Exercising in Sync with Your Moon Cycle

Whether we notice it or not, as women, we are deeply effected by our cyclical nature. There are 4 stages to our menstrual cycle which drastically effect our mental, physical and emotional capabilities. So why are we expecting ourselves to exercise in a linear fashion, like men?

This article proposes that we can, and should, harness the potential of our monthly cycles to our advantage and perhaps re-think our current linear approach to exercise.

Here we will look at:

• The cycles that hold the us, the world and the universe together

• Hormonal changes over 28 days and the YIN/YANG energy PLUS what exercise to do.

• Creating magic with your Menstrual Cycle

The cycles that hold the us, the world and the universe together

Our whole lives and surrounding environment are in a constant cyclical process. And yet, we keep pushing and pushing through our day to day lives as if it is they need to be going along straight road, until that is, we fall off the wagon or burn out. Then comes the guilt, shame and punishment. "Why can't I be like a man?" Er....because you are not!

With this approach to life, we can't live a healthy, magical and abundant existence. We need to work with our natural cycles not against them. To help strengthen my point, I will point you towards the traditional Chinese philosophy that places value on both Yin energy (dark, cool and nourishing) and Yang energy (light, heat and building) - which demonstrates that sometimes we need to be a bit more YIN and other times YANG, and also the transitions in between.

EVERYTHING is a cycle of Yin and Yang, including:

• Day and Night - the daytime is light and yang, and the night time is dark and yin.

• 28 day Moon Cycle (which is connected to our 28 day menstrual cycle) - The full brightness and yang at the full moon, and the darkness and yin at the new moon.

• Seasonal Cycles - Summer being when we have lots of light and heat, and Winter being the opposite when we have shorter days and cold.

What these cycles all have in common is that there is a period when there is more power and yang, and there is a time of more softness and yin. And they keep moving in and out of these phases. As women, we are particular effected by these cycles and so we can choose to work in harmony with them to them for own our advantage.

When we take the time to rest and be still, we restore our energy and have greater connection to our AWEsome feminine wisdom, and so when we come into our yang period we are more creative and have greater manifesting potential. It is very simple, in order thrive we need both yin and yang, as Grace Jones from 'Natural Beauty Expert' says:

"Yin and Yang are always in transition and transformation, and therefore cannot exist without one another." (Grace Jones)

Hormonal changes over 28 days and the YIN/YANG Energy PLUS what exercise to do

In order to understand how our menstrual cycle is effecting us on a monthly basis, it is important to look how our hormonal fluctuations correspond to our energy levels.

During your period: Your oestrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest. This is the most Yin part of your cycle. During the first few days it is beneficial to rest and honour the shedding of the last cycle so that we are cleansed and ready to manifest in this next month. Listen to your body and see if gentle exercise such as walking, cycling or yin yoga feels ok. Meditation is also powerful now.

After your period: Your oestrogen and progesterone levels will start to rise slowly. This is a transition from Yin - Yang phase, so the energy is starting to build. This transitional period may feel like a time that you naturally want to increase the intensity of your exercise to include interval training/HIIT or vinyasa yoga and marrying this with putting in time to create and draw new things into your life.

Ovulation: During this stage, oestrogen levels are at their peak, before sharply decreasing. Around this time is the most Yang part of the cycle. If you took the time to rest during your period, you are likely to feel most energised now, confident and wanting to move. Use this confidence to try a new form of exercise or go to Ecstatic dancing or vinyasa yoga.

Pre-menstruation: Your body has a surge in progesterone as it prepares for having a period. This is the transition from Yang - Yin. As your progesterone decreases the feeling maybe to draw inwards, so it is important to keep moving the body and so slower but conscious exercise such as Slow Flow Hatha yoga, Strength Training and definitely meditation, will be useful to keep relaxed and encourage emotions to flow through you.

To Summarise

By breakdown of the menstrual cycle, show us how we naturally build up towards Ovulation and then wind down as we get to your menstrual period. I think that naturally we do this, and if we intentionally exercise in sync with our menstrual cycles it will feel more nourishing and less shameful/guilt-ridden.

Creating magic with your Menstrual Cycle

The moon cycle is associated with the most sacred cycle that we possess within our bodies as women - our period. Have you ever wondered why a full cycle of the moon it is pretty much the same length as our own menstrual cycle? It is not be coincidence, and you will see why.

* Please note that some women have slightly longer or short menstrual cycles which often fluctuate throughout their lifetime, and this by no means an invitation to give yourself a hard time. It is simply a guideline, and you MAY actually find that the more time you spend connecting with nature and the moon the closer you are in sync with. Again if that doesn’t happen it is not an invitation to give yourself a hard time!

As you become more conscious of the 4 stages of your period and how you might choose to exercise, you also have the option of utilising them to manifest things into AND out of your life.

Many people are aware that there is significance to the Full Moon and New Moon.

But did you know that the New Moon is connected with your Menstruation and the Full Moon is connected with your Ovulation?

Start charting your next period by taking a look to see what stage the moon is at.

The Dark/New Moon is a time for planting new seeds and making wishes, hence why it is important to take the first few days to rest and turn inwards, and then start to increase your exercise regime. This means we have time to reflect first and re-energise, and then keep up with the naturally building the energy that harness the fruition of dreams around the time of the Full Moon.

The Full bellied Moon is where our planted seeds are more likely to flourish, however immediately after the bright moon comes the decline of energy and the perfect time to ask to release the things we no longer need. This is why pre-menstruation is widely known to be challenging time - it helps me to think of myself as detoxing mind/body/soul before the next New Moon. We all know what it feels like to go on a detox....pretty uncomfortable!

Try my FREE Moon Meditation

Everything is connected!

Once you experience the feeling of connection between your menstrual cycle, exercise regime and the moon cycle can you work these cycles into your daily conscious life for your own benefit and to live behind the idea of living life in a linear way. You can utilise your body and it’s natural cycles to 1. Manifest your dreams and 2. Clear out things not serving you on a monthly basis.

How cool is that?

With this in the forefront of my mind I have been drawing together my skills in Personal Training and Yoga to create experiences that encourage women to remember how to utilise their bodies to transform their lives!