The Extraordinary power of menstruation: part 2. The maturation of a new egg, or project.
Endings and beginnings
I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the gifts, and challenges, of the menstrual cycle as a whole. If you haven’t yet read that blog, I suggest you read it before reading this one. I also have a YouTube video about it.
In this blog I explore the gifts of how we open up during menstruation and then how we gather back in so that we can nourish ourselves and also a new egg or project. These gifts are also relevant for men - the opening up with ejaculation and then the need to rebuild energies again.
If you remember, from the last blog, I explained how I divide the 4 phases of the cycle differently from most people. Under menstruation I include the last few days of the luteal phase when the corpus luteum degenerates, because it is this which initiates menstruation. Bleeding itself is considered the first day of a new cycle, because with the hormonal changes leading up to it, another 5 to 15 eggs begin the next stage of maturation which ends, for one only, with ovulation. Ovulation and the support for a potentially fertilised egg, I will explore in the next blog.
I also have a couple of YouTube videos on “Menstruation” which include some exercises for releasing the Girdle Vessel. The Girdle Vessel, as its name suggests acts like a Girdle around the centre of our body. It can open when we need to release, especially from our Palaces (reproductive organs), like during menstruation and ejaculation, and helps us gather back in afterwards.
Menstruation – releasing and transforming
Birth, release of project
Men - ejaculation
Gifts
I accept the death of my creation and release its energies so I can begin anew.
I open to a transformation and purification of my energy.
Challenge
Can I let go of my attachments to the earth and open out into space, inviting any grief to emerge?
Preparing to bleed – Yin decreases, Yang rises: days 23 -28
If the egg wasn’t fertilised or a fertilised egg doesn’t implant in the womb, the follicle which released it (corpus luteum) starts to disintegrate: it needs a signal from an implanting egg to continue. As the corpus luteum disintegrates it stops producing oestrogen, progesterone and relaxin (pregnancy hormones). This causes the muscles in the womb lining (endometrium) to constrict, cutting off their blood supply. The tissue dies and the thickness of the lining starts to reduce.
The death of tissue (Yin - Winter) causes Yang to rise, like sap and new growth in spring when Wood dominates. Wood rises in the Girdle Vessel, which encircles the pelvis, bringing in Fire. The Yang aspects of Girdle, surge to move the Heavenly Water (menstrual blood) out of the womb. Some women find that this is a time they want to rest and gather in – like resting before birth. They may feel quite sensitive and in need of protection.
If energy has built during the previous phases, Yang (summer) can flow. There may be a surge of activity and creativity, accompanied by a sense of clarity about what is important in life. A woman may want to move, expressing herself outwardly, sensually and often sexually. Some women find that orgasm helps trigger menstruation and reduce cramps. If our energies haven’t built sufficiently, this strong outward movement can’t happen and a woman may feel tired and emotionally flat or overwhelmed.
If our energies have built, but we are not able to express them, they may become blocked in the Girdle creating typical PMS symptoms of irritability and frustration.
These patterns may happen if we are not able to give birth or release a project.
What can help you to release?
It is our Girdle Vessel which needs to release. The Girdle includes our pelvis but goes right up to under our ribs. It regulates our digestive system as well as our Palaces (reproductive organs). It may be stuck because of lack of movement or because of being blocked by excess or inappropriate foods, or by emotions which we are not able to release. It may be too weak and not able to open fully. This can be because of lack of movement, or rest and nourishment.
Bleeding – Yang and Yin decrease: days 1 to 5
Eventually contractions, similar to those of giving birth, cause the womb lining to be released. Women may experience water retention and heaviness in their abdomen and breasts due to the drop of progesterone. The cervix opens and moves lower down in the vagina.
The lining reduces from about 7-9 mm to about 1-2 mm thick. Bleeding usually lasts 4 to 6 days but may last up to 8 days. The drop in oestrogen, progesterone and relaxin signals FSH to rise, stimulating 5 to 15 new follicles to grow. Both ovaries initially start maturing eggs but only one will reach the next stage of maturation and be released from its sac.
Releasing blood, releasing sperm – our Essence
The Chinese call menstrual blood “Tian Gui” or “Heavenly water” – the same name as sperm. Many cultures consider menstrual blood to be sacred, like sperm, because it can nourish new life. They use it in healing and rituals. Menstrual blood and sperm are expressions of our Essence. If you remember, from my first blog, Essence is our energetic DNA. Closely linked to our hormonal system, it supports our growth and development. Since sperm is released through ejaculation, men have more choice about when and how to release this aspect of their Essence. The Chinese believed that too much sex with ejaculation, weakens our Essence and had guidelines for men on how often they should ejaculate according to their age and health. When nearing ejaculation, instead of allowing the semen to come out, men can redirect the flow internally up through their Governing Vessel, one of the Extraordinary Vessels, to nourish their Brain and flow back to their Heart, Kidneys and Palaces (reproductive organs) to nourish their Essence.
Sacred blood (and sperm)
In some cultures, menstruation is honoured as a time when women express their powerful energy of creation and purify themselves. They take time out from day-to-day life to connect with their power. In other cultures, menstrual blood was viewed as “dirty,” so women were considered unclean and banned from certain activities. In modern culture, many women see menstruation as an inconvenience - even something to get rid of. My mother’s generation called it “the curse.”
