By Susan Reznik (text) & Silja Elsener (illustration)
Life is a cycle. We are born and die and become part of the earth again and new life arises. The days, the years, our seasons, the moon. Everything repeats itself in phases. The day is divided into morning, noon, evening and night, the year into quarters and the seasons into spring, summer, autumn and winter. In nature, the division into four phases can be seen again and again. So it fits very well that the female cycle, which is a symbol of nature and life par excellence, can also be divided into four phases.
As with the seasons, we can divide our cycle into winter, spring, summer, and fall. Those who prefer to have scientific terms for it can also refer to it as menstruation, follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase.
The winter
Maybe you can already imagine: Winter is the phase of menstruation. Fortunately, this does not last what feels like eight months of the year like the Helvetic winter, but on average between three and seven days. During this time we often long for rest. In winter, many animals rest and nature shuts down completely. You can also use this symbol for the time of your period. In this cycle phase, take a lot of time and space for reflection, for relaxation and for extensive self-care. Listen to your body and give it what it needs most right now.
The spring
Life around us slowly unfolds again during this time: animals wake up from hibernation and flora and fauna sprout around us. And the longer and warmer days make us suddenly feel more light. In the spring phase of the cycle, the follicular phase (so called because a small egg sac, a so-called follicle, grows during this time), we return to our prime after menstruation. The estrogen level rises and we have more energy again, more zest for life, feel more self-confident and our skin becomes clearer. So it's not a bad idea to tackle new ideas and projects during this time.
The summer
The zenith, ovulation is reached: During this time, the hormone levels of dopamine, testosterone, serotonin and estrogen are at their highest. Our sexual desire is in full bloom, energy levels are at their peak and our self-love is at a high. Many people feel most comfortable in their bodies during this time and also radiate this to the outside world. So this certainty is also a good time to conduct negotiations, for example.
The autumn
During this time everything in nature is preparing for the upcoming rest phase of winter. During the autumn phase of our cycle, the luteal phase, everything in our body also prepares for the upcoming menstruation. During this time, progesterone rises 300 times that of estrogen. It is the longest phase of the cycle and the time when many of us suffer from PMS. Take time for yourself, set your limits and pay special attention to your needs now. What else you can do against the PMS blues, we have collected for you here in our last blog post .
It's impressive how different we feel in the different cycle times. By learning about our menstrual cycle and knowing when we're going, we can learn to live in tune with our cycle instead of letting it dominate us. We think that's really important! For example, we can better allocate our energy reserves and adapt to the phases of our body. Because: Our own experience shows that such a cyclical life can also relieve PMS symptoms in the long term. great, right?