Honouring the Core Cycles of Cyclical Living

Cyclical living Core Cycles

In a world that glorifies constant productivity, linear progress, and doing more with less, it's easy to forget that nature doesn’t move in a straight line. Instead, it moves in circles: ebbing, flowing, blooming, resting. Cyclical living invites us to reconnect with this natural rhythm—in our bodies, in the moon, and in the turning of the seasons. At LA Hood Yoga, these cycles are central to how we move, rest, and live.

1. The Menstrual Cycle is Four Phases, Four Archetypes

For those who menstruate, the monthly cycle is more than a biological process. It’s a built-in rhythm of transformation and renewal, each phase offering unique gifts and invitations:

  • Menstruation (Inner Winter)
    A time of deep rest, stillness, and reflection. Your energy is at its lowest so it is a time to turn inward.

  • Follicular (Inner Spring)
    Energy begins to rise. This is the moment for fresh ideas, light movement, and new beginnings.

  • Ovulation (Inner Summer)
    Your most expressive, radiant phase. A time for connection, celebration, and outward-facing action.

  • Luteal (Inner Autumn)
    Slowing down. A phase of discernment, boundaries, completion, and inner focus.

Tuning into these inner seasons allows us to give ourselves what we actually need, rather than what the world demands.

2. The Lunar Cycle is a cosmic mirror

Many spiritual and wellbeing traditions have long used the phases of the moon as a guide for personal and collective rhythm. The moon’s cycle mirrors the menstrual one and offers powerful energetic cues:

  • New Moon
    The dark moon. A sacred pause. Time to set intentions and rest.

  • Waxing Moon
    As the light grows, so can your energy. Move forward with focus and momentum.

  • Full Moon
    Illumination, celebration, emotional peaks. A powerful time for expression.

  • Waning Moon
    Let go. Reflect. Prepare to return inward and start again.

Practising yoga and rituals in alignment with the moon can deepen your sense of connection to the wider cosmos—and to yourself.

3. The Seasons are Earth’s sacred blueprint

Cyclical living also mirrors the rhythm of the Earth through the seasons. These external shifts can inform how we live, work, and care for ourselves:

  • Spring
    A season of awakening, possibility, and gentle forward movement.

  • Summer
    Boldness, clarity, full expression. A time to be seen and celebrate.

  • Autumn
    Slowing down, releasing what no longer serves, turning inward.

  • Winter
    Deep rest, reflection, and dreaming. A time to do less, not more.

By syncing with the seasons, we create space to grow sustainably, without burnout.

Why cyclical living matters in wellness

At LA Hood Yoga, cyclical living isn’t a trend. It’s a radical, ancient way of remembering who we are and what we need. In a culture that tells women to be the same every day, this practice says: you are allowed to change.

  • It honours natural rhythms, allowing space for both rest and action.

  • It cultivates self-compassion, letting you soften into your needs instead of overriding them.

  • It supports nervous system regulation, reducing stress and encouraging balance.

  • It empowers women to live in alignment with their inner and outer cycles, not against them.

Cyclical living isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters, when it matters most. It’s a remembering. A returning.

And it starts with noticing the cycles already alive within you.

Lisa Hood