Most of us are aware of the circadian rhythm – the 24-hour cycle following the Sun that every human body is affected by.

However, there is another cycle that affects women: the menstrual cycle.

The menstrual cycle is known as an infradian rhythm – a cycle that lasts longer than 24 hours.

As the saying goes: men follow the Sun, women follow the Moon. The Sun has a 24-hour cycle, equivalent to the hormone cycle that men’s bodies function along. Women’s bodies follow a 28-day hormone cycle, similar to the flow of the Moon.

The menstrual cycle is much more than just your period. This infradian rhythm affects every aspect of your life, including your sex life, mood, energy levels, and even your metabolism.

By understanding your infradian rhythm, you can understand yourself on a deeper level.

You can align the foods you eat, the exercises you do, and even plan your work schedule around your infradian rhythm to fully align with your monthly cycle.

The general breakdown of this infradian rhythm is as follows:

Menstrual Phase: Days 1 – 7

Follicular Phase: Days 8 – 13

Ovulatory Phase: Days 14 – 21

Luteal Phase: Days 22 – 28

On average, the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. However, the number of days in each phase can differ by person.

This is where understanding your unique infradian rhythm comes in handy – you may be someone who only has 25 days between periods, or someone who has 32 days.

Paying attention to how you feel in each day will help you find out how long each phase lasts for you in particular.

For example, you may average 26 days between periods, which already does not break down into four parts evenly. Your period may only last 4 days instead of the 7 days commonly referred to, which would mean your follicular phase starts at day 5, not day 8.

Every woman has their own unique rhythm and understanding yours can greatly change how you function throughout the month.

Each phase brings different hormone fluctuations and therefore has a different affect on the body. You can learn more about each phase in my other articles.

Once you learn how to track your own phases, you’ll see the patterns that you’ve been functioning on subconsciously, and be able to predict how you’ll feel mentally and physically throughout your cycle! You can download my reference guide to the phases here.