The extraordinary power of the menstrual cycle – part 3.
Ovulation and the early luteal phase - manifesting and mothering
I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the gifts, and challenges of the menstrual cycle as a whole (part 1) and the second part on bleeding itself and regeneration afterwards. If you haven’t yet read those two blogs, I suggest you read them before reading this one.
In this blog I explore the gifts of ovulation, or inner releasing, and then the first part of the luteal phase, when our body is preparing a nest for a potentially fertilised egg or project. Ovulation, for both men and women, is closely linked with our sexual and creative expressions. I have a YouTube video on the early part of the luteal phase which shows some of the exercises.
If you would like to learn more about the journey of the egg from when it first appears in our body when we are in the womb of our mother, until there are no more eggs, then you might like to do this visualisation on YouTube. I also have some exercises for how to connect with the “nurturing” or “mothering” qualities of the Penetrating Vessel which are strongly expressed in the early luteal phase. The videos I suggested in the last blog for releasing the Girdle Vessel can still be useful around ovulation.
Manifesting: Ovulation - day 14 (13-15)
Potential for conception and new beginnings
Opening up to welcome in something or someone new to help us grow
First stage of releasing a project to gain support, initial stages of sexual arousal.
Men: erection and ejaculation
Affirmations
I release my creation out into the world, accepting that I have no control over its destiny
I welcome in new energies in to support my creation
Challenge
Can I let go of attachment to a specific outcome?
The surge of LH around day 12 triggers the final stage of maturing the egg in its follicle. Both prolactin and oestrogen decrease around day 13, but remain higher than during most of the follicular phase. Prostaglandins aid the maturation and rupture of the follicle. Ovulation happens around day 14, in a 28 day cycle, and the ovary reaches its maximum size.
A couple of days before ovulation, the cervical mucus becomes clear and stretchy, like egg whites. This nourishes sperm and protects them from the vagina’s relatively acidic environment as well as helping them move. The cervix opens to allow sperm to enter in and rises higher in the vagina. Testosterone rises and many women feel more sexual – ready to welcome in sperm to fertilise her egg. A woman may want to get dressed 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 in each cycle between the two ovaries. If a woman only has one ovary it is possible for it to release an egg each month. She may feel cramp in her ovary or lower back : mittelschmerz. A woman’s temperature rises immediately after ovulation.
The egg has been “recruited” about a year before and has already undergone some changes to prepare her for ovulation. Now she begins a process of cell division (meiosis 1) to reduce the number of chromosomes to half the normal (i.e. 23) in preparation for fertilisation, creating another smaller cell called a polar body. The egg is now ready for the next stage of her project. To grow she needs new energy. If she is fertilised another polar body will be formed. Both polar bodies degenerate. People used to call the polar bodies waste bins for the extra chromosomes, but more is now understood about the role of non-coding (“junk”) DNA. The polar bodies support the egg in her maturation and transform into something else to support a woman, like the eggs which do not mature.
If she does not meet a sperm, the egg dies in the fallopian tube within 12 to 24 hours. This is a rapid movement into autumn and winter.
Ovulation doesn’t happen in every cycle, especially shorter cycles. This is may simply be a normal variation, or indicate weakness in the Essence or be a sign of an underlying condition such as polycystic ovaries (PCOS). Some types of contraception suppress ovulation.
Blood and Yin need to be strong enough to support the Yang movement of ovulation. This time there is an inner opening to connect with another in order to grow. Although not as strong a movement as menstruation, it expresses as an outer movement of creativity, but it is creativity which needs the support of a new energy. Wood rises in the Girdle Vessel bringing in Fire. If these energies are weak, they can’t support this surge of the Girdle. This may cause frustration, lack of sexual desire and the egg may even get stuck in the tubes (ectopic pregnancy). It is helpful to find ways to express this movement of the Girdle, either through movement, touch or finding appropriate creative activities.
If the Heart is anchored it can open without becoming dispersed and support a sexual connection. If it is weak a woman may feel lost. Strong Essence creates trust to release control of the project (egg) accepting it may end, or not be well received. Weak Essence may lead to fear and holding on.
