Living in tune with your cycle and energy levels is so powerful. One of the most beautiful things about being a woman is the different ebbs and flows that we go through each month, and the more we start to honor that, the more we’re able to respect our bodies and flourish.
This week on the Inner Growth Podcast, I chatted with Bailey Brown, the founder of Align App - which combines pilates workouts and cycle syncing.
One of the most powerful parts of our chat centered around exactly this — how you can begin to adapt your routines, your rhythm of life and your work focus to honor your energy levels.
In our society we are taught that you need to be productive all the time and it should be “go go go” all the time, but Bailey shares that as she’s become more attuned with her cycle phases, she’s been able to move away from this notion, and carve out a more empowering relationship with the concept of “productivity”.
how to use the different cycle phases for work flow
Bailey shares that in her follicular phase and ovulatory phase, that’s when she focuses on setting intentions and my goals for work, and on really getting out there. She’ll be filming workouts, podcast interviews, etc - she really doubles down on things that involve more outward energy.
In the second half of her cycle - from the start of her luteal phase all the way up to her menstrual phase - the focus is on slowing down. She focuses on doing more that reflection, editing workout videos or putting music into playlists — just going more inwards, and operating more from an intuitive place.
As she shares: “I really make the most of that energy when I have it and I go and I put myself out there and I take action, but then I honor when I’m feeling lower in energy and I allow myself to slow down”.
the power of slowing down
One of the most powerful things Baileys said was:
“I’m always reminding myself that slowing down doesn’t mean that you’re a losing progress. Slowing down doesn’t mean…that you’re not getting to where you want to be. It’s actually really beautiful to carve out that space for yourself because when you have that time and you you actually do slow down, sometimes that’s when you get your best ideas or you can actually create the biggest shifts”.
It’s important to learn how to nourish yourself in the slower and more inward-focused parts of your cycle, especially because you ARE giving a lot and putting yourself out there a lot in the first half of your cycle.
Learning to truly nurture ourselves when we most need it is such a big part of stepping into our true power. You can start to implement different things as you start working with your cycle, in terms of how you nurture your body, how you move, and how to work with your mind.
So, to recap, here’s a brief overview of how you can make small shifts to your lifestyle to align with your menstrual cycle:
Menstrual phase/luteal phase
Movement: Lower intensity, more restful (also more sleep!)
Work: Reflect, review, refine, write, edit
Foods: Warming foods, balanced meals with protein + complex carbohydrates, teas, warm drinks, iron and magnesium rich foods (dark chocolate, hello!), foods rich in B-vitamins (brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, spring greens and spinach, chickpeas, peas, kidney beans)
follicular phase/ovulatory phase
Movement: Higher intensity
Work: Explore new ideas, brainstorm, get to action, record podcasts/videos, communicate, share ideas
Foods: Eating colorful whole foods to feel vibrant and energized, fiber and probiotic rich foods, protein, raw veggies
I hope you guys love this episode and take some tangible tips from this post to help you live in more alignment with your cycle!
Love,
xx Carolina
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