The Patriarchy’s Best Kept Secret
Hi again Reader,
April was full of aha moments for me.
To piggyback off of what I previously shared about burnout and my new self-care practice of "finishing things" due to the Zeigarnik Effect, I stumbled upon some related ancient wisdom that is an absolute game changer for women.
As someone who is very self-aware and a life-long learner, involved in women's studies and personal/spiritual development, I'm shocked that this is new to me.
This is the Patriarchy's best kept secret!
Are you familiar with Cyclical Living? It's a woman's perfectly engineered tool for productivity, creativity and avoiding burnout.
I've known about the historic Red Tent and indigenous practices of taking rest during menstruation, which I've honoured for years.
I follow the moon cycles and carry out rituals on the new/full moon, deeply aware of my energy during the latter.
But I've only ever tracked my period for birth control and trip planning. Until now.
Never did I notice how it all worked together. Women are such divine creations.
I've discovered that a woman's menstrual cycle mirrors not only the phases of the moon (hence, why it's called the "moon cycle", another clue I missed!) but also nature.
Living in a linear (masculine) world, there's an expectation that women feel and act the same way, day in and day out. But only men are designed for daily consistency due to having a 24-hour testosterone cycle, while our hormone cycle follows a 28ish-day timeframe.
Which means, throughout a month we have our own personal winter, spring, summer and fall which align perfectly with the same energy of the seasons.
And, when we sync our activities to the appropriate cycle/season, we access a very powerful productivity hack and source of energy management.
Here's a cheat sheet of how the phases of the menstrual cycle align energetically with the phases of the moon and seasons.
Menstrual = New Moon = Rest + Reflect + Evaluate = WINTER
Follicular = Waxing Moon = Brainstorm + Plan + Initiate = SPRING
Ovulation = Full Moon = Communicate + Connect + Be Visible = SUMMER
Luteal = Waning Moon = Focus + Attend to Details + Complete Projects = AUTUMN
Knowing what the brain is primed for during the luteal phase, for example, clearly explains why I was so efficient in "completing things" just before my trip to Mexico, as well as catching up on two years of taxes before my last period.
This is such a rich topic, I recommend this talk with Dr. Mindy and Kate Northrup to dive deeper.
It's quite ironic that I'm only learning about this at the end of my menstrual life.
But, better late than never because even if you don't have a period (whether pregnant, nursing, (post)menopause, etc.,) this "feminine time management system" still applies. Here's a helpful read on how to track things if you fall into one of the above categories.
In light of this new awareness, I'm experimenting with my upcoming projects.
1) It's time to bring back the 'Happy Hour' and I've scheduled the next one for the Full Moon - the cosmic time of celebration, collaboration and connection. If you've purchased my ebook and have yet to attend your free session, reply back for the link and join me on Sunday, June 4th at 11:11am PT (2:11 ET).
2) Next, I am officially launching THE LOUNGE paid membership in late June, during the spring of my cycle. Part of it will include a weekly CoWerking container. Come try it out beforehand as my guest on May 18th, 25th and June 1st (11-1pm PT/2-4pm ET).
CoWerk is a combo of the original 1-hour 'Mini Swaddle' and my silent 2-hour co-werking sessions. The first half hour is a check in for those who want connection and extra accountability. Unpack what you're working on, ask for help, pitch your biz, get laser coaching and hand-holding, if needed.
The last hour and a half will be carried out in silence to take action on that dreaded task, things you've been avoiding, your finances, regular workload or any needed self-care.
For my introverts who just want a space to focus or self-nurture inside of a quiet community of women, you can jump in for the second part (11:30am PT/2:30pm PT onwards). Come late, leave early, camera on/off during this portion is cool. Join here.
I hope part, if not all, of this serves you as deeply as it has me.
PS If you are new here, welcome. Be sure to whitelist my email so I don't get trashed. ❤