If you've been following my IG or FB page, you're probably already aware of how important I feel it is to understand the phases of your cycle.
It's my belief that the #1 most important aspect of connecting with your reproductive health and improving your fertility is to get familiar with the 4 phases of your cycle.
The energy that moves within your body is cyclical, and when we can begin to move in tune with that energy, fertility is a natural by-product of that energetic synchronicity.
Women are not linear beings. We are Cyclical Bodies and Beings often trying to fit ourselves into a linear timeline.
Today I'm going to share as much as possible about the BLOOD Phase of your cycle. This may be a lot to absorb, but I'll do my best to make it digestible.
The blood phase is especially important if you suffer from endometriosis, fibroids, painful, crampy periods or amenorrhea.
The blood phase is when you're bleeding.
Depending on how long your period lasts, it is approximately Days 1-5, Day 1 of your cycle being the first day you wake up bleeding.
Letting Go/ Shedding/ Releasing
Blood is associated with the element of METAL and is about letting go, releasing. Metal is the element of the autumn, and the best way to envision that energy is to think of the trees shedding their leaves every fall. They trust the process, trust that there will be rest in the winter and rebirth in the spring.
The Metal element is about letting go of that which no longer serves you and trusting that something more whole-making will take its place.
Our period is about letting go; our actual menstrual flow is about releasing.
Many women experience fibroids or endometriosis or cramping, where the blood is not able to release easily or entirely, and we may often find that there's a holding onto of emotional energetic patterns that aren't life-affirming accumulating in the womb.
Another aspect to Metal is Large Intestines, pooping. Again, we have to let go of the sh*t that's not serving us. Whether or not it's reflecting in our actual digestive organs, such as IBS, constipation, diarrhea, so many of us hold onto so much that we don't need. Shame, trauma from not only this lifetime but patterns and trauma from generations past....
I always consider the metal, blood phase the end of the pattern, the death of the cycle. But it's important to note that time is not linear. So where there is ending, there must be beginning. There is a new beginning implicit in the ending, just as there is ending implicit in the new beginning.
We must let go so that there is room to move into water, into gestation, so that new life can occur. So many of us get stuck in an inability to let go, and are unable to move into the water, Yin phase of healthy follicle development and even gestation.
The energetic of this phase should be about encouraging your body and your unconscious to let go of that which is not serving your highest conscious priority. (tips for this below)
Preciousness/ Sacredness
Another aspect of the Blood Phase has to do with the 'precious' quality that is appointed to the metal element.
Metal represents the minerals found deep within the earth, or metaphorically, the preciousness in the shadowy elements of our soul that are uncovered and "turned to gold" when we shine the light of consciousness on them.
This is the Alchemy of Healing. It gets a bit esoteric, but in thinking about menstruation, bleeding, preciousness, it occurs to me that the word I'd use for this Blood Phase time, instead, is SACREDNESS.
Our Blood Phase is a Sacred time, and our bleeding points to the reality that we are sacred beings. We have the ability to create life, and whether we are doing that easily or not, that power is housed within our wombs. I believe the blood phase is calling us to remember our sacredness.
When you're trying to conceive, we can lose this. Try instead, to let yourself feel the grief of your blood coming, but then try to remember to call in the sacred... light candles, anoint the body with oil (my Womb Healing oil is magical), take some time to honor your body as the sacred vessel it is, and simply remember how valuable a woman in her fullness actually is.
Shadow Work
While I'm on the topic of the Blood Phase, it's important to note that in addition to being about shedding, releasing, etc., the Metal element is also about exploring the depths, which relates to the sacredness discussed above, but goes a bit deeper. In this phase, we are metaphorically mining for gold in the darkness. Shining the light on what's typically hidden, in the shadows. Bringing consciousness to what's unconscious and recognizing the preciousness of it all.
This phase relates more to Lunar/ Moon energy than the Sun, which is why it's often referred to as our "Moon Time."
This is why Shadow Work is such a large part of my Womb Journeying practice. It's not possible to do here, but it's about exploring the deep, dark unknowns places. We dive into the darkness, into wounding and trauma. It's important, if we feel a lot of energy around this, to consider working with a therapist or even a trusted friend as we unpack this work.
BLOOD PHASE TIPS
It's Important to encourage your uterine lining to shed completely during the blood phase of your cycle. Here are some tips to support fertility even when you're bleeding:
*Choose a Moon Cup, Period Panties or pad as opposed to tampons, which are often bleached and filled with chemicals, and impede the flow of your blood.
*Stimulate the flow of Qi in your Body by doing some cardiovascular exercise, even brisk walks. Twisting can often help "wring out" the uterus to support bleeding. Avoid inversions.
*Avoid bathing in cold water, keep your body warm. This will support the flow of Qi and blood and prevent constriction.
*Womb massage in the week leading up to menstruation can be helpful. I like to use a healing essential oil blend with castor oil. (See my Womb Massage Tutorial)