By Jouri Al-Houti

KUWAIT: Similar to how seasons in nature last for approximately three months each, with trees losing their leaves in winter and re-growing them in spring, birds migrating and certain mammals hibernating, women experience cyclical changes in their bodies. These changes, akin to the inner rhythms of their menstrual cycle, mean that women ride a different wave each month.

Despite being fundamental to women’s health and daily functions, the four phases (seasons) of a woman’s cycle and their effects are not widely discussed, known about, or implemented in daily life. To explore this in more detail, Kuwait Times spoke with Menstruality Mentor and Women’s Mindset Coach, Alyah Al-Jasser. “What we learn about a woman’s menstrual cycle in school is so quick and glossed over; we learn about the phases of the menstrual cycle as they pertain to reproduction, but we don’t really learn what it does to a woman or how her cycle changes and matures with her as she grows,” she noted.

“When a girl enters puberty, her capacity to interact with both her internal and external worlds changes due to her hormones now entering a monthly ebb and flow, which will forever impact how she interacts with herself and her environment. These changes affect her mental, physical, and professional well-being,” Jasser said. “Our hormones are portals to our emotions and our moods. If we have the baseline, which is our hormones, fluctuating naturally as they do during the month, then ultimately, our capacity to deal with the outside world (which is how we interpret things) changes constantly. The more a woman knows about her cycle, the greater support she can be to herself,” Jasser added.

The four seasons

Before explaining the four phases, Jasser gave a brief explanation of the two main female reproductive hormones, saying: “The first is estrogen, a hormone that’s produced when a woman is ovulating, meaning when the ovaries are preparing to release an egg. The other is progesterone, which helps prepare a woman’s body for pregnancy and rises specifically during the luteal phase.”

Summer/ovulation

“Characterized by a peak in estrogen, a woman during this phase is usually more energetic, with a greater capacity to deal with conflict. She’s also more diplomatic, has more space to handle big conversations and projects, and is more patient. Usually with higher verbal skills, a woman is more social and is able to handle a bit more than in the other phases of her cycle. This large outward surge of energy coincides with the inward readiness to create life, having just released an egg,” she explained.

Fall/Luteal

After a woman’s body releases an egg, estrogen dips while progesterone rises, which brings her energy levels back down again, often kickstarting a few days of inward focus. On the inside, her body is creating the lining of the uterus and is busy preparing for a potential pregnancy. Outwardly, this may look like feeling tired or irritable. This part of the cycle is an important time to slow down, prioritize self-care, and focus on oneself instead of others.

Winter/menstruation

Towards the end of the luteal phase, a woman’s body understands that it’s not going to get pregnant, leading to both estrogen and progesterone dipping completely as the body prepares for a period. As soon as a woman has the first day of her bleed, she feels like she’s back to “normal”. No more mood swings and no more high peaks of energy. The reason is that estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, meaning there aren’t any distractions on the outside (estrogen) or on the inside (progesterone), so a woman may feel calmer, more balanced, and more at peace with herself.

Our inner voice (or intuition) may be easier to tap into during this time due to our hormonal levels being more stable. We may feel like we are able to take our own advice better, as intuition shows up when a person really listens to themselves. It’s about being without distractions and going inwards.

Spring/Follicular

As a woman comes out of rest and introspection, she starts to feel the need to connect outside of herself again. On the inside, her body is starting to produce more estrogen, which means she feels a spike in her energy. This part of the cycle can do two things: one, it can feel invigorating, like a return, a time to feel renewed again. Or, two, a woman can feel more sensitive; especially if she’s someone who really enjoys the rest period of menstruation, all the energy coming back may feel overstimulating and overwhelming. Both feelings are completely normal and are part of each woman’s unique cycle journey.

Along with the shame that surrounds speaking about a woman’s menstrual cycle, it can be hard for women to create healthy, informed relationships with their bodies. With the help of modern science, practicing menstrual cycle awareness and finding community with other women, a better, healthier relationship can be created, inwardly and outwardly, with our natural cyclical rhythms.