In the name of Allah, the most Generous, the Wise
I’ve been doing some research the past few months for a cool project I hope to share in the near future…and I’m noticing a few things:
- A lot of ladies are not familiar with their cycle outside of menstruation
- So many ladies are missing out on charting their cycle
- And even more of us do not have a positive, empowering relationship with our cycle
Too often, we’re not taught about our cycle in a holistic and empowering way. To add to that, there are many misunderstandings that have become widespread…and need to be cleared up once and for all. It’s time for us women to learn about our bodies and how they work. A huge part of this is diving deep into our womanly cycle.
Our cycle in particular is a very encompassing aspect of our lives. We often don’t think much about it outside of noticing our period. In reality though, our whole life… from the time we begin our very first period through our last menstruation… is in fact cyclical. During this season of our lives, we are always in one phase of our cycle or another.
Charting your cycle is a daily practice. By going this route, you learn to become aware of your fertility signs which allows you to identify where you are in your cycle at any given time There are many specific ways to go about charting so we’re not going to be talking about ‘HOW’ today. We’re just getting into the ‘WHY’ for now…
So why should YOU be charting??
1. Charting allows you to become familiar with your cycle and learn what YOUR normal is.
It is commonly shared that the average cycle is 28 days and ovulation happens somewhere around day 14. This might be the case for you… However it is also completely possible that your cycle might be a little longer or shorter and your ovulation might come a little earlier or later. There are so many factors that go into it. When you are charting, you will be able to pick up on your unique trends and figure out each phase of your cycle. You’ll be able to see if your cycle is within a healthy range or if maybe you have some healing to do. Also, once you have discovered your personal norm, you’ll be able to notice if something is “off” and may need some attention.
2. Charting provides an opportunity to get in touch with your feminine body.
Think about it! In order to chart, you must take time to really tune into your body! You’re tracking your body temperature. You get to know your cervix and how it changes at different points within your cycle. Throughout the month, you actually give attention to your cervical fluid and your menstrual blood. You take note of the fluctuations in your appetite, emotions, energy levels and sex drive to name a few. Charting your cycle requires you to get to know your body. It requires us to get comfortable with aspects of ourselves that we may have never really considered before.
3. Charting your cycle gives you insight to your overall health and well-being.
Because our cycle not only involves our reproductive health but also heavily relies on our hormonal system and our hormones directly impact so many aspects of our health…charting provides a bit of a lens through which we are able to view our overall health. Our cycle allows us a unique awareness of what is going on within our bodily ecology. When we notice something changing within our cycle, we are able to tune into our bodies. Even if we are not able to pinpoint exactly what is wrong, we’re able to have the awareness that something is different. Our cycles are about as healthy as we are, so if yours is in a funk, it might be time to do a little digging!
4. You are able to gain knowledge of and, therefore, work with the ebb and flow of your energy.
This requires time and consistency. You have to get comfortable with your charting. You have to gain confidence in how everything is working together. Once you are able to see this benefit however, it can be very empowering. Our cycle is composed of 4 unique parts: Menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. During each of these stages, we have different hormones at play which affect our overall energy and our mood. When we’re able to pinpoint when each stage occurs for us during our normal cycle, we are able to utilize that to our advantage. We are able to flow with our cycle rather than meeting it with resistance.
5. When you chart your cycle regularly, you are able to use it as a tool to help you conceive.
You’ll definitely need to be charting for at least a couple months before using this reliably to help you with either getting pregnant or preventing pregnancy. Once you’ve built up your database of information, however, you will be able to figure out when your fertile window is and make use of that.
6. On the flip side, you can also use your charting as a totally natural, non-invasive contraceptive tool.
Because you only have a couple of days where you are actually fertile, and with charting your cycle you’ll know when your fertile window is, you’ll be able to avoid sexual intercourse during these days.
It doesn’t have to be complicated to chart and it provides a wealth of information and personal insight into the workings of our individual body and health. So many of us are experiencing days or even weeks of pain and discomfort stemming from us not being properly familiar with our cycle. If you are not already doing so, I highly suggest you start with your charting today!
Question for the comments: Which of these 6 reasons feels most compelling for you? Do you chart your cycle? Will you start charting your cycle?
Thank you for stopping by ‘Nourishing Our Home’. Please be sure to pop in every Thursday for new posts. Also, if you found this to be relatable and beneficial, please help me out by sharing with your family and friends.