Gift to Yourself: To Know Your Own Rhythm

There is hardly anything more gratifying—and more beneficial for the mind of a woman and people assigned female at birth —than practicing self-awareness through each phase of the menstrual cycle. It allows us to return to the simplest yet most important questions: What do I feel? What do I need right now? This practice helps us stay grounded, present, and connected to our inner selves even in the endless stream of obligations, feeds, news, and smallest attention thieves.

As estrogen rises and dips throughout the cycle, it affects serotonin levels, and with it, our self-perception. Thus, in the days leading to ovulation, one feels more satisfied with life vs. premenstrual days, with their apparent sadness and grief.

Awareness, and anticipation of what each phase brings become a solid ground for the skill of forecasting upcoming emotional states and modifying behaviour to decrease triggers. That is why awareness of where you are in your cycle makes your life simpler, and that is why cycle awareness matters so much.

There is power in saying—“I am in my premenstrual week,” “I am in the follicular phase,” “I just had ovulation”. It reshapes how we perceive and care for ourselves, as well as tells us about what lies ahead: a good time to take risks, to connect, to cozy up, or to reflect.

Every opportunity I have, I invite women to give themselves this gift: to recognize that they have inner flow, and connect with it. Pause now, and ask yourself: Where am I in my cycle? Identify the day, and get familiar with how it feels on a deep level, separating those true feelings from how you should feel out of obligations and expectations. Keep observing how long you will feel this way, and embrace the shift as the cycle moves along.

Trust me, the best gift you can offer yourself today is to find that feeling of flow with the most natural rhythm of womanhood and begin to feel whole.

Give the gift to yourself or read about Resilience and Cycle Awareness.