Some of you will of already met Natasha from Forage Botanicals on my podcast, Nature and Nourish, where she was a guest. Natasha is a powerhouse of wisdom in the field of women’s health and in particular, periods. In this guest post she shares with us how to see the cyclical way our hormone cycles flow through our lives.

Nature can be a balm to the suffering of people-kind. But we often struggle in modern day life to
feel any connection with it. We struggle to remember we were ever even a part of it. In our cities it
can appear as though we have conquered nature. Won that long-lived war. We have harvested it’s
resources, built on its land, and created technology to side step issues like the finite amount of
drinking water, and food. But we feel something is missing. Many of us have fantasised about
leaving the city behind, and re-wilding ourselves. Some have even done it. But one way we can
re-awaken our connection with nature, as a person with a period, is to live in tune with our own
hormone cycle.


People with periods will be familiar with the idea of their moods changing with their hormones.
But it’s less well known that your physical and mental abilities change with that cycle too. We
have begun to divide the cycle of the hormones into 4 parts, sometimes using the moon as
metaphor, sometimes the seasons. Each have their strengths and weaknesses. Here they are:


Spring (pre-ovulatory phase)
Your energy has built up since you bled and this is when you’ll start to want to go out and socialise again. It’s
a good time to make plans, and communicate anything to your loved ones that you discovered during the
menstrual or premenstrual phase.


Summer (ovulatory phase)
This is the peak of your energy for most people. It’s also when you’re feeling most sexy and sociable. Make
the most of it by going out or booking in those important meetings. You will feel confident and be at your
best for communication. Words will flow freely from your mouth. You’ll feel like you’ve had some of the
luck potion, Felix Felicis, from Harry Potter!


Autumn (premenstrual phase)
It’s normal to feel easily irritated and moody during this time because your energy reaches a natural low
point. Communication skills are at their lowest but your instincts are heightened. If there is a contradiction
between your instincts and what you are able to do this causes friction and irritability, which you’re not very
good at expressing in a considered way. It tends to all come tumbling out in angry or tearful outbursts
instead. To be on the safe side, we usually pick a tiny, insignificant pet-hate to lay into so we can express the
feelings without actually making any real progress. It’s pretty impressive. I have found that if I’m able to
actually have downtime to relax, lessen my work load and eat well then my irritability and tearfulness just
doesn’t occur. I implore you to experiment with using this phase to transition into a time of self-reflection
and solitude.


Winter (menstrual phase)
You may be feeling introspective, or hermit-like. If you can’t get this space and time to yourself the outside
world can get pretty tiring and annoying. Try to carve out as much me-time during your bleed as possible.
Alternatively, you might be one of those people who, as soon as they bleed feel relieved, and find their
energy starts to build. I was one of those people. If that’s you, still try to take it easy and slowly build
yourself back up into outgoing life. Try to rest just a touch longer, or spend the energy you do have on
yourself, rather than prioritising others.


Just by knowing about these divisions of the cycle you will begin to notice them in your own life (if
you’re having a natural hormone cycle). If you’re taking the pill I’m afraid you can’t tune into your
hormone cycle because you’re not having one.

If you’d like to learn more about your cycle and
how to flow with it check out Natasha’s online course: Peaceful Period or grab her new book Your
Period Handbook.