CYCLE SYNC CHALLENGE

 

Practice Now On The Jess Yoga App

 
 

“You are meant to feel good in your body. The key to unlocking this feeling is to align with your unique flow.”

Cycle syncing is the practice of aligning various aspects of your lifestyle (diet, exercise, self-care routines, etc.) with the four different phases of your menstrual cycle. These four phases include: menstruation, follicular, ovulation and luteal.

As women, we go through natural cycles every month, and every single day we’re different - our hormone levels are different and our energy levels are different. In comparison to a 24-hour hormone cycle that men have, women operate on a 28-day menstrual cycle (although some menstrual cycles are longer).

If you have a menstrual cycle, you are probably already very much aware of the fluctuating moods and energy levels you experience throughout the month… thank your shifting hormone levels for that. 😉

While there aren’t currently scientific studies around cycle syncing, studies do show that hormone fluctuations affect energy, mood, appetite and sleep. 

In the context of yoga, you can tailor your practice to support the specific needs of your body during each phase of your menstrual cycle.

Here are some examples:

🩸 Menstruation: As your hormones will be at their lowest points, you may feel called to include more yin/restorative poses in your practice and begin to ease off from energetic practices. Relaxing breathwork, yoga nidra + meditation is great during this time too. Hip opening poses are beneficial in supporting blood flow around the uterus + balancing the nervous system.

🌱 Follicular: During this phase we experience a rise in testosterone levels, which is helpful for strength building practices and poses. If you are working on your inversion practice, this is a great time to spend more time on these poses. This is also the best time in our menstrual cycle to start something new, whether it’s a habit or a new pose or style of yoga.

🌞 Ovulation: This is the peak that our bodies build up to. We typically feel our most vibrant + best during this phase! This is one of the best times for a strong yoga practice (power, vinyasa, yoga sculpt, etc.) so take advantage of this peak in energy in a way that works for you.

🍂 Luteal: During early luteal phase energy levels are still high, so you may decide that you want to continue your stronger practice, however as you go into the late luteal phase, listen to your body and give it what it needs. You may feel called towards a slower, intentional and more embodied practice.

 
 
 
 

When you track your cycle and sync your practice in relation to this, you start to become aware of the subtleties (and sometimes not-so-subtleties) of the way your body is responding to these various hormones. Syncing our yoga practice to our menstrual flow helps us to both reconnect + honor these fluctuations. ✨

Personally I have found this practice to be an amazing addition to my wellness routine, allowing me to move through life with more fluidity and intuition. I no longer ‘push through’ during yoga or force myself into doing something because I feel like I ‘should’. I also have more compassion for myself during low energy days because I now understand why and how my body works. I’ve let go of unrealistic expectations and perfectionist tendencies to be high achieving and high energy every single day. I allow myself to flow with my natural cycle and that is what truly works best for me.

If you are curious to learn more about cycle syncing I highly recommend the books, “In The FLO” and “Woman Code” by Alisa Vitti.

The Cycle Sync course is designed to give you the tools to help sync your yoga practice with your cycle. Consisting of 28 practices, the first day of each phase will begin with a meditation to help you ease into the new phase with clarity + intention.

The styles of yoga practiced during each phase changes to honor the natural fluctuation of hormones and energy levels experienced during the menstrual cycle. During this course you will practice a mixture of slow flow, hatha, yin, vinyasa, restorative, yin/yang, sculpt, power, meditation, yoga nidra, somatic and more.

Here is the complete series overview:

  • PHASE 1: MENSTRUATION (days 1-6) ~ Release

  • PHASE 2: FOLLICULAR (days 7-14) ~ Rise

  • PHASE 3: OVULATION (days 15-17) ~ Shift

  • PHASE 4: LUTEAL (days 18-28) ~ Reflect

Keep in mind, these phases will vary in length from person to person and our bodies respond in different ways during our own menstrual cycle. The key is to tune in to your own cycle. You will likely feel different from phase to phase, and that’s normal!

This course is meant to be a general guide in helping you to listen to what youpersonally need. Feel free to skip a day of practice and rest, or choose a different class from one recommended that feels more aligned with where you are at. Because we are all at different phases of our cycles at any given time, you can begin and move through this course at your own pace.

I’m so excited to finally introduce you to our new yoga teacher joining us for the Cycle Sync course…

Meet your new yoga instructor ~

“Hi! I’m Emma,

and I am a Canadian Registered Yoga Teacher and Registered Nurse. When I am not on my mat you can find me in scrubs as a high risk labour and delivery nurse. Over the past year I have combined the power of yoga with my passion for reproductive health, and created a safe space for those to find healing through yoga after abortion. I am incredibly honoured to have worked alongside Jessica to bring you this cycle syncing program. I look forward to flowing and breathing together through every phase, as we find balance, love, and strength within 4 corners of our mats.”

 
 

Through this series, we hope that you will be able to develop a more intimate and reverent connection with your menstrual cycle. There is so much magic and wisdom to tap into through our bodies! Be sure to check out the ‘resources’ listed under the course details, as we have a cycle syncing workbook you can access for free to help support you on your journey.

 
 
 
 

I hope you enjoy these new practices. I can’t wait to practice with you and hear how it goes!

Lots of love,

Jess

COURSE REVIEWS FROM OUR COMMUNITY

“Gentle reminder to relax and let my body open in its own time. Exactly what I needed today at this point in my cycle…. 🙏🏼”

— Beverly

“Exactly what I needed! I appreciate the guidance throughout, slow but intentional movement, and encouraging words at the end… I feel more connected to my body and cycle.”

— Beverly

”Lovely class and the meditation at the end was very touching. 🙏🏼✨”

— Bianca

“So relaxing that I fell asleep!”

— Seline

“My intention was to have fun and I absolutely did with this funky flow!”

— Joanne