Align with the moon to find your most productive monthly routine
Something that’s come up for me a lot lately during the past few months of “home quarantine,” is figuring out how much rest I need, how much to push myself, and when to let it all go. With less external obligations, it’s actually been a beautiful opportunity for me to connect with the cycles of nature and live more in line with my own body’s energy. In last week’s post I wrote about how the energies of the doshas cycle through a 24-hour day. This week we’re taking a slightly broader view and looking at how the doshas cycle throughout the month, or through one lunar cycle.
This post is especially for women — we’re going to look at how the moon cycle reflects the cycle within a woman’s body. That said, we are all affected by the moon; whether or not you identify as female, have a uterus, or are in the active years of your menstrual cycle, you can benefit from this knowledge. Following the moon can be a powerful way to connect with female energy. Just know that we’ll all experience the cycle in slightly different ways, depending on our bodies and time of life!
Structuring my month around my menstrual cycle has been huge for me. Even the simple act of turning my energy inward and giving myself a couple days off when I am bleeding has made a big impact. I am someone who likes to work and has a lot of different passions, and it can be hard for me to slow down. But if I am constantly pushing myself to achieve, I get to a place of burnout, anxiety or depression. When I honor my period, it gives me a built-in time of rest every month. Then I can experience the renewal of energy and the fresh start that comes after. I find myself actually getting excited when I know my period is about to start, because it means I will be giving myself some extra downtime and self-care. I let myself just be rather than constantly doing.
For many women, our “bleeding phase” might be the only part of our menstrual cycle that we really notice or pay attention to. But there are four distinct phases, each with their own pleasures and challenges. In a perfect world, if we were all living more closely with nature, these four phases line up perfectly with the four phases of the moon. But don’t worry if your cycle doesn’t line up! Sometimes the simple act of bringing awareness to your cycle will bring it into alignment over time. This is what I’ve experienced with my own cycle. My suggestion would definitely be to follow your own body’s cycle if you menstruate, rather than structuring around the lunar cycle. However, if you have gone through menopause or don’t have a menstrual cycle, then follow the lunar cycle!
The information below is inspired by two wonderful books, Do Less by Kate Northrup, and Womancode by Alisa Vitti, as well as my own experiences and my studies of Ayurveda. These books taught me so much about cyclical living, and I highly recommend them if you want to dive deeper into this topic!
The Four Energetic Phases
Menstrual/New Moon
Dosha: A cycle has no end and no beginning, but I mark the start of my cycle on the first day of menstruation. Vata and pitta are both high during this time, so it’s best to focus on calming routines that will ground vata and cool pitta.
Energy: This phase is best for resting and reflecting. Although your body needs lots of extra rest, your brain is actually sharp, and if you make space for it, you may find that insights, inspiration or epiphanies arise. It’s a good time to evaluate what’s working and what’s not working in your life. Many of us have been taught to ignore the strong feelings that come up during this time of the month as irrational, or overly emotional. But there is so much power in allowing and paying attention to these feelings. If there is something in my life that is really not working, I find that I get a strong intuition about it during this phase. There is a power in bleeding; tap into it and let it surprise you.
Work/Creativity: I try to take the first day or two of my menstrual phase completely off. It’s only recently that I’ve been able to do this, and I understand that most of us don’t have this freedom. If you have to work, try to do the absolute minimum. Give your brain and body a break and try to let go of your goals for a few days. They will still be there for you to pick up later.
Creatively, I find this is a good time to follow your desires and play with pure creative expression. I don’t force myself to do anything, but if I have the desire, I may journal on a new idea or play around on my guitar just for the pleasure of it.
Exercise: This is the time to take a break from your exercise routine. Let your body have that monthly rest! I love doing restorative yoga in the first couple days, working up towards more active yoga and walks as my energy increases.
Food: Alisa Vitti recommends eating seafood and sea veggies during your menstrual phase to help add in the minerals you lose during menstruation. Personally, I sometimes suffer from cramps and digestive issues during this phase and like to keep things light and easy to digest. Warm, cooked soups or stews will calm vata and give you the nourishment you need. It’s a nice time to make a batch of kitchari, or a simple chicken soup if you eat meat.
Follicular/Waxing Moon
Dosha: As the moon grows, and the egg follicles start to swell in our bodies, kapha energy increases. This gives us a sense of stability and stamina that we can make use of by turning our energy outward. It’s a good time to switch something up in our daily routine or try something new.
Energy: As energy naturally increases, this is the time to begin new projects, plan for the future, brainstorm, and reach out to friends.
