Honoring My Cycle: How Listening to My Body Changed My Life
And Why I "Take a Week Off" Every Month
*Crafted through thoughtful collaboration between Rosey and ChatGPT.
In 2018, I came across a concept that would change my life forever.
I had started spending more time in alternative-minded communities, deep-diving into holistic health, embodiment practices, and ancestral wisdom. The phrase "Red Tent" kept coming up—discussed and reinvented by women who spoke of ancient traditions where, during menstruation, women would retreat from daily responsibilities to rest, play, and commune with one another. 🌹✨
I was fascinated.
I devoured The Red Tent, a novel that tells the story of Jacob of Israel through the eyes of his only daughter, Dinah. The book described women gathering together in their sacred space, free from the demands of the external world, honoring the natural cycles of their bodies rather than resisting them. That one story cracked open something in me ⚡️
It redefined how I saw my body, my cycles, and the way modern society expects women to function as though we are biologically identical to men.
But we’re not.
Women are not designed to operate on the 24-hour productivity cycle that men thrive in. Instead, our bodies move through four distinct phases every month—spring, summer, fall, and winter—just like the seasons. 🌷☀️🍁❄️ We are not the same person week to week. And yet, we are rarely taught to embrace these shifts. Instead, we’re expected to be the same every day. Consistent. Productive. Reliable.
But the truth is, we are not one person. We are four different people each month.
Why are we expected to work and function like men, when our bodies—and our energy—move through entirely different rhythms? 🤨
As I researched, I began to see the depth of this conditioning.
The more I learned about this, the more I dreamed of giving myself the permission to slow down and sync with my cycle—to take real time off when my body needed it, rather than forcing productivity at the expense of my well-being.
Of course, it wasn’t that simple.
The Reality of Honoring My Cycle 🤯
At first, I struggled to make this dream a reality. Financial pressures, social expectations, and the conditioning to push through no matter what made it difficult.
Furthermore, at the time I read The Red Tent and for the next few years, I was on hormonal birth control. I was incapable of being fully in tune with my body’s cycle. 🚫
I was on hormonal birth control for seven years—first the pill, then the Nexplanon arm implant—and I now know how those artificial hormones kept me in a constant pregnancy mode.
Hormonal birth control keeps the body in a state that mimics early pregnancy—suppressing ovulation, stabilizing hormones, and preventing the natural cyclical rhythm of a menstrual cycle. 🤰
Doctors say this happens, but feeling the difference firsthand is an entirely different story.
When I finally got off birth control, it was like waking up in a new body—one that was louder, more emotional, more sensitive, and full of wisdom I had been chemically suppressing for years.
It was an overwhelming adjustment. At first, it felt like too much. But as I learned to listen to my body instead of trying to control it, everything changed. 👂
I started tracking my cycle more closely. I started honoring the phases, learning about my personal Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter personas. I started taking beef organ supplements from Heart & Soil to support my hormones, which made a massive difference. I used to take six capsules daily, and now I only need one—but the impact remains profound. 🐮
Again, I started dreaming about a life where I could actually rest during my period.
The Decision: One Week Off, Every Month 🗓️
I had tried this before—clearing my schedule during my period—but I often let the goal slip away for financial reasons. There was always work to do, a client to see, a deadline to meet. 🏃♀️
Then, earlier this year, I received feedback from two different clients after sessions that had taken place just before my period started.
Both were understanding, but they gently shared that the shift in my energy during my winter season caught them off guard—that I wasn’t able to support them in the way they were used to.
At first, I felt defensive. It wasn’t fair! 😤 I was still me—I was still capable of holding space. But deep down, I knew the truth:
I hadn’t wanted to be working anyway.
I wasn’t taking care of myself, and that energy had rippled out into my client relationships. It wasn’t fair to them either. 😔
That was the final push I needed to stop wavering and fully commit.
Now, I’m giving myself one week off every month.
Like in The Red Tent, I give myself this week by preparing beforehand, doing the work I absolutely need to do during the weeks before, so I can give myself rest in an aligned way.
Of course, "off" doesn’t mean I disappear from the world. It just means I keep my schedule open, free-flowing, and intuitive.
🔹 If I want to work, I work.
🔹 If I want to create, I create.
🔹 If I want to socialize, I socialize.
🔹 If I want to spend all day lying in bed, drinking tea and staring at the ceiling—I do that, too.
I sleep more, I move slower, I feel deeper. I ask for help more. I avoid unnecessary stressors. I spend more time outside. I see my girlfriends more. I give myself full permission to SLOW DOWN. Less structure, more flow 🌚
And most importantly, I 💯 stop trying to force, push, pull, or rush myself.
This has changed my life in ways I never expected.
Relationships & Communication: A Crucial Element
One of the biggest challenges of honoring my cycle hasn’t been my own resistance—it’s been navigating how my shifts affect the people around me.
I am not the same person in winter as I am in summer. My energy, my sensitivity, my desires, and my communication style all change. And without conscious awareness, these shifts can create unnecessary friction in relationships.
For example, just before and during my period, I am more likely to:
⚡ Unconsciously start an argument with Brandon
⚡ Misinterpret innocent words or actions from a friend
⚡ Feel emotions that are magnified versions of things I usually handle with ease
So, I move slower. I communicate with those closest to me, letting them know where I’m at and what I need. I also give myself grace if I don’t handle something perfectly.
This level of communication allows everyone to get their needs met 🗣️
Some clients actually love working with me during my winter phase, saying they find my deep stillness and intuition especially grounding, and expressing appreciation for the sharp directness that will emerge in response to bulls*t. But I only book these sessions when we both agree that my winter energy serves their needs—because, let’s be real, some days I’d rather be wrapped in a blanket with tea than deep diving into men’s emotional processing. 😁☕
It’s all about informed consent. 😜
The Bigger Message: Permission to Listen to Yourself
So why am I sharing all of this?
Because I want women to feel permission. 😮💨
Permission to be exactly as they are. Permission to slow down when their body asks them to. Permission to say no to pushing through pain and exhaustion just to meet an external expectation.
And for men? I want them to understand. 🥺
To recognize what women go through each month. To see the shifts, the seasons, the emotional and physical work that happens in our bodies constantly. To hold space, to ask questions, to be curious.
It took time, but I now trust this seasonal rhythm. I see how it makes me more creative, productive, and aligned in the long run. Rather than trying to force myself into consistency, I embrace the fact that my power is in my ebb and flow.
My biggest breakthroughs and deepest insights now come as I bleed, because I don’t resist giving my body what it needs to alchemize my pain into jewels 💎
For women, our cycles are not a burden—they are a source of wisdom, power, and self-connection.
But only if we choose to honor them. 🌹
I am endlessly grateful for the journey that has led me here—for the books, the mentors, the communities that have helped me unlearn society’s expectations and relearn what my body already knows.
And I’ll leave you with this:
The more I honor my cycle, the more my body, my creativity, and my entire life honor me back.
🌸🌕🔥🍂
I’d love to hear from you!
How do you feel about cycle-based living? Have you ever experimented with honoring your own rhythms more deeply? Drop a comment below!
(And if this resonated with you, please like, share, and subscribe. 💕)