planted the seeds of renewal during our inner-spring, we won’t enjoy the inner-summer the same way and won’t fully collect the gifts of our inner-fall.
So instead of pretending that we are not fluctuating, let’s use the cyclical wisdom of our bodies to support creating the life we desire!
Knowing that our desires and emotions are designed to come and go, ebb and flow has been such a release for me. I have been practicing cycle awareness for a while now and it has really impacted my life.
Aligning with my cycles doesn’t prevent me from feeling the ups and downs but it does make them feel more natural, more workable. It has also taught me when to be more productive, creative and also when to rest and surrender.
This week I wanted to share a simple practice to help you align with your cycles that comes from Liyana Silver:
>> Cycle Awareness Practice:
Step 1
Notice and note where you are in your cycle: know what day you are on. Bring day-to-day presence to the inner-season you are in.
Step 2
At the end of each day for at least a month, begin to record your predominant emotion, energy and belief that day. You’ll likely see your month split into two different stage of the death/rebirth cycle.
Death or fall/winter, when your emotions will likely be more tender, introspective, judgmental. This is when your energy will mostly be more inward, slow, and where your thoughts will be marked by questioning, doubting, and dreaming.
Rebirth or spring/summer, when your emotions will likely be more lively, confident, and joyful. This is when your energy will mostly be more outward, click, clear. And your thoughts will be marked by daring, deciding, generosity and enjoyment.
Step 3
Organize your calendar: put this stage of the death/rebirth cycle on your calendar. You can color code fall/winter in one color and spring/summer in another color. Project this stages out into the next six months so you can really map out for yourself this death/rebirth cycle as it lives in you.
You will be able to schedule more meetings, presentations, hot dates, vigorous exercise, and productivity for your spring/summer stages.
And add more acts of self-care, sleep, languid love-making, gentle forms of exercise and extra time to dream for the fall/winter stages.
❤
Camille