Latest / Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul / Moon Phases & Feminine Power - Your Weekly Cycle Sync: How to Let Go of Control with the Last Quarter Moon

Transcript

Moon Phases & Feminine Power - Your Weekly Cycle Sync: How to Let Go of Control with the Last Quarter Moon · Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul

• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to today's episode of the Healing Her Story podcast.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: And welcome to today's weekly cycle sync episode where we explore the moon phases and how they can support us in cultivating more feminine power and also how we can begin to sync ourselves with the natural rhythms and cycles.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if this is your first time here, welcome.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: I am so grateful to be able to tap into this feminine wisdom with you.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are returning, welcome back.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: As I say from time to time, I think it's helpful to sometimes remind, especially for those who are just joining us, the work behind what we're doing here, or rather the why behind the work we are doing here.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And this is really about so much more than working with the new moon or the full moon or cycle syncing, whether it's with our workouts or our skincare or the way we dress or express ourselves.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's really about embodying a different way of being in our patriarchal world, a way of being that truly honors the ebbs and the flows, the highs and the lows, the ups and the downs and the all-arounds and everything in between.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's about a returning to our truth.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And the truth is that we are cyclical beings.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you are a woman living in a female body or a transgender woman or a non-binary human, or even if you are a man or trans man, however you may identify, it's not about gender, it's not about sex.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's about honoring our natural ways of being.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because sure, yes, the menstrual cycle, which we explore a lot here, is a cycle.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: And our breath is also a cycle.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Our circadian rhythm is a cycle.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Our days are 24-hour cycles.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Our weeks are seven-day cycles.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Our month are 28-day to 30-day cycles, which also correlates, not always lines up with the moon cycles, but the moon cycles are 28 days.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: So it's funny once you begin to really see how everything is constantly moving in these cycles of expansion and contraction, we can begin to settle into a more sustainable way of living, of creating, of being in this world.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: And in this world that is filled with fascism, with destruction, with violence, with oppression.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: It seems silly to some.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: And to me, I really believe that learning how to tap into this cyclical rhythm, learning how to work with it can really transform not just ourselves, but our collective.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine a world where we truly honored the earth, her rhythms, her cycles, our bodies, our bodies' rhythms and cycles where we all weren't forcing and coercing and pushing ourselves to be in this constant need to produce, to perform, to do is exhausting.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: No matter where I go, whether I'm teaching in a public school or I'm working with my clients in my one-on-one sessions, or I'm having a chat with my dear sister on her WhatsApp podcast, whether I'm connecting with my dad or my extended family that lives in various parts of the world, everyone is fucking exhausted.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: We're all tired and stretched thin and overwhelmed and on the edge of burning out.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: And if you aren't, maybe that is not you.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps maybe you help people with that, and maybe that's not why you are.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And even as myself, as someone who does support people with this, it's still something I am always having to constantly track and reevaluate and readjust.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's an ongoing thing.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: So the work we're doing here, it's deep, it's so deep, and it's about so much more than just cycle syncing and working with the moon.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in this week.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: As always, we'll start with our minute of silence.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: And in this minute of silence, you are invited to come into a place of more presence with yourself, whatever that may look like for you today, whether you're driving or doing something in the background, or maybe doing some chores, seeing what it would be like to slow down, even if it's just one or two or three percent.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe take a moment to observe your breath flowing in and flowing out, and noticing how that breath is flowing today.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And as you notice the breath, you may also begin to notice what's happening inside, whether it's an energetic level, or something you're noticing in your body, or maybe something that's weighing you down, or maybe something that you're noticing in your heart, or in your spirit.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Little one one one sequence in there for ya.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Today I am cycle day twenty six, and as I was sinking into the present moment, I really noticed how autumn I'm really feeling.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm in my premenstrual phase or my luteal phase, my bleed will be here in the next two to five days.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Fingers crossed, I've been doing what I can to ensure that my hormones are doing what they do in an optimal way.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, for me, that looks like making sure I'm getting enough sleep and keeping my stress down and drinking my herbal teas, which I've got here now.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: Special blend that I made for this time.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm yeah, really honoring this lower energy level.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: I could definitely feel it today as I was doing my teaching artist work.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I could really feel it.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm taking a guitar class right now.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: There's this thing that happens to the brain in the luteal stage.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I'll do an episode about this one day.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: But there's like a cognitive decline in a sense.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: The brain is just not firing in the same way that it does.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so I have found that guitar class is extremely difficult during my luteal phase.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: During my inner spring and my summer phase, it's a blast.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's super fun.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's very much like a puzzle trying to figure it out.