Inner Winter Explained: Menstruation, Rest, and Trauma-Informed Cycle Care

Today we’re closing out this mini-series on the menstrual cycle with Inner Winter—the phase that corresponds with bleeding.

Most people talk about menstruation as the beginning of the cycle. And biologically, that’s true.
But in lived experience, Inner Winter is also an ending. A completion. A sacred exhale.

Before this phase arrives, I prepare for it intentionally.

I put rest into my calendar like a non-negotiable appointment.
I meal prep.
I close loops on projects.
I tend to loose ends so that when bleeding begins, I can actually rest.

Because most of us know we need rest.
What we don’t talk about enough is why it’s so hard to let ourselves rest.

Why Rest Feels So Hard (and Why It’s Not Your Fault)

In my ongoing training and personal work, I’ve noticed there’s a part of me that resists slowing down.

When I get curious about that part, what I find underneath is fear:

• Fear of not achieving enough

• Fear of being perceived as “lazy”

• Attachment to old workaholic identities

• Deep conditioning from a culture that only values productivity

So if rest feels uncomfortable or unsafe for you, that’s not a personal flaw.

That’s conditioning.

We live in a world that celebrates women who push through pain and praises us when we override our bodies.
And yet, menstruation is the moment your body needs deep rest the most.

Let’s talk about why.

The Science of Menstruation (Inner Winter)

During menstruation, your body is undergoing one of the most energy-intensive processes of the entire cycle.

Here’s what’s happening physiologically:

• Estrogen and progesterone drop to their lowest levels
  → Think of this as your body entering low-power mode

• The uterus sheds the endometrial lining it spent the month building
  → This requires oxygen, blood flow, nutrients, and energy

• Prostaglandins increase to create uterine contractions
  → Higher prostaglandins = more cramps, fatigue, and digestive shifts

• Brain hemisphere communication increases
  → This may explain heightened intuition, insight, and clarity

• Iron, magnesium, and mineral stores are used more rapidly
  → This can show up as fatigue, dizziness, or cravings for grounding foods

Your energy drops not because you’re unmotivated—
but because your hormones literally reduce your available energy.

Rest isn’t indulgent.
It’s biological alignment.

How I Support Myself Through Inner Winter (The Four Bodies)

🩶 Physical Body: Listen, Don’t Push

Because hormones are at their lowest, I stop pushing and start listening.

That looks like:

• Taking extra sleep when my body asks for it

• Gentle movement only: walking, Yin yoga, stretching

• Swimming when possible—Inner Winter connects to the water element

I focus on warm, nourishing, easy-to-digest foods:

• Soups and stews

• Roasted vegetables

• Meals prepared ahead of time and frozen

I also have a ritual I look forward to every cycle:
one intentional, high-quality grass-fed burger.

My body loves the iron, protein, and grounding energy.

I minimize sugar and processed foods, and instead choose supportive treats that don’t spike inflammation.

Other physical supports I rely on:

• Warm baths

• Heating pads

• Planned naps or “eyes-closed time,” even on workdays

Resting is not a weakness.
It’s how you preserve energy for the next phase of creativity and power.

💫 Spiritual Body: Inner Winter as an Altered State

Menstruation has long been recognized across cultures as an altered state of consciousness.

Many women experience:

• Vivid dreams

• Intuitive insights

• A stronger connection to inner wisdom

Not because it’s “woo,”
but because brain architecture actually shifts during menstruation.

I intentionally reduce stimulation and create space for:

• Quiet walks

• Yoga Nidra

• Meditation

• Silence

For nearly a year now, I’ve also pulled an oracle card on the first day of my bleed as a way to receive guidance for the cycle ahead.

Inner Winter invites listening.

🧠 Mental Body: Relief and Quiet

This is where I often feel the most relief.

The intensity of the premenstrual phase softens.
The pressure lifts.
The mental chatter quiets.

If I can retreat into my own version of a “red tent,” even briefly, my mind becomes calm and spacious.

This phase reminds us that clarity doesn’t always come from effort—
sometimes it comes from stillness.

💖 Emotional Body: Release and Reverence

Emotionally, Inner Winter is where truth rises.

Grief often surfaces—not because something is wrong,
but because menstruation is a natural release point.

I cry easily during this time, but often from reverence rather than sadness.
There’s a sense of meaning and power here.

Emotions during menstruation are like water.
They don’t need to be fixed—
they just need somewhere to flow.

So I give them space.

Inner Winter Is Not a Problem to Solve

Menstruation is not an inconvenience or a failure of productivity.

It’s a completion phase.
A return inward.
A clearing of the slate.

When we honor Inner Winter, we stop fighting our bodies and start listening to them.

And from that listening, something new can emerge.

Ready to Begin Living in Sync With Your Cycle?

If reading this has you feeling curious—or relieved—or seen—I want you to know you don’t have to figure this out on your own.

If you’re ready to begin, I’ve created a gentle, accessible entry point for you:

✨ The Cycle Support Map ✨

It’s a simple, supportive journey designed to help you:

• Understand each phase of your cycle

• Know how to care for your body as it changes

• Follow a clear map instead of guessing

• Learn alongside somatic meditations that help the wisdom land in your body, not just your mind

You’ll receive:

• A visual cycle map to orient yourself

• Guided practices to support nervous system regulation

• An invitation to slow down, reconnect, and build trust with your body

If you’re ready to begin, the path is already laid out for you.

✨ You bring the body. We’ll walk the map together. ✨

Click here to get started for $4.95
**It is ideal to start this on a New Moon or the first day of your bleed, but you are of course, welcome to start anytime**