Understanding the Cycle: More Than Just a Period
For a long time, the menstrual cycle was described in simplistic terms, almost like an afterthought.
You get a period.
It lasts a few days.
It can be uncomfortable.
Then it’s over.
But what about the rest of the month?
Little attention is given to what happens before or after the bleed. Why energy feels different from one week to the next. Why mood, focus, digestion, and even skin shift without an obvious cause.
The cycle became something women learned to tolerate instead of understand.
A few difficult days to manage quietly.
An inconvenience that shows up as cramps, breakouts, irritability, or that familiar sense of not quite feeling like yourself.
What often goes unspoken is that the cycle is much more than the bleed.
It is a month-long hormonal rhythm that influences how you think, move, recover, and relate to the world around you. When that rhythm is ignored, the changes can feel random. When it is understood, they begin to feel predictable.
Seen this way, the cycle stops being something to push through.
It becomes information.
Watch: Living With Your Cycle: A Conversation on Hormones, Energy & Self-Care
Why So Many Women Feel Disconnected From Their Cycle
Most women do not feel disconnected because they are not paying attention. They feel disconnected because they were never given the full picture.
For years, the focus was narrow:
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When might your period arrive
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How to manage it discreetly
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What to do if it is painful
Little was said about what happens during the rest of the month. About phases. About why energy, patience, appetite, and focus change.
Without that context, shifts start to feel personal. Low energy feels like a flaw. Irritability becomes something to override. Cravings feel inconvenient. Many women learn to ignore these signals because daily life does not make room for them.
Once the cycle is understood as a sequence rather than a single event, patterns become easier to recognize. Energy rises and falls for a reason. Sensitivity follows timing. Physical symptoms begin to make sense.
The 4 Phases of the Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle averages around 28 days, though many women fall slightly outside that range. What matters most is how the month unfolds.
Day 1 always begins with the first day of bleeding.
From this point, hormones rise and fall in a steady pattern that shapes energy, focus, mood, appetite, and physical sensitivity throughout the month.
Inner Winter: The Menstrual Phase (Days 1–7)
During menstruation, estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest.
When estrogen drops, outward energy drops with it. Focus narrows. Noise and stimulation can feel heavier. With progesterone also low, the body has less tolerance for sustained effort.
This is why many women feel more inward during this phase. The body is prioritizing release and repair.
This phase often supports:
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reflection and review
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slowing physical output
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noticing areas of tension
Many women reach for Frankincense & Castor Oil Roll-on during menstruation, especially for muscle tension or low back discomfort, applying it in the evening as the body settles.
Inner Spring: The Follicular Phase (Days 8–14)
As bleeding ends, estrogen begins to rise.
As estrogen increases, thinking becomes more flexible. Planning takes less effort than it did the week before. Energy returns gradually, without urgency. Digestion often feels more responsive during this phase as fluid balance stabilizes.
This phase often supports:
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planning and organizing
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brainstorming and learning
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reintroducing movement
Some women apply castor oil to the abdomen during this phase, especially if bloating lingers after menstruation, based on traditional use of Golden Castor Oil Roll-on for stomach comfort and digestive support. Curiosity tends to return here as well, making it a natural time to explore belly-button routines and topical approaches to hormone and sleep support.
Inner Summer: The Ovulatory Phase (Days 15–16)
Around ovulation, estrogen reaches its peak.
At this point, confidence and communication tend to feel more natural. Energy is more resilient and outward-facing. Many women notice it takes less effort to speak up, connect, or be visible. Skin often looks brighter or more even.
This phase often supports:
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collaboration and visibility
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meetings and presentations
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sharing completed work
During this brief window of higher output, many women simplify rather than add more. Combination routines like Trifecta tend to fit well here, especially for those already familiar with how it supports digestion, skin, and sleep together.
Inner Autumn: The Luteal Phase (Days 17–28)
After ovulation, progesterone rises and then gradually falls.
Early in this phase, progesterone supports focus and follow-through. As levels taper, sensitivity increases. Hunger, sleep changes, and lower tolerance for stimulation often follow.
This is why many women feel a stronger need for boundaries during this phase.
This phase often supports:
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finishing projects
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organizing and refining
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reducing stimulation
As evenings begin to feel heavier, many women reach for calming routines. Lavender is commonly used later in the cycle, applied at night as sleep and nervous system support become more important.
Supporting the Cycle in Simple Ways
Once the phases are understood, support often works best when it follows timing.
Across the month, this may include:
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adjusting food choices by phase
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practices like seed cycling
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using castor oil packs during lower-energy weeks
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exploring topical use as skin shifts, including castor oil for face and body care
These are not rules. They are ways to respond to what the body is already doing.
Hormones and Self-Trust
Most modern systems run on a 24-hour hormone cycle. Energy rises in the morning and falls at night. That rhythm works well for men.
Women operate on a longer timeline. A monthly hormone cycle shifts energy, focus, and tolerance across weeks rather than hours. When expectations stay flat, those shifts can feel disruptive.
When timing is understood, they become useful. Instead of questioning yourself, you recognize where you are. Effort becomes more intentional. Rest becomes strategic. Self-trust grows from knowing your timing and placing energy where it actually works.
Movement, Work, and Social Energy Across the Cycle
When you understand what’s happening in your body, daily tasks feel more manageable. Instead of frustration, there’s context. You recognize the phase you’re in, adjust accordingly, and move forward with clarity rather than resistance.
Menstrual Phase
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Movement: Gentle walks, stretching, or restorative yoga. Lifting less or skipping intensity is normal.
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Social: A stronger pull toward staying home is common.
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Work: Best for reflection, review, and planning rather than pushing output.
Follicular Phase
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Movement: Light to moderate workouts often feel good again.
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Social: Openness increases.
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Work: Ideal for planning, outlining, learning, and starting new projects.
Ovulatory Phase
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Movement: Higher intensity workouts and group classes often feel best.
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Social: Confidence and communication peak.
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Work: Well suited for execution, meetings, presentations, and sharing work.
Luteal Phase
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Movement: Energy tapers. Walking, Pilates, or gentle strength work usually feels better than pushing.
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Social: Many women prefer fewer commitments.
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Work: A strong phase for finishing projects, editing, organizing, and setting boundaries.
When movement, work, and social plans reflect these shifts, the month feels steadier and far less reactive.
Living With the Cycle
When you understand your cycle, it stops feeling like a limitation and starts functioning as a roadmap. Each phase carries information about energy, focus, and capacity. Instead of guessing how much you can do, you know. Instead of forcing consistency, you work with timing.
That knowledge is power. Not in a motivational sense, but in a practical one. It allows you to plan, decide, and move through life with less friction and more clarity. Living with your cycle is not about doing less. It is about using the intelligence of your body instead of overriding it.
Start Supporting Your Cycle
You do not need to change everything at once. Start by tracking your cycle in a way that feels sustainable. That might be a notes app, a journal, or a cycle-tracking app. What matters is consistency, not perfection.
Notice when energy rises, when focus sharpens, and when your body asks for more rest. Pay attention to patterns in mood, digestion, sleep, and motivation across the month. Over time, those patterns become familiar.
Once you understand how your cycle works for you, daily decisions get easier. You stop pushing on days that were never meant for output and stop doubting yourself when energy dips. That is where the real power of hormones lives. Not in control, but in understanding. Not in forcing consistency, but in learning how to move through life as a woman with clarity.
