Understanding Our Inner Winter: Rest & Reset
Menstrual Cycle Awareness: Our Inner Winter
If you're new to menstrual cycle awareness, it might be helpful to start with an introduction to the phases in this blog post.
Understanding Inner Winter:
Inner Winter refers to the bleed phase of the menstrual cycle. It is considered the start of the menstrual cycle and so the first day of your bleed is counted as Day 1. This phase also appears at other times in our life cycles too: birth and the fourth trimester and menopause. It offers opportunity for deep insights.
Key Qualities:
Our Inner Winter is when we are called to retreat and renew. This is the time typically that our physical energy is the lowest and a time when we need to withdraw from the world and rest. You may feel a sudden urge to stop, a physical need to slow down. There may be a heaviness which can feel like lethargy but also can be deeply grounding.
Winter can be an anchoring point that stops us spiralling into ever more busyness and allows us to soothe and nurture our nervous system.
If we are unable to rest and keep pushing through it is likely to cause tension either physically, such as period cramps, or emotionally, such as anger or irritability. We also miss out on the psychic benefits that this phase can bring.
Preparing to Rest
Sometimes you may notice a burst of energy just before entering your inner winter. This might show up as finishing important jobs on your to do list, cleaning the house or batch cooking some food. Subconsciously we are clearing the decks to enable us to down tools and stop for short while. In pregnancy this can be an early sign of the onset of labour.
Need for Quiet
You may also feel a mental need to need be quiet and retreat from normal day to day life. You may feel like the last thing you want to do is socialise or chair a meeting or have that phone call with customer services.
Inner winter is when our intuitive and visionary abilities are naturally highest and we are called to focus inwards.
You may feel a shift in your state of consciousness to a more dream-like state. Some women even experience this as a high. This shift of consciousness has the benefit of giving us direct insight into our life’s path, connecting to our heartfelt needs and solving our problems. This is the gift of this phase.
The flipside is that we can feel quite raw and defenceless, so we are much more sensitive emotionally and physically. We can also be less physically connected and more prone to accidents. If you are noticing one day you seem unusually clumsy, it can be a sign to prepare for more rest.
Self Care During Inner Winter:
Deep rest is the most important thing we can offer ourselves in Inner Winter. We may not be able to take time off each month, but there are many things we can do to increase our capacity for rest.
Work from home if possible, ideally from bed!
Wear soft comfortable clothes that do not constrict your belly (save skinny jeans for another day!)
Keep your diary as clear as possible for those days, avoid booking in extra appointments, tasks or social commitments, just do the bare minimum.
Drop as many responsibilities as possible, try to delegate at work and at home.
Be discerning about what has to get done and what can wait a few days.
Have food in your home that nourishes you for these days, maybe even prepare in advance so you don’t really need to cook, or have someone cook for you. Failing that, order take out!
Take long hot baths with scents you love.
Have early nights and turn off your alarm if possible.
Take some quiet time to sit and stare, meditate, draw
Do guided relaxation such as yoga nidra or restorative yoga.
TOP TIP: If it is unavoidable to have demanding days during your bleed, still do as much self care as you can and look for the nearest days where you can stop and recuperate.
Preparing For Inner Spring
Each phase of our cycle affects the next and this is especially true of Winter at it sets the tone for the whole of the next cycle. The benefits to be reaped from taking rest are potentially huge. This also applies in the annual cycle, pushing too hard in winter can lead to poor health or burn out in spring and summer.
If you'd like support, I offer well-woman reflexology, one-to-one yoga classes, and online restorative yoga sessions. Or feel free to email me with any questions you may have.