The four seasons of your cycle, Part 3: Inner Summer
Image: Jens Kreuter on Unsplash
Welcome to the peak of your cycle: ovulation, a.k.a. inner summer. Understanding the different ebbs and flows of our hunger levels, libido, energy, focus, creativity and more, can bring you into greater connection with yourself. These ebbs and flows are called the Inner Seasons and, just like the seasons of the year, they all have different characteristics.
Reminder: How I experience my inner summer might look totally different to how you experience yours. You know your body best, and what you know to be true for you, is true for you! It’s totally okay to have a different experience than what I’m sharing.
Inner Summer
Although we tend to think that menstruation is the peak of the cycle, it’s actually ovulation that’s the star of the show. Without it, there would be no period at all! Ovulation, the inner summer, is when your hormones are at their highest and an egg is released in hopes of fertilisation. The phase itself can often be broken down further into two parts: early summer and late summer. Early summer being the days before you ovulate, and late summer the time afterwards, and transition into inner autumn.
Characteristics in nature
Most people love summer. Why? Because the skies are blue, the sun is shining, the days are long and nature is in its full expression. Flowers bloom with radiance, trees are lush and green and many animals are in mating season. Summer is a time of year when many fruits and vegetables are in season and the world is full of sensory pleasures - beautifully scented flowers, the richness of ripe food and the sun on your skin, just to name a few.
Cycle characteristics
Just as in nature, the inner summer is a time of self-expression. You might find that you want to make dates, socialise and show yourself off in clothes that make you feel attractive. Biologically speaking, this is the time when pregnancy can occur, and so you might find your libido spiking to make sure that happens (whether you actually want children or not). There might be a feeling that you can do anything, that your energy is endless, your tolerance for others unwavering and that you are basically an absolute superwoman who can juggle family, friends, work and everything else with ease. You might find that you have little appetite for food as you’re busy being out in the world.
But there is a shadow to summer. When things get too hot, just as in nature, burn out can be real thing to contend with. Overreaching capabilities can leave you feeling spent, and if you’re taking on too much, feelings of martyrdom can also happen here. If you haven’t gifted yourself with enough rest during inner winter, and/or taken on too much in your inner spring, then you might arrive in your inner summer with zero energy and wanting to cave in.
How to align yourself to Summer
Summer is all about pleasure, and while it can feel amazing to use all of your energy to get things done and be with people, remembering to tap into the languid ease of a summer afternoon or holiday can go a long way. Creating pockets of time to spend with your favourite people, doing your favourite things can help to balance out energy in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling like a martyr. If you have projects, meetings or social dates that need you to be more tolerant, charismatic of people-focussed, this is a great time of your cycle to schedule them in for. Inner summer is also a great time to roll up your sleeves and get into work that needs a little more staying power, so you can tap into that seemingly endless reserve of energy.
If you have arrived here feeling burnt out and tired, honouring the need to rest can help you re-tank on energy for the rest of your cycle.
Self-care tips for Summer
Some ways to care for yourself in inner summer include:
Remember and prioritise pleasure, whatever pleasure looks like for you
Spending time in nature, walking with your bare feet on the earth and topping up your Vitamin D with sunshine
Beauty and physical rituals can be truly gorgeous here like yoni steams, massage and yoni egg practices
Practicing gratitude for all the things that feel abundant in your life
Adorning your body with jewellery
Mindfulness practices that help you to slow down and appreciate what’s around you to help you drink even more of it in
Incorporate rest and down time, especially if you feel frayed around the edges
Give and receive hugs and touch
Inner summer can be a beautiful time for connection and allowing yourself to feel in flow with life. Some prompts for you to ponder on:
How do you experience your inner summer?
Do you tend to feel vital or burnt out here?
How much do you prioritise pleasure in your inner summer?
Next week, I’ll be going into the inner autumn phase of pre-menstruation.
If you’re curious about applying menstrual cycle awareness to your life, you can schedule a free 30min call with me or check out my coaching space.