The Four Seasons: Inner Summer
Welcome back to our series of posts exploring the four inner seasons of the menstrual cycle. In case you missed any you can read them at:
An important note before we get into inner summer:
**There is no right way or perfect way to experience your menstrual cycle. My writing refers to my personal experience, my clients experience or a generalised experience but that doesn’t mean it will be your experience. So as you read these posts, take what feels right for you and discard the rest. Ultimately, your experience overrides anything I say. Our cycles are constantly changing and what matters the most is that you honour your cycle in your own way.**
Photo taken by Nadia Meli
OVULATION | INNER SUMMER
'Hello sweet ovulation phase, I've been waiting for you, let's do this
What's happening in your body?
Your oestrogen levels peak and an egg is released. Your testosterone levels also peak. After ovulation occurs, progesterone is released. Much like the season of Summer, this is a time of celebration, joy and gratitude. You may notice that your energy levels are at their highest point and you feel ready for action and adventure. Alternatively, with the peaking of your hormones, you may feel overwhelmed and frazzled. (Remember there is no right or wrong, there is just your experience of how you feel)
How I feel:
I usually fall into the camp that feel energised. I am often filled with gratitude at this time with the rose tinted glasses of oestrogen in full swing. I feel resilient and like superwomen doing all of the things. With that said, I have to ensure I am still taking time for myself so I don't overdo it and burn out.
How I support myself:
Workout - I continue with my anaerobic exercise routine which is a combination of HIIT, strength training and (in warmer weather 😅) running
Let it flow - Honestly, I have been sitting on this letter for a little while because I wasn't sure how else I support myself in my inner summer. After speaking about it with my wonderful mentor and friend, Jen, I realised I don't need to do as much to support myself in this phase. I don't need as many tools. And that's ok! It may change in the future, but for now I stick to my usual practices (movement and journaling) and don't need to add a whole lot more.
How I support my clients:
Creativity - get lost in the flow and magic of your work or passions. This time in your cycle can be a great time to be visible - lead a presentation, launch a project, record a video etc.
Celebrate - this is a key part of my Devoted sessions because it helps to increase self-confidence and encourages us to be in the moment (we are always chasing the next thing). We spend time celebrating the clients' wins, successes, changes made, implementations, lessons learnt and everything in between.
There is deep wisdom that runs through your bones, blood & body
Uncover your innate cyclical wisdom and learn how to embrace the four phases of your menstrual cycle with my bespoke 1:1 sessions, Devoted
I love to:
listen to: my playlist celebrate | summer on repeat
have fun: taking time to enjoy my increased energy and desire to be around loved ones to do fun things together - this could be exploring somewhere new, cooking with my husband as we sing and dance around the kitchen or a laugh-till-your-cheeks-hurt-and-you-can't-breathe type evening with my friends
take a bath: I tend to pack a lot into this phase which can feel overwhelming at times so I have started to take some time for me to rest and relax. A bath with epsom salts, rose petals and a good book is my go to
Journaling Prompts
How do you feel in this moment?
Who or what are you grateful for?
What can you celebrate right now? What are you proud of achieving in this cycle so far?
How can you bring 1% more rest into this phase of your cycle?
What brings you joy? How can you incorporate more of that into your life?
With love & gratitude,
Jyoti x
Read the other blog posts in this series: menstruation ~ inner winter, pre-ovulation ~ inner spring, ovulation ~ inner summer and pre-menstruation ~ inner autumn