Lately I have been seeing posts on both our Facebook groups asking how you can get your cycle back on track.
Maybe you:
- Are just coming off hormonal birth control
- Had a baby and are waiting for your period to return
- Are stopping fertility drugs after treatment cycles
- Have always had wonky cycles and you’re fed up with never knowing what to expect and when
In any of these situations, whether you’re trying to conceive or not, there are tools you can use to support the rebalancing of your hormones and bring your cycle into rhythm, naturally.
Here are 3 tools you can try, easily and with little or no expense:
1. Light Exposure
Pre-electricity, there was a natural cycle of exposure to light and darkness, regulated by the moon.
Exposure to light increases the levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone, which matures the eggs in the ovaries) in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Light absorbed through the optic nerve is also used as a nutrient for the endocrine system (which coordinates the flow of your hormones).
So a full moon, the primary source of nighttime light before light pollution, would trigger ovulation in most women.
Whether you’d like to ovulate with the full moon or simply want to create a consistent, predictable cycle, you can use these facts to help you synchronize your cycle.
Here’s how to do it:
- For most of the month, sleep with no light–that means no computer, phone, or glowing alarm clock, and curtains that completely block any light from the street
- When the moon is full, leave a nightlight on near your bed
And that’s it. It will take a few months, but you should gradually begin to ovulate during the time of the month that your body is exposed to light.
2. Seed Cycling
Seed cycling is the practice of rebalancing your hormones by eating certain seeds during certain phases of your cycle.
The lignans in the seeds help support the release of excess hormones, while the essential fatty acids are crucial for making hormones.
Here’s how to do it:
To put seed cycling into practice, on Day 1 to 14 (or until ovulation) add the following to your diet each day:
- 1 Tablespoon flax seeds
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin seeds
On Day 15 to 28 (or until menstruation), add the following to your diet each day:
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
All seeds should be organic, raw, and freshly ground.
If you don’t currently have a menstrual cycle, follow the moon’s phases, taking the new moon as Day 1.
3. Charting Your Cycle with the Moon
Your menstrual cycle has 4 phases:
- the follicular phase
- ovulation
- the luteal phase
- menstruation
Each of these four phases mirrors the phases of the moon.
In our follicular phase, right after menstruation, we are like the waxing crescent moon, building in energy and enthusiasm.
Our ovulation energy is bright and fertile like the full moon.
In the luteal phase, pre-menstrually, we are waning moons, turning inward.
And finally our menstruation phase brings us into the dark quiet of the new moon.
Moon charting is the practice of keeping track of how the current day of your menstrual cycle aligns with the current phase of the moon plus tracking exactly how you feel in your body, mind and emotions.
You may find that you experience certain emotions, physical sensations, or discomforts around the same day or week in your cycle.
And when you can see that pattern visually on your Moon Cycle Chart, it acts as a strong reminder of what you need throughout the month and how to nurture yourself through each phase.
And this simple act of awareness can “magically” work to bring your cycle into alignment.
Interested in getting your cycle back on track with moon charting?
