Inner Seasons of the Menstrual Cycle

Inner Winter

Inner winter is the time surrounding menstruation. It can be a wonderful time to go inward, cozy up and rest, rest, rest.

Your hormones are at their lowest levels during this time, and Alissa Vitti, author of Woman Code and In the Flo, explains that this drop in hormones allows the left and right sides of your brain to communicate with each other most efficiently during menstruation. This means it’s actually a great time to make assessments of your life or think about any hard decisions you need to make. It’s a time when the rational, logical side of the brain communicates easily with the emotional, creative side.

Lots of folks feel the need to slow down in their inner winter, and being required to go to work or have social engagements can feel hard or downright impossible for some. It can be a time of increased intuition, wisdom, clarity and stillness. Emotions can linger close to the surface. Feeling vulnerable is a good clue to slow down (even a tiny bit can help!) and take care of yourself.

When we treat this time as a sacred time of rest, it can bolster us for the rest of the cycle. Pushing through menstruation without recognizing this need to go inward can create difficult symptoms during your inner winter, but can also create burnout in other phases of the cycle. Everything is connected.

Inner Spring

Inner spring is the phase following your period and preceding ovulation. This is marked by a major increase in estrogen, which gives us energy and helps us to come out of our "period cave," or our winter hibernation mode.

This rise in energy can feel great for some, and it can manifest as anxiety and overwhelm for others. Jumping right back into our regular daily chores, social engagements and to do lists can feel overwhelming because we are still vulnerable and fragile, and a little tender from winter.

This phase is a great time for cardiovascular exercise, which can help burn some of that anxious energy. If you're feeling full of energy, it might be a great time to try something new, or schedule time with friends. You might notice an increase in libido, which is a great thing to give your partner(s) a heads up about!

The trick is not to overdo it in your inner spring. If you go too hard too fast, this can lead to burnout in other phases of the cycle. Take it slow as you re-enter the world and pay attention to how you feel. Stay grounded and be patient with yourself.

Inner Summer

Inner summer corresponds to the time around ovulation, which is one of the main events of the menstrual cycle. You can think of ovulation and menstruation like opposite poles of the cycle.

Did you know that you can predict when you will get your period if you track when you ovulate? The second half of your cycle, from ovulation to your next period, is very predictable in length; it's the first half that can fluctuate. Getting to know you own "normal" lets you plan for your next period.

Let's think of summer in two phases - pre-ovulation and post-ovulation. If you track your cervical fluid, you'll find that pre-ovulation is wet and slippery! Since your body is preparing to "lay an egg," your libido might be higher that usual. Often, there is a surge of energy during this phase. It can feel like you're at the top of a mountain, high on life and ready to give your love to everyone you meet. Schedule time with family and friends, do something extra special with your kids, try a HIIT workout, or pamper yourself in a way that makes you feel sexy and special.

Ovulation doesn't always feel like being on top of a mountain, though. It can feel exhausting for some, and if you are someone who doesn't feel your best during ovulation, this can give you clues about how to take care of yourself during this phase as well as the previous phases in your cycle.

Post ovulation, your energy might drop dramatically. After the surge of LH, FSH, testosterone and estrogen, hormone levels plummet. It can feel like all of a sudden and out of nowhere, you're a completely different person. Libido can drop suddenly after ovulation, and cervical fluid changes back to "dry" within a day. For some, it can feel like falling off a cliff. Having the awareness that this is a natural shift in your body can help you be more compassionate with yourself during this transition.

The key to summer is making hay while the sun shines and being really gentle with yourself as you start coming down post-ovulation.

Inner Autumn

The second half of the cycle (the luteal phase) is progesterone dominant. Progesterone is released after ovulation, causing a down turn in energy, but mid-way through this phase we also get another top up of estrogen before all of our hormones drop to their lowest levels right before we bleed again, starting the whole cycle anew.

Autumn is the most maligned season of the menstrual cycle. For some, it can be fraught with difficult symptoms of PMS, including mood swings and irritability, but let's hold some big space for the idea that it can also be a time of fire, creativity and speaking your TRUTH.

Tolerance for BS plummets in the inner autumn, and let's be honest there's a lot of BS out there, so it's no surprise that this phase of the cycle is when we are confronted by all kinds of uncomfortable truths.

Self care during this season might include more time alone, walks outside in nature, time to journal or take a bath, extra snacks (yes, your metabolism increases in this phase, so you DO need to eat more!), or extra sleep-ins to nourish your now progesterone dominant self. Resentment can build in this phase if we are not getting our needs met.

Our culture conditions women to be pleasant, accommodating and caring, and leaves very little room for women to take time for themselves and prioritize their own needs. It makes sense that when we reach our inner autumn, where the last thing we feel like doing is taking care of everyone else and where our truth is right at the surface, we can be impatient with the people around us.

If you are a menstruator, try asking for help from your family or friends so you can take care of your own needs. If you live with someone who menstruates, try offering a hand so they can take some time to themselves.

When we aren't fighting tooth and nail to get our needs met, we can use this fiery, truth telling, creative energy for good!