Manifesting is opening up to meet another in order to grow.
Nurturing another (mothering): Early Luteal - days 15 to 22
Pregnancy, consolidation and nurturing of a project
Building a container/nest for another, parenting.
Men: nurturing sperm
All energies and Vessels continue to build. Blood is at its fullest around day 22. Yin is slightly more dominant than Yang.
Follows on from Yang Fire (Summer) after ovulation, moving to Earth (the Centre) where all energies build into the harvest of autumn (Metal) and the gathering in of Yin and Yang energies. This prepares for pregnancy - Yin Water (Winter).
Affirmations
I create a safe space to support my creation
I create a nourishing relationship with myself and then I can create nourishing relationships with others.
Challenge
Can I allow my energies to withdraw inwards and slow down?
The 5 to 11 follicles which didn’t bring their egg to maturity disappear. The follicle which released the mature egg takes up cholesterol from the bloodstream colouring it yellow. Now called the corpus luteum (yellow body – giving this phase its name), it stays on the ovary for another 10 to 12 days producing progesterone, oestrogen and relaxin to support implantation. If a fertilised egg implants, the corpus luteum will continue for about 10 weeks, generating the progesterone, oestrogen, and relaxin needed to support pregnancy until the placenta has developed enough to take over from it.
During and immediately after ovulation, oestrogen levels drop back to where they were before they rose for ovulation, but remain higher than they were for most of the follicular phase. Prolactin levels follow a similar pattern. Progesterone levels, which have been low up to now, rise to higher levels than oestrogen. Progesterone is a calming hormone which directs energy inwards creating a nest to receive new life. It aids fluid retention and stimulates the womb lining to continue to thicken to 7-9 mm and its glands to become more coiled and produce nourishing secretions. Rising progesterone also increases temperature, to aid incubation of the egg and brings about breast changes to prepare for pregnancy. These may cause swelling, pain and tenderness. Relaxin (a tissue softening hormone) helps stop the womb from contracting.
The cervix closes to protect the egg. Cervical fluids become stickier, thickening into a plug to make it difficult for sperm to enter the womb. The vagina becomes drier. Women tend to want less sex.
This phase tends to be consistent in length for the same woman and varies less between women than the regeneration phase. The corpus luteum needs to last for at least a week so that the lining of the womb can build up enough to support implantation.
After the Yang surge at ovulation, all energies continue to build with a slightly more inward focus. Girdle and Penetrating Vessel gather Yin, Yang, Blood, Essence and Qi in the womb to support implantation and anchor the Heart within the womb. Penetrating Vessel is helpful in this phase as it was in building up our energies after menstruation.
During this phase women often have completely different experiences, depending on how much their energies have built. Some want less sex and are not as open to the outer world because of the inner movement to make a nest. However, oestrogen is still higher than for much of the follicular phase, so others may feel as connected to the outer world and creative, sensual and sexual as before ovulation. Other women experience physical and emotional tension between the inner and outer movements. The Stepping Vessels support this movement between Yin and Yang.
If energy remains low, even during this fullest phase, women may feel scattered, indecisive and disorganised. This indicates a deep weakness in the Essence as well as insufficient earthing in the Penetrating Vessel leg branches which are not able to support the gathering of energies in the Girdle.
If a woman’s energy is strong, but she resists this inner and slower movement her Yang can become dispersed. This may be expressed through anger, explosive emotional outbursts and binge eating. Slowing down and connecting with her Yin will support calmness.
What do you think? How do you relate to the phases whatever stage of life you are at?
I hope you find this way of looking at the menstrual cycle helpful.
Before puberty it can be helpful for boys and girls, to understand the physiological and energetic qualities of each phase. After the menopause, women can still connect with the phases, but in their own rhythm. Even if a woman didn’t connect with them during her fertile years, she can always chose to connect. Men can also connect with their qualities at any time.
I look forward to any thoughts and ideas you have or any questions.
I’d love to hear how you relate to them in the phase of life you are currently living.
Suzanne