Honoring Our Sacred Cycles: A Journey Back to Feminine Wisdom

For years, I fought against my natural rhythms. I pushed through fatigue, ignored my body's calls for rest, and tried to maintain the same energy level every single day of the month. I thought being a strong woman meant powering through everything, never acknowledging the ebb and flow of my natural cycles.

Then I learned about cyclical living, and everything changed.

Our culture expects women to be consistently productive, consistently available, consistently "on." But our bodies weren't designed to work this way. We have natural seasons—times of energy and creativity, times of reflection and restoration. When we honor these rhythms instead of fighting them, magic happens.

I started tracking my cycle not just for reproductive purposes, but to understand my energy patterns, emotional shifts, and creative peaks. What I discovered amazed me. During my follicular phase, I'm naturally more social and optimistic—perfect for scheduling important meetings and social events. My ovulatory phase brings confidence and clarity, ideal for presentations and difficult conversations.

The luteal phase, which I used to dread for its emotional intensity, became my most productive time for detailed work and planning. And menstruation, rather than being something to hide or power through, became a sacred time of rest and intuitive insight.

Learning to live cyclically wasn't just about understanding my menstrual cycle—it was about reconnecting with the ancient wisdom that women have carried for millennia. Before electric lights and 24/7 connectivity, women naturally aligned with lunar cycles, seasonal changes, and their own inner rhythms.

I began planning my month around my cycle. I schedule important projects during my high-energy phases and protect my need for solitude during my introspective times. I eat different foods to support my changing nutritional needs—iron-rich meals during menstruation, plenty of healthy fats during luteal phase.

The changes in my life have been profound. My PMS symptoms virtually disappeared when I stopped fighting my need for rest and started honoring it. My creativity flourished when I learned to work with my natural rhythms instead of against them. Relationships improved as I became more attuned to my own needs and better at communicating them.

I've learned that pain during menstruation isn't normal or necessary. When we support our bodies with proper nutrition, stress management, and natural movement, periods can be comfortable—even empowering. Cramp-free cycles are possible when we treat our reproductive system with the respect it deserves.

Seed cycling became part of my routine—eating pumpkin and flax seeds during the first half of my cycle to support estrogen production, then switching to sesame and sunflower seeds to boost progesterone. Simple herbal teas like red raspberry leaf and nettle nourish my reproductive system naturally.

Teaching my daughters about cyclical living has been one of my greatest joys. Instead of learning to hide their periods or see them as inconvenient, they understand their cycles as sources of power and wisdom. They track their energy and emotions, learning to plan and prepare based on their natural rhythms.

The practice extends beyond menstrual cycles to seasonal living as well. Winter becomes a time for introspection and planning. Spring brings new projects and fresh energy. Summer is for abundance and activity. Fall calls for harvest and preparation. Working with these larger cycles creates a sustainable rhythm for the whole year.

Modern life makes cyclical living challenging—deadlines don't care about our luteal phase, and society expects constant availability. But even small acknowledgments of our natural rhythms can make a huge difference. Taking extra rest during menstruation, eating foods that support hormonal health, or simply being gentler with ourselves during low-energy times.

I've learned that our cycles aren't weaknesses to overcome but superpowers to embrace. The intuitive insights that come during menstruation, the creative energy of ovulation, the organizational skills of the luteal phase—these are gifts that our culture has taught us to ignore or suppress.

Connecting with other women who honor their cycles has created community in unexpected ways. We support each other's rhythms, understanding when someone needs space or energy. We celebrate the phases of life—not just the reproductive years, but menopause as a transition into elder wisdom.

This journey back to cyclical living has taught me that true strength isn't about being the same every day—it's about being authentically ourselves at every phase. When we honor our natural rhythms, we give ourselves permission to be fully human, fully woman, fully powerful in all our many phases.

Our grandmothers knew these secrets. It's time we remembered them too.