Cyclical living means adapting your lifestyle based on mental, emotional, physical, and energetic shifts that occur throughout the different phases of your cycle. These shifts are called cyclical rhythms
In this blog, we break down foundational concepts relevant to human beings with cycles: Cyclical living, cyclical rhythms, and cycle awareness. We also call out why it might be difficult to honor our natural rhythms.
In order words, cyclical living is to live in sync with your cycle.
In a nutshell, cyclical rhythms ebb and flow between “doing” and “being”, “giving” and “receiving”, “extroversion” and “introversion”, “building” and “envisioning”, “striving” and “allowing”.
Cyclical rhythms show up in diverse ways including circadian rhythms, the breath, the autonomic nervous system, the seasons, the menstrual cycle, and larger macrocosmic cycles such as the movement of celestial bodies like the Moon. Nature - and life itself - function in a cyclical manner; constantly changing with a symphony of birth, life, death, and rebirth.
The understanding of cyclical rhythms is known as cycle awareness. Cycle awareness not only applies to the menstrual cycle, but also to the awareness of all types of cycles within us and around us, and their impact on us. In astrology, we call this the astrology of life cycles.
By developing cycle awareness and living in sync with our cycle, we learn to embody and honor our natural rhythms.
This is important so we can have an empowering grasp on our everchanging energy, emotions, behavior, body, and needs. By the way, this is possible whether you menstruate or not or somewhere in between!
The Current Dilemma
In modern Western culture, the norm is to function primarily in a “linear” matter.
For the majority, this lies in the flow of constantly “doing” at the detriment of the complimentary flow of “being”. This form of internalized patriarchy forces us to repress or mistrust our natural rhythms and the wisdom of our bodies.
This results in us being disconnected from ourselves, being hard on ourselves, and trying to keep up with the demands of a world that neglects our natural, cyclical rhythms. As a defense mechanism to keep us safe, we may resort to perfectionism, people-pleasing, and high-achievement leading to confusion, fragmentation, burnout, illness, and more. Even worse, we have no clue how to advocate for our reproductive health.
How do we reclaim our natural rhythms?
One of the most fundamental ways to do so is by honoring the menstrual cycle, and alternatively, to work with the Moon if the menstrual cycle is not a reliable or accessible resource. That is because the Moon re-enacts the rhythms of the menstrual cycle.
Menstruators, in their natural instinctual state, are the embodiment of cyclical rhythms and thus have the power to positively impact their relationships, families, circles, communities, and the world at large when they tap into their innate lunar wisdom.
The Take-Away
Living in sync with your cycle has a multitude of benefits including increased self-love, flow, and connection. When you honor your natural rhythms, you learn to acknowledge and accept the felt sense of what it is to be a human with cycles. It's a homecoming.
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Want to dive in deeper? Check out my 6-week course, Love Your Phases, starting as a group program on Feb. 23rd, 2022. Join before Feb. 16th for $100 off!
Alex, Wild Astrology
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