Womens Moon Wisdom Podcast Intro - Rebecca (00:01):
Stories teachings and guidance. Welcome to the Women's Moon Wisdom podcast with your host Rebecca Rankin.
Rebecca Rankin (00:20):
In today episode, we're going to turn to the inward focus of our Inner Waning Moon Phase or our Luteal phase. Now I must add that I have heard this pronounced both as "Luteal" and "Ludeal", and honestly, I find myself going between the two. So just bear with me. All right. Our Inner Waning Moon Phase, I think this phase, similar to our Inner New Moon or our Menstrual Phase gets out a lot of bad feelings wrapped around it. Like this is the phase that most commonly is associated with PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome. And PMS is actually often caused by the excess of estrogen in proportion to progesterone. And while symptoms like bloating, cramps, mood swings, headaches, cravings, are common - they aren't actually a necessary part of our cycle. Meaning that you're not meant to feel this discomfort. You're not meant to have all this pain wrapped around your cycle.
Rebecca Rankin (01:20):
Actually, you may find that more that you work with your cycle, honor it and nourish it in ways to help you find greater hormonal balance. You reduce the discomforts and the life altering symptoms of your cycle. And this can look like incorporating healthy holistic components to your lifestyle, like proper nutrition, exercise, stress management, proper sleep, and even minimizing environmental toxins, like think household chemicals, pesticides, and even beauty products. All these aspects will help cultivate a more balanced hormonal system, which in turn will minimize severe PMS. And, and this is more anecdotal, as it's just my experience within my own cycle. I will say that I have always been a quote 'healthy' individual. Yet, it wasn't necessarily working in alignment with my own cycle. So once I did actually really start to incorporate cyclical living and living in sync with my cycle, I can say that I saw a dramatic difference in my cycle.
Rebecca Rankin (02:22):
I kind of went from having the typical, like really painful periods and, um, and bloating and all that to now, honestly, I'm very aware of my cyclical changes as each phase, but it's not so much about being kind of inconvenience by it. I, I honestly kind of just have a very slight discomfort or around my, my period and, and that's about it. And at the worst, I, I might be like a subtle discomfort on the first day of my cycle, but I wouldn't even describe it as painful anymore. So when we tune in and nurture our bodies in a way that is in alignment to our natural cyclical self, we're no longer bound to a life of dread and discomfort as being a cyclical nature. So our Inner Waning Moon Phase or Luteal Phase is the week to 10 days leading up to our next period.
Rebecca Rankin (03:16):
So going back to nature, going back to just the moon itself, so we can think of how the moon brings more and more light out into the world from like the Waxing Moon Phase and peaks at the Full Moon Phase. Then we start to experience less and less of the light with the Waning Moon Phase until we reach then the New Moon Phase and repeat the cycle. And with a decrease in moonlight, it's this reminder to us to turn our focus from one of more outward focus to one of more inward focus, where we can in a way find our own light within. So within our own cycle, we can feel right around this time that we shift from this outward expression of ourselves to one of more inward focus. We can feel the energizing pull of the Inner Waxing Moon Phase or Follicular Phase and the Inner Full Moon Phase or the Ovulatory Phase, is a time to kind of work with others, a time to be more outward, expressive, creative, and even community and service oriented.
Rebecca Rankin (04:24):
And with everything we need to find balance and cycles are all about coming back into balance. They're about creating balance within and our Inner Waning Moon Phase brings us back into balance by shifting our focus more inward, we can't always give, we can't always be outward and giving to others. There also needs to be a time where we turn in and give back to ourselves. So let's go back to what's actually happening within our body during our Luteal Phase. So when the egg is released to ovulation, the remnants of the follicle that released it, is called the Corpus Luteum. The Corpus Luteum then releases the hormone progesterone. The progesterone prepares the body for pregnancy and the event that the released egg is fertilized. And if the egg is not fertilized, the Corpus Luteum breaks down. The production of progesterone falls as well, estrogen and a new menstrual cycle begins.
Rebecca Rankin (05:25):
And as the hormone levels decrease, with it we can actually feel that decrease in energy, in mood, in libido, and this can contribute to the mood changes that occur with PMS. So all that is great to know, but what does that actually mean as far as our experience and how can we take advantage of our hormones during this phase? So in other words, what are your hormonal superpowers? So I briefly touched on this earlier, but it's worth saying again, the falling levels of estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and even serotonin help to balance our outward focus of nurturing others by allowing us to turn inward and nurture ourselves. So you're gonna feel this, this natural inclination to finishing projects and, and tying up loose ends. So think of it this way, think of all the things you said yes to in your Inner Waxing Moon Phase. Well, this is when you're likely to feel more inclined to say no to adding more on your plate and just finishing what you've already started.
Rebecca Rankin (06:28):
And this leads us into another important mindset shift that we can lean into. And that's one of setting and honoring boundaries. So without high levels of estrogen to kind of buffer us, we may feel more sensitive or even emotional, especially if we don't have boundaries in place. During this phase, some may find that you are more able to have deep thoughts and inward focus. You somewhat go from the big picture, a big dream of the Waxing Moon, Follicular Phase to one of more deep thoughts. And self-reflection, you may find that you have a greater ability to examine and make decisions based on analysis and reviewing. Like the surge of progesterone at the beginning of the Waning Moon Phase can have a relaxing effect on easing stress and improving sleep. It can even help with focus. So during the, the first part of the Luteal Phase of the Inner Waning Moon Phase, you probably have more energy in a way it'll feel a bit like the Ovulatory Phase, the Full Moon Phase, and you can match your movement practices to align it, like think more strength training and active movement workouts.
Rebecca Rankin (07:42):
So then as your energy starts to wane, it'll be important to match your activities to meet that. The week leading up to your next period you want to adapt to more slower, less intense and less impact practices like a, a brisk walk or hike outdoors. And as far as like a yoga asana practice, this would be a great time to lean into just like longer holds and be like more of a hatha practice or slow flow, or even a restorative practice. Think of doing exercises that are more nourishing rather than draining. And let's go back a little bit where I mentioned the mindset shift around setting and honoring boundaries. As you notice your energy levels start to wane it'll become necessary to put boundaries in place, especially to help honor your inclination of more inward focus, right? Take advantage of your ability to focus and check things off your to-do list.
Rebecca Rankin (08:37):
Like there's no need to add more to it, get the things done that need a bit more analytical thinking and allow yourself like, turn your self care into one of more inward focus. Take the time to do some deep inner work. Your own inner self care becomes really important during this phase. And with that lean into saying no, or even just, no, not right now. That's part of our boundaries. Knowing when to say when, so setting and honoring your boundaries becomes very important. It sets us up then for our, our New Moon Phase, our next period and kind of the next following cycle. Let's take a moment here, and in your Inner Waning Moon phase or your Luteal phase, ask yourself, what boundaries am I craving right now? What boundaries am I craving right now? Maybe it's around work or maybe it it's around different relationships or family members, or even just, maybe it's around consumption, whether it be food or even social media. Or maybe the boundaries you're craving are just around your own self care.
Rebecca Rankin (09:51):
So take a moment to ask yourself and get clear as to what boundaries are you craving right now. Like what boundaries do I really need? And there you have it, our Inner Waning Moon Phase. Now that wraps up all four of our phases. My hope that these four episodes really help you feel more empowered as a cyclical being and help you heal old beliefs around your cycle. And in a way, allow you to reconnect this aspect of yourself that can help you make more mindful choices in your daily life. And as always share this with a friend or a loved one that could really use some support. Take care and bye for now.
