Understanding Our Inner Summer: Celebrate & Shine
Menstrual Cycle Awareness: Inner Summer
If you're new to menstrual cycle awareness, it might be helpful to start with an introduction to the phases in this blog post.
Understanding Inner Summer
Our inner Summer covers the ovulatory phase of our cycle where oestrogen peaks, an egg reaches maturity and is released. If you dont have a monthly ovulatory cycle and are following the moon cycle instead, it is the full moon phase.
Inner Summer also occurs in various parts of our life cycles: adulthood/motherhood - approximately ages 20-40 years, the second trimester of pregnancy and post menopause after the second spring can come a second summer around retirement age.
Qualities of Inner Summer
The key qualities of Summer are celebration, creativity, flow, relationships, sensuality, expression, and agency.
For many women, the Inner Summer can be the most enjoyable and productive part of our cycle. It is the phase that is most recognised and rewarded in society and a time where our energy and mood can be high.
Physically it can be where we feel most happy in our own body. Our skin is more glowing, our hair more luscious, we may have a bounce in our step and a swing in our hips. We may feel more energised and more comfortable in our bodies and there can be a natural rise in libido. If you are planning a family, this is the time to act!
Mentally we can be more focused and able to multitask with ease, make decisions and take action effectively. It can also be where creativity flows with ease. These can be the most productive days in the cycle, especially if we have attended to the preceding phases well. A friend of mine calls these her Goddess days!
Emotionally we are more likely to be looking outwards to connect with and take care of others. In our lifecycle this phase relates to the mothering years. On a monthly cycle it may be the time where you feel inclined to party and be the hostess with most, or get involved in community projects.
Equally some women find the energy of their Inner summer overwhelming and exposing. It may create an uneasiness or sense of being a little out of control or ungrounded. It is not necessarily comfortable for all. This is where charting is useful so you can discover which parts of you cycle are more challenging and prepare for them next time round.
The key practise for Summer is discernment so as not to waste this energy on activities that do not serve your bigger goals. There can be a tendency to feel so excited and high that can rush around saying yes to everything, pleasing others and getting sidetracked that we don’t actually follow though on our plans. Then when summer is over and our energy starts to drop, we are still left with unfinished projects and now less energy to complete them. This is can be a big reason why we experience PMT!
Inner Summer Self-Care
Summer is a time to be out in the world, to celebrate and express yourself.
Schedule big events in your summer week: this is a good time to have your big social engagements or work events that require you to perform such as giving a presentation or speech.
Leave some space in your diary for spontaneity so you can say yes to an unexpected opportunity.
This is the best time of the month to ask for what you want! If you can plan a negotiation, meeting or interview for this time you are more likely to be successful. We are more attractive to others in this phase and so people are more inclined to help or support us.
Stay focused Have some version of a to-do list to keep you on track with jobs you need to get done in this period. If you get inspired by other projects or activities, make a note of them, perhaps have a quick brainstorm, and they can be explored later.
Keep grounded by having a daily meditation or breathing practise. You might like to try my 5 minute heart-lotus practise available on my You Tube. I also like in warmer weather to have my bare feet on the grass as a grounding practise which also connects with the creative energy of the earth.
Enjoy stronger exercise. This can be a good time to have more intense or yang types of exercise such as weights, strong flow yoga, HIIT workouts and outdoor activities such as canoeing, wild swimming or mountain biking.
Connect with your sexual and flirty energy through self massage, dance, wearing clothes that make you feel good, making time with your partner.
If you are planning a family having reflexology around ovulation can help remove stress and anxiety to allow sensual creative energy to flow.
Use some of your summer energy to prepare for inner Autumn and Winter, this could be getting essential jobs done, making sure you are stocked with supplies of what you need and maybe batch cooking and freezing meals for days when you really don’t have the energy or inspiration.
Remember: Follow through on your plans, stay connected to your inner path otherwise your inner critic will have something to say in Autumn!
If you'd like support with your menstrual health, I offer well-woman reflexology, one-to-one yoga classes, and online restorative yoga sessions. Or feel free to email me with any questions you may have.