Work/Creativity: During this time I like to try to tackle my most challenging tasks. I find I have a lot of focus and can work longer hours. Sometimes this looks like working on my computer producing music all day, or writing all my blog posts. If you have a business, it’s definitely a good time to do a content-brainstorming session. Basically, work a little more during this time so that you can get ahead and set yourself up so that you’re not rushing to get things done later in your cycle!
Exercise: Physical stamina is increasing as well as mental stamina, so however you love to get active, go for it! I like to do more active workouts with cardio or weights during this phase.
Food: Because kapha energy is increasing, we want to balance that by eating fresh, light and vibrant: think lots of steamed veggies, grains and sprouted seeds or beans. My favorite lunch is a warm “salad bowl” with steamed kale or chard, carrots, zucchini, cooked quinoa, topped with sprouted mung beans, flax and pumpkin seeds.
Ovulatory/Full Moon
Dosha: Am I the only one who feels a little crazy during ovulation? Kapha energy peaks around the full moon, but pitta is also high in our bodies during ovulation. This combo makes me feel full of energy that I don’t always know how to direct! I’ve come to be able to tell like clockwork the day I’m ovulating just from the weird dreams I have and the restless energy I feel.
Energy: Kate Northrup writes that you are at your most magnetic when you are ovulating, so it’s a good time to reach out, be social, or collaborate. It’s probably because I’m introverted by nature, but I actually find that sometimes I need more alone time when ovulating. Whether it’s a long drive where I can belt along to my favorite music, or an evening of journaling, I like this time to connect with myself. If you’re more extroverted, you’ll probably love being social or going out dancing during this time! Just be aware that since you are ovulating, your body may have some stronger… urges, if you know what I mean.
Work/Creativity: If collaboration is part of your work, now is a good time for it. Pitch your ideas, get active on social media, or share your art with the world. I find that on the day of ovulation my focus feels a bit scattered, so it’s not the best time for me to sit at a computer all day. As a musician, this would be the time of the month when I would try to plan live shows.
Exercise: Doing some intense exercise during ovulation helps me release pent up energy and connect to my body in a healthy way. I love doing a dance class or a HIIT routine around this time. I’m not a runner, but if I was, I imagine a long run would feel good right about now!
Food: Since kapha energy is high, it’s still good to keep your foods light. And to balance pitta, bring in some cooling, hydrating foods such as watery, juicy fruits and veggies like coconut, cucumber and celery. If you are able to digest raw veggies, it’s a good time to incorporate smoothies, green juices and salads.
Luteal/Waning Moon
Dosha: As the moon wanes and we move towards menstruation, kapha energy decreases and vata rises. This may make us feel more flighty, anxious or spacy, emotions we typically associate with PMS.
Energy: I like to start turning inward and limiting social obligations so that I don’t feel scattered. It’s a good time to practice exquisite self-care; try an Ayurvedic oil massage, or a daily meditation to calm your mind.
Work/Creativity: If I stick to a routine and limit external obligations, I actually find that my focus is good during this time. Kate Northrup writes that this is the perfect time to focus on completing projects. I also find it’s a good time for busywork and organization: catching up on emails, working on rewrites of things I’m creating, or doing homework for the program I’m in. I get a lot of satisfaction from checking things off a list during this time. If there’s a little task I’ve been avoiding all month, I’ll try to do it now.
Exercise: It’s important to remain active during this phase to have a more comfortable menstrual flow, but you don’t want to push yourself too hard. I usually keep up with my active routines until a few days before I start menstruating. When I can feel my body getting more tired or sore, I’ll start winding down with more gentle yoga or easy walks.
Food: To balance the high vata energy of this time, I love to incorporate grounding root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and beets. Alisa Viti writes that an increase in healthy sugars helps balance the hormones that make us feel irritable during this time, and roasting root veggies is a great way to increase the natural sugar concentration. Try roasting a combo of veggies with garbanzo beans, drizzled with ghee and warming spices like cinnamon, cumin and coriander. This is my absolute favorite luteal phase dinner!
That’s it! The cycle starts all over again. Planning my life around this flow of energies has been a game changer for my health and creativity. If I expect my energy and focus to be the same every day, I get frustrated and depressed. Allowing for this monthly cycle has helped me to actually be more productive, because I give myself time to rest when I need it, and don’t waste time pushing myself on days when it’s an uphill battle. Then I make use of a monthly sense of renewal to recommit to and reevaluate my projects. Remember, you can still follow this cycle along with the moon even if you’re not menstruating, and reap all the benefits!
This is a big topic and there’s so much more I could go into here. If there’s a particular area that interests you, please reach out and let me know. I’d be happy to give you a book recommendation or dive deeper in a future blog post.