Syncing Your Menstrual Cycle & The Lunar Cycle
Did you know that your menstrual cycle may follow the lunar cycle?
That your menstrual cycle has 4 phases, just like the moon?
That tracking your cycle can optimize your reproductive health?
Before we dive into how to sync your menstrual cycle to the lunar cycle, let’s go over why you may want to do this and the role of each phase of your menstrual cycle.
Why would you want to sync your cycle?
For those who are trying to conceive, understanding your cycle is very important. You have a small window of opportunity to conceive. Knowing when this window improves your chances. The main reason to sync to the moon is if you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
When you are trying to conceive having an irregular cycle or no cycle at all makes it very difficult to know when you are ovulating. Here are a few signs to pay attention to:
Length of your cycle
Number of days in your menstruation phase
Frequency of your cycle
Not only do you want to pay attention to the length of your cycle for being shorter than 24 days or longer than 38 days, but also if the number of days in each cycle is consistent. By tracking your cycle from menstruation to menstruation you know how consistent your cycle is. Your cycle should always be around the same length each lunar cycle, within days. This will also help you determine if you are skipping periods.
Also paying attention to the number of days your bleed & the quality of the blood gives you an idea of irregularity. Each cycle again should be similar.
All these irregularities may be a sign of a hormonal imbalance, nutrient deficiency, circulation issue, or something more serious. It is always wise to be working with a health care professional who can provide you insight on your reproductive health and rule out any serious health concerns.
When all is clear, addressing the underlying causes of the irregularities in a holistic and natural way while syncing with the lunar cycle is a great way to improve your overall reproductive health.
Phases of your Menstrual Cycle
The four phases of your menstrual cycle are: menstruation, follicular, ovulation, and luteal.
Let’s begin with the first phase, menstrual. This is the time when you body sheds the uterine lining & blood vessels that it does not need for a pregnancy through the vagina. It is a time of physical and physiological cleansing. The menstrual phase is associated with the new moon, a time to reflect and begin anew.
The second phase or follicular phase is when your body stimulates your egg cells to grow. One of the eggs will mature over 13 days while the uterus begins to create a new endometrial lining. The follicular phase is associated with the waxing moon, a time to focus and work hard on your new intention.
The third phase is ovulation, when the ovary releases the follicle with the matured egg into the fallopian tube. The ovulation phase is associated with the full moon, a time for connection and having fun.
The fourth and last phase is the luteal phase. This is when two things may happen. Implantation or dissolving of the released egg. If a sperm fertilized the egg, the ovum would implant into the uterine lining stimulating an increase in progesterone & hCG (human chorionic gonadatropin) signaling a pregnancy. If an egg is not fertilized, it will dissolve and the body prepares to shed the uterine lining in the next phase. The luteal phase is associated with the waning moon, a time to bring to fruition your intention.
How to sync your cycle to the lunar cycle
Two ways the lunar cycle effects your body is through light and gravitation pull. The light that the moon reflects impacts your circadian rhythm. Since this light changes through each phase, it’s important to match how much light your body may naturally be exposed to at night.
This is how you can sync your menstrual cycle with the moon, using light therapy.
Use a lunar calendar to track the moon phases while tracking your cycle. To reclaim your natural rhythm begin by sleeping in total darkness the 14 days leading up the full moon. Then sleep with a dim light for 3 days before returning to full darkness until the next full moon.
Other helpful tips to improve your circadian rhythm are to use:
blue blocking glasses if you have to be on a device or while watching TV before bed
avoid screen time within 1 hour of sleeping
if you wake up in the middle of the night avoid turning on any lights or use a salt lamp or very dim light when necessary
Give yourself several cycles to sync, while you work on other ways to improve your reproductive health.