The feminine cycle has a direct effect on a woman’s moods, creativity, and energy levels. Recognizing the phases of her cycle and the hormones that are active during each phase gives a woman a sensitive relationship with herself. It enables her to keep her own life goals in focus, and enjoy her connection to all the cycles of Nature.

The hormone estrogen, which is active during the days before ovulation, causes a woman to feel more active, out-going, and creative. Adrenalin is also higher in a woman’s body at this time, and she will probably need to sleep less. In addition to the increase in energy, a woman can recognize the estrogen time by the wet, slippery feeling outside the vagina. Because of the increase of active energy, it is a great time to begin new projects, or finish up old ones. It is a real power time for a woman, power that can be harnessed to fulfill her personal goals.

The hormone progesterone, which begins to rise after ovulation, can cause a feeling of deflation compared to the high of the estrogen time. In addition to the quieting of emotions and energy, a woman knows she has entered the progesterone phase of her cycle because the wet slippery feeling disappears completely. As progesterone continues to rise and the time for menstruation nears, a woman may begin to feel more and more inward. This is another kind of creative energy. Taking advantage of the inward flow of energy at this time opens the inner doors of intuition, connecting a woman to her inner guidance.

The time of menstrual bleeding, when both estrogen and progesterone are low, is a natural time of solitude. Honoring the inner stillness at this time may invite the connection to soul and Spirit. A woman who honors the inward and outward flow of energy that is a natural part of her menstrual cycle has the potential to be more productive in her life, healthier in her physiology, and contented in her spirit.

Marie Zenack is a teacher of fertility awareness and a facilitator of women’s rites of passage. She lives in a spiritual community in rural Southeast Iowa, where she spends her time teaching, writing, meditating, gardening, cooking, and enjoying her grandchildren. http://www.menstrual-cycle-period.com/

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