every phase #19 - luteal - the 5th cycle

creativity's crest

This luteal phase, I was fueled and inspired by the 'happy accidents' philosophy of Bob Ross (which, if you haven't watched his documentary on Netflix, please do!).

The ratio of estrogen to progesterone in this phase allowed me to notice things that I normally wouldn't pay much attention to.  Watching Bob Ross, what stood out to me most in the film was when his son was talking about how when you make a mistake, all of a sudden you learn 10 different ways to correct it and maybe even other techniques that will help you later on--unlike when you just apply a technique correctly.

The magic comes from the 'mistakes'.  The discovery and creation of new processes comes from mistakes--or better said, happy accidents.

I am no stranger to mistakes and working within the uncontrollable.  You could even say that because of my past mistakes with my health, I have created the series I am showing you now.

The corpus luteum expands and then is reabsorbed,  similar to the cycle of a wave, building a crest and then crashing back into the body of water it just came from.  This expansion and reabsoroption causes the focus to turn inward, where new dreams are dreamt from the 'accidents' or 'mistakes' we may have made in the previous three phases before this one. 

"The minute we relinquish the notion that our creative dreams are centered in the ego, the minute we begin to see them as spiritual adventures, we allow the Great Creator to shape us as only it can and will."

-Julia Cameron, Walking in this World

& in case you've forgotten, I love you 💌

During the luteal phase, specifically,

your metabolism speeds up, and your resting cortisol levels are higher. You must eat more calories daily to maintain stable blood sugar, which helps balance insulin — a critical hormone that greatly affects the degree of PMS you will experience.  In addition, don’t engage in HIIT workouts during this time. Opt for gentler movement, like Pilates and other non-cardio strength training. How much PMS you have is totally in your control and directly related to how much or how little you support your infradian rhythm during this phase. Continue to emphasize cruciferous vegetables during this phase and add in some complex carbohydrates like those found in sweet potatoes, which are nutrient-dense. 

*Info above from floliving.com

More info on the Luteal phase here

More info on infradian rhythm + hormonal health: Womancode + In the flo