This time of withdrawing from the world is like Winter, the most Yin season. The modern “Red tent” movement encourages us to value our bleeding time and take time for ourselves, perhaps with other women. In this “pause” we can connect with what we need to release and what we want to welcome in. We may have moments of wanting to rest on our own in contact with the earth (Yin). Other times we may have moments of visioning, creativity and wanting to be with others – Yang.
After ejaculation men can also release what they no longer need and open up to welcoming in the new. They may do this with a partner or be on their own.
Releasing blood or semen opens up the Extraordinary Vessels along our centre line (Governing and Conception Vessel) from our perineum to the top of the head. This is like opening up all our chakras, giving us the potential to transform all our energies. We become less emotionally attached to the day-to-day world. There can be relief if we had not wanted to conceive but resistance and grief if we had. A woman needs to feel safe to fully open, like during birth, as well as rest, so she can digest the experiences of the past month.
This is the time to support letting go of the past cycle or anything which no longer serves us in our life. We have an opportunity to remember our connection to the whole and the potential of who we are (Conception). We may see things we deny at other times of our cycle. It is a time of visioning, seeing anew. Some women find sex powerful because they are already open. Other women feel more protective and may not want physical touch. As bleeding continues, energy reduces, and women enter more deeply into this empty and open space where their energies can be transformed and purified. This is a movement into summer (Fire-Yang) through earth to winter (Water-Yin).
We can all access this space of visioning.
What can help you to open up?
Often it is about feeling safe and secure. What helps you feel safe and secure?
Gathering in and Regenerating: Follicular (days 6 to 13)
Postnatal - after birth
Gathering back in and rebuilding energies after releasing a project into the world, the rest between birth contractions or after orgasm.
Men: after ejaculation
Gifts
I embrace the chance to start anew
I nurture myself to rebuild my energies.
Challenges
Have I fully let go of the previous cycle?
Am I open to embrace the new?
Around day 4 to 6 bleeding stops. The cervix moves upwards, and women may feel their sexuality returning if they had not wanted sex during menstruation.
FSH levels continue to rise, with slight fluctuations. One of the eggs, (occasionally two) will reach the next stage of maturity and be ready for ovulation. The other eggs won’t reach full maturity and degenerate along with their follicle.
The maturing follicles secrete oestrogen and, as levels rise, the womb lining thickens. By ovulation it is 6- 7 mm, and its glands and blood vessels (arterioles) are longer and more coiled. Prolactin, the hormone produced in largest amounts in the initial stages of breastfeeding, rises. Testosterone also rises and can help energies feel more dynamic.
Progesterone levels remain low, although progesterone is thought to have a role in supporting egg maturation.
This phase varies most in length depending on the length of the cycle. In a 28-day cycle ovulation is around 14 days i.e. about mid cycle. Around day 12, when oestrogen and prolactin levels reach a certain level they travel through blood to the pituitary triggering a surge of luteinising hormone (LH) and GnRH leading to ovulation.
Gathering in – for men as well as women
Immediately after menstruation a woman can feel open. Her womb, Heart and Soul need to be gathered back from space and reconnected with the earth. If she is connected to earth this may happen easily. However her connection to earth is weak and, especially if her daily reality is stressful, there may be some resistance to coming back in from space and resuming day to day activities.
Since ejaculation doesn’t last as long as menstruation, then men don’t stay in the releasing space for as long and so it is quicker for them to gather back in afterwards.
The midline of Conception, Governing, Penetrating and Girdle Vessel draw back from space to gather in our Heart, Soul and Womb.
Regenerating
This is the time in the cycle when energies are most depleted and need to regenerate and build - Yin, Yang, Qi, Blood, Essence, all 8 Extraordinary Vessels and all 12 channels. The Extraordinary Vessels regulate this deep renewal of a woman’s energies, but they also need to build to support the maturation of an egg.
After ejaculation, men have lost some of their energy, and often need to rest for a while to let their energies build up again.
The Vessels are supported by their connection with the daily energies of the 12 channels. This means taking time to rest, eating well and being nourished physically and emotionally so we can build up the Blood and Yin and create a nest for the egg. In the five element model, we start from Water (winter) moving through Earth into Wood (spring) when birds start making their nests and laying their eggs.
How quickly energies renew illustrates each woman’s uniqueness and where she is in her journey of life. Some women barely experience this lowering of energies and quickly spring back to vitality. Others feel depletion throughout their cycle. If women don’t rest or nourish themselves, they create deeper patterns of weakness with each cycle. This affects their body’s capacity to nourish new life both for themselves and a baby. Deep depletion indicates weakness in the Essence. This can be due either to exhaustion built up over a long time or weak inherited Essence and takes time to replenish.
After any kind of exertion and opening up, we need to take time to gather in and nourish ourselves.
What helps you to regenerate?
How do I experience my energy building? What helps my energy to build? Food? Rest? Company?
Do I respect my rhythms and take enough time to rest?
I hope I have explained this clearly, especially if you don’t know much about Chinese medicine. Please feel free to ask me to explain anything which either doesn’t make sense or you disagree with! I will start the next part of this blog with answering your questions and reflecting on your inputs.