The Phases of Your Cycle

There are three main phases to your cycle: the pre-ovulatory phase, ovulation (the main event), and the post-ovulatory phase. You can also break it down by what is going on in your ovaries and uterus. Over the next couple of weeks I'll go more in depth to what these different phases mean as part of your overall health and your infradian rhythm (hello cycle syncing!).

With that being said, cycle basics: day 1 of your cycle begins on the first day of your period and ends the day before your next period. The follicular phase will be the most variable of all phases. This can be due to a number of reasons such as stress level, changes to diet or exercise, toxin exposure, and so on. It ultimately determines when and if an egg is matured and released from your ovaries (ovulation!). Your luteal phase is more consistent and a healthy range is anywhere from 9 to 18 days. Each cycle we're working toward the main event that happens mid-cycle - ovulation. If you do not ovulate for some reason, your body is telling you something is up and you'll have an anovulatory cycle. Each part plays a crucial role and can help identify where something might be off. More on that when we take a deep dive into each phase.