Ovulation: opening into relationship
offering up your Egg or Your Project
As ovulation approaches, energy builds.
Your body has supported the maturation of an egg and prepares for its release. This biological event mirrors a wider creative movement: the impulse to offer something of ourselves to the world.
We see this power at work when we share our ideas, begin projects, make commitments, and allow ourselves to be seen. It is the moment when inner potential seeks outer expression.
At this phase, we often need support, collaboration, and relationship in order for our visions to grow.
It’s a tender moment.
If you rush — fight or flight
If you overextend — tend and befriend
If you withdraw or don’t ask for support — freeze
You may feel depleted or uncentred when there is no meeting.
Learning to honour this phase is learning to protect what wants to grow
while still allowing a meeting with the outer world.
Ovulation myths
The unfertilised egg is released at menstruation
False: it dies within 24 hours of ovulation, often within the fallopian tube
As soon as the egg dies, our womb prepares to clear.
False: your womb keeps building up its lining, ready to receive a fertilised egg. It only prepares for menstruation if no egg arrives.
What happens biologically
Around day 12, when oestrogen and prolactin levels reach certain levels they travel through blood to your pituitary, triggering a surge of luteinising hormone (LH) and GnRH to support the final stage of egg maturation. In a 28 day cycle, an average day for ovulation is day 14; but who is ‘average’? Women can ovulate from day 10 to day 27 in longer cycles. The ovary reaches its maximum size. A couple of days before ovulation, cervical mucus becomes clear and stretchy, like egg whites. This nourishes sperm, protects them from the vagina’s relatively acidic environment and helps their movement. Your cervix opens to allow sperm to enter, rising higher in your vagina. Testosterone rises and you may feel more sexual; ready to welcome in sperm to fertilise your egg. You may want to dress up or go out. Heterosexual men are more attracted to women around ovulation.
Ovulation lasts around 16 to 32 hours. One mature egg rises to the surface of its protective sac (follicle) and is released into the adjacent fallopian tube. There is not necessarily an alternation each cycle between the two ovaries. If you only have one ovary it can release an egg each month. You may feel cramp in your ovary or lower back; mittelschmerz. Your temperature rises immediately after ovulation.
Your egg has been ‘recruited’ about a year before and has already undergone changes in preparation for ovulation. 24 to 36 hours before ovulation, through a process of cell division (meiosis 1), she halves her chromosomes to 23 and creates a smaller cell called a polar body: non coding DNA which disintegrates within hours. She is ready for the next stage of her project. To grow she needs new energy: a sperm. If she is fertilised another polar body is formed which also disintegrates. These polar bodies help the egg discard extra chromosomes while keeping the nutrients it needs.
If your egg does not meet a sperm, she dies in your fallopian tube within 12 to 24 hours.
What happens energetically
Blood, Essence, Yin, PV and CV need to be strong enough to support the Yang movement of ovulation. There is an inner opening to connect with another in order to grow. Although not as strong as menstruation, creativity surges. Wood rises in the Girdle Vessel bringing in Fire.
This is a powerful movement of the Extraordinary Vessels:
The Girdle Vessel (Dai Mai): Releases the egg while opening the “Palace” (the womb) to receive the Essence of another.
The Penetrating Vessel (Chong Mai): Surges to expand the Heart into relationship and connection.
Find ways to express this flow. If these energies are weak, the surge is less. There may be frustration, lack of sexual desire or a fertilised egg may get stuck in the tubes (ectopic pregnancy).
If your Heart is anchored, it opens to attract sexual connection. If it is unanchored you may feel lost. Strong Essence creates trust to release control of the project (egg), accepting it may end. Weak Essence may lead to fear and holding on.
Here is a longer video on ovulation: and I will soon be putting up an exxercise practice.
Ovulation doesn’t happen in every cycle
Not every cycle includes ovulation: especially shorter cycles. This may be a normal variation, or indicate weakness in the Essence. Some types of contraception suppress ovulation.
This can be due to tiredness, stress, early cycles after having given birth, changes in the perimenopause. Without ovulation there will still be blood release at “menstruation” but it won’t be as much because the corpus luteum has not facilitated the build up of womb lining in the same way. The PV is less strong and Essence has not transformed in the same way.
Ovulation reflects:
· strong Kidney Essence
· healthy Penetrating Vessel (Chong) & Conception Vessel(Ren)
· sufficient Blood
· harmonious Liver movement
If ovulation doesn’t happen:
→ Essence and Blood do not fully transform
→ Penetrating Vessel (Chong Mai) is unstable
→ Blood ‘spills’ rather than cycles
How do you experience your ovulation?
What wants expression in me right now?
Who or what could support this?
Where do I rush instead of nurture?
What would “enough” look like?
Am I over reaching to others and not respecting my needs enough
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and especially how you experience your ovulation.
This is the work I hold in the Extraordinary Women’s Cycles course