How body literacy transformed my relationship with my body
And how the practice of menstrual cycle awareness empowers me
Have you heard of the term “body literacy”? Maybe you have.. maybe you haven’t. I certainly hadn’t, until about 7 years ago.
Body literacy is:
Learning to read and understand the language of the body + learning to observe, chart and interpret an ovulatory menstrual cycle.
This term was coined by Laura Wershley, Megan Lalonde and Geraldine Matus.
I didn’t start my journey of body literacy until I was 37 years old. This is when I first came across the concept of Menstrual Cycle Awareness - which is the practice of paying attention to where you are in your cycle each day, what you are experiencing and how to care for your changing cyclical needs.
Yes, it took me 37 years to finally learn how my own body works.
Makes you question how we are raised and educated in this highly patriarchal world doesn’t it?
I can tell you, it was a huge lightbulb moment when I realised there was a predictable cyclical pattern to the ups and downs of my hormones - and my resulting moods, emotions, physiology, mental capacity, even my creativity.
Does the below look familiar? It is an example of a normal menstrual cycle and its hormone phases - which is usually around 29 days long (but can vary from 24 - 35 days and still be considered “normal”).
Just the realisation that we ebb and flow through these hormone phases was a game changer. It instantly introduced the idea that it was NORMAL to feel differently each day of the cycle. And that expecting myself to be the same person, produce work at the same output and achieve in the same way every day was actually ABNORMAL.
It was an instant permission slip to be more compassionate with myself.
The next transformative step was understanding my own cycle through cycle charting. I started tracking things like:
Period length, flow, spotting
Symptoms (pain, cravings, energy, sleep, bowel movements, acne)
Body basal temperature (for ovulation confirmation)
Cervical fluid (for ovulation confirmation)
Journalling the state of my body, mind and heart on each day of my cycle
I have been doing this for a few years now, with varying degrees of detail - and my learnings about myself have been profound.
I know with certainty when I ovulate during my cycle, which means I can be synthetic contraception free. I use a method called “Fertility Awareness Method” for contraception, which requires consistency in tracking, but allows me to be completely free of copper devices implanted in my body or synthetic hormones shutting down part of my endocrine system - and yes it allows me to fully enjoy sexy time with my partner during the safe window (for those who don’t know - that’s the luteal phase).
I know what is and isn’t normal in my cycle length, ovulation timing, bleed, as well as symptoms and moods. For example, I know that I am not in perimenopause yet (despite being 44) and that I ovulate consistently around day 15-16 of my cycle. I know that when I was using the copper IUD, my ovulation was delayed to day 18-19 and that my luteal phase was shortened to 10-11 days which made me incorrectly think I was in perimenopause (it is now normal length again at around 14 days).
I know that I have a tendency to feel depressed, sensitive and lethargic just after my period finishes during the first 3-5 days of the late follicular phase (sometimes known as “inner spring”) because this has shown up in my cycle journalling consistently for the past couple years. I also know this is due to being low in iron.
I know that my favourite cycle phase is the luteal phase because I always feel super chill, at home in my body and connected with myself - and that I usually get a surge in creative energy during my late luteal phase (currently cycle day 27 as I write this!) I also tend to get a little fiery and passionate during this time, embodying my inner wild woman feminine power.
I know that cleaning up my diet and eliminating food sensitivities has basically eliminated what had been previously debilitating menstrual cramps. The biggest game changer for me was eliminating gluten and dairy. I now no longer experience any cramps or PMS whatsoever!
These days, my relationship with my body feels more like a relationship with a musical instrument - like a guitar. It needs regular tuning and care, but if I give her that, she can create some truly beautiful music and be a vessel for joy and pleasure.
Of course there are challenges. I have a diagnosis of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder which means I am prone to frequent injuries and pain and need to be proactive and careful in my movement and exercise routine. HSD also tends to come with a few other co-morbidities such as autonomic issues, gastrointestinal issues and anxiety.
But despite all that, I feel in harmony with my body and more empowered than ever to make any “tunings” and changes as needed to live a vibrant healthy life.
It is a world of difference from the numb, disconnected, disempowered life I used to live in my 20s and early 30s.