Frome Valley Osteopaths

by our lovely Becca.

I have been learning recently the value in listening to our bodies, learning their natural rhythms and accepting that each day is different.

For me, and other people who experience a menstrual cycle, this is particularly apparent because of the fluctuating hormones from month to month. Some days I don’t have the energy to be as active as I might have planned or even to see my friends. And that’s OK! It’s important not to be hard on yourself and expect that you will feel the same every day and at each phase of the year.

For instance, in winter, the actual time of the year, and the beginning of your menstrual cycle, when you bleed (as winter can also be used to describe), we might feel like isolating ourselves more. We might feel like curling up on the sofa with a movie, a book, and/or a hot water bottle. Then in summer, the actual time of the year, and around ovulation, we tend to have lots of more energy, we want to socialise and we feel fabulous.

However your natural rhythms play out, tuning into your body and listening to what it needs, can be a super power. Ultimately allowing you to conserve energy when you need it and channel energy when you have it.

There are more nuanced aspects to our rhythms such as how seasonal or hormonal changes can influence our pain, or how we experience touch. This could be important for recognising when we need, and want, osteopathic treatment. Plus, understanding these shifts can be helpful in understanding how we recover from injury and respond to treatment.

Equally important is understanding that those around you won’t always be in rhythm with you. Maybe you are experiencing a period of rest, and you don’t want to want to let down a friend you planned to meet in the gym. Or your partner wants to spend an evening quietly, while you want to go out and shine.

If you think being more in tune with your own rhythm would be helpful for you, maybe begin by noticing how you feel each day, checking in with how you are physically, socially and/or emotionally, without judgement or expectation. You could even try writing this down if that’s your style. There are some great tracking apps around too. Over time you might start to notice the patterns. For some this will be easy and for others it could be very challenging.

Be patient. Be kind. Find your rhythm.

Rebecca Austen M.Ost