I want to tell you about a first date. Not because it was particularly eventful, or because something wild happened (although I did have a gorgeous time). But because a moment in that evening said something about how far I’d come and because I think it might say something to you too.
We were set up by friends. Late summer. A cute local pub, sitting outside under the most gorgeous full moon.
Honestly? It was lush!
And then I talked about my cycle.
Yeah, you read the correct, I talked about my cycle on our first date.
How It Came Up
He clocked the moon and I told him it was a full moon. He asked how I knew. And off I went.
I explained that I follow the moon. That up until recently (2010 to be exact) many women would naturally bleed with the dark moon and ovulate with the full moon. That we were always meant to be connected to it. That through my practices, I am slowly starting to sync with it again.
He was just… with me. Listening. Actually listening.
Then he said: “I didn’t expect to be talking about your cycle on a first date.”
And I just laughed and said: “Yeah. I talk about this stuff a lot.”
No sorry. No shyness. Just me, in my power, under the full moon.
I Spent Most Of My Life Hiding It
And if you’re like me, you’re done with that.
I spent most of my life thinking my cycle was something dirty. Something you just didn’t talk about. You managed it quietly, you got on with things, and you definitely didn’t bring it up on a first date.
And when I started to understand it. And it changed everything.
Why would I keep that quiet?
The Science That Made Me Say ‘Wow, well that makes sense’
Here’s something that blew my mind when I first learned it. Researchers at the University of Würzburg analysed decades of menstrual records and found that before 2010, before smartphones, before screens became the wallpaper of our lives, women’s cycles were significantly synchronised with the moon.
After 2010? That synchronisation started to disappear. Here’s the study
Artificial light, especially the blue-rich light from our phones and screens, doesn’t just outshine the moon. It actually changes our menstrual cycles, making it harder for our bodies to stay in rhythm with it.
We didn’t lose our connection to the moon because it was just ‘woo woo’. We lost it because tech took over and put small screens in our hands.
Your Cycle Has More To Offer Than You Think
So many of us only ever experience ourselves in two modes. On our bleed and back to ‘normal’ for the rest of the month.
One of the gorgeous women I work with described it exactly like that. There was her on her period, and there was her the rest of the time. Just two versions.
Sound familiar?
But your cycle has four distinct phases, and each one brings something completely different:
- The playfulness creativity after your bleed (inner spring)
- The confidence and clarity of ovulation (inner summer)
- The discernment and depth of pre-menstruation (inner autumn)
- The stillness and self-knowing of your bleed (inner winter)
You may experience each of these phases completely differently to how I’ve described them, and that’s ok. But I promise you… there is more than two versions of you.
Where Breathwork Comes In
To really start to uncover your cyclical magic, you need to learn to listen in. And that’s where your breath takes the stage.
Your breath connects you to yourself. It brings you into the present moment, into your body, into the phase you’re in right now. And when you combine breathwork with cycle awareness, something really special happens. You stop fighting yourself. You start working with yourself.
It doesn’t take hours. It just takes a little curiosity, and the right practice at the right time.
Oh, And The Date?
Second date? Of course.
Six months later? Still going strong.
Does he follow my cycle with me now? You bet he does.
And he loves to tell everyone that we chatted about my cycle on our first date… yeah he’s pretty epic!
Hiding our cyclicity means hiding the beautiful shifts. Hiding parts of you. Hiding your creativity, your darker sides, all of it.
It’s time to stop hiding your cycle and start sharing your whole self with the people who matter.
Are you ready? 🌿
Ready To Go Deeper?
If this has resonated with you, I’d love to invite you to join the next Breathe With Your Cycle Programme.
Over 8 weeks, we’ll journey through the inner seasons of your cycle together, using breathwork, cycle awareness and guided self-inquiry to help you come home to yourself, phase by phase. Just you, your breath, and a whole lot of curiosity.
→ Find out more and secure your spot: Breathe With Your Cycle