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: And when I'm in my luteal phase, it's like whatever I'm learning is just not being absorbed.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's just all kind of like floating around.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, just kind of like noticing that and being really gentle with myself.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, just kind of accepting that, like, oh wow, this is what it's like to learn guitar during this time of my cycle.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm curious to explore some different things that I can bring in to support me specifically with that.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Physically, I'm feeling really good.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: I've got some mild cramping going on, but nothing too severe.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: And as I've been drinking my tea and getting my walks and staying hydrated, it's certainly been helping.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a brand new heating pad I've just ordered.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited to pull it out.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Probably had the same heating pad, like oh my gosh, maybe like eight years or something, just wild.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: So it was definitely time for an upgrade.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I've got my birthday coming up at the end of this week, hence the upgrade on the heating pad, along with some other things that I'm really looking forward to celebrating and engaging with this week.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a special episode coming out on Friday to share something really new and exciting.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I'll wait till Friday to share that then.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: But looking ahead, I've got this wonderful weekend planned out for myself.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm doing a really lovely intimate gathering at my house on Friday, and then I've got a day with my husband on Saturday, and then Sunday, I'm heading to go see one of my favorite musicians with my sister Amora, who just did the uh Toxic Female Friendship episode with me.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: Truly one of my greatest sisters, and we're looking forward to a fabulous time.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: So that's me.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: I've got yeah, enough happening and I'm feeling good.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, I'm I'm hoping as long as my bleed comes at the um, how do I say around day 28 to 32, we'll say, then I will be bleeding over the weekend, and I also have the day off on Monday.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: So fingers crossed, everyone, that it all works out, and I will get the full rest and nourishment that I know I so desperately need during that bleeding time.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited to share when I come out on the other side.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: This week, the week of October 13th, we are attuning to the energy of the waning moon and more specifically the last quarter moon, which is happening right now as this episode airs.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: That's my little cat joining me here.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'll admit I'm coming in a little later today and right on time.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: This was an intentional decision I made yesterday to let go.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly what this phase invites us to do.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: Letting go doesn't mean giving up, at least not to me.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's about releasing pressure, softening the grip of control, and letting the universe or God or higher power or the unseen or spirit, whatever you want to call it, letting it take the wheel for a while.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: For the next week or so, yeah, a little over a week, about nine days before our next new moon, we're invited to step back and let the energy we've set in motion start to unfold naturally.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Chances are, if you're listening to this show, you're doing the work.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever that version of that, whatever your version of that looks like, excuse me.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's journaling, meditating, parenting, oh goodness, or building a life that feels aligned.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: You care deeply, and you've probably been showing up, taking consistent steps that have brought you to a completely different place than you were maybe three weeks ago, maybe six weeks ago, maybe three months ago, maybe six months ago, maybe a year ago, maybe two years ago, maybe ten years ago.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: And action is important.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: We talked about it a lot in our last check-in.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, that was the big takeaway and invitation for our episode.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a moment where things can start to tip out of balance, especially during Libra season, which we are currently in, where we are reminded to find balance and equilibrium.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: You might notice your energy dipping, your motivation slowing.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: And yet, because of expectations about how and when things should happen, you keep pushing, keep striving, keep efforting.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: And that's how burnout begins.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: So this week, can you let go even just a little?
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: Can you trust that your body, your soul, and the universe are already doing their work?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is the feminine, the allowing, the receiving, the trusting.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: See what happens when you soften your grip.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of striving towards the next thing, maybe you might want to focus on tying up loose ends.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: I know I've got quite a bit of those, I'm going to try to take care of today and tomorrow before my bleed comes.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: Decluttering your space, or maybe bringing gentle closure to what's ready to be complete.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: And the menstrual cycle, this mirrors the luteal phase, or the inner autumn, or the premenstruum.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a time where the inner critic often gets louder, whispering judgments about our bodies, our choices, or the things we did or didn't say.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: And if that's coming up for you, maybe the invitation this week is more about compassion, not the force kind, but the organic kind that arises when you zoom out and see the whole forest rather than getting stuck amongst the trees.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: And when you do this, you can start to maybe recognize that what you've been doing was really the best you could do with what you've had, with the tools you've had, with the awareness that you've had, with the time and the energy that you've had.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've had a misstep recently.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe something tender from the past is resurfacing to be loved and understood.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Either way, this is your moment to exhale.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need support and softening or reconnecting to that compassion, you can find some free somatic meditations on Insight Timer in the show notes.