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Did you know your yoga practice can feel completely different depending on where you are in your cycle?
One week, you’re flowing effortlessly through vinyasas, feeling strong, flexible, unstoppable and everything flows with ease. Other days, you crave something slower, softer, and more nurturing or maybe all you want to do is melt into child’s pose. It’s not just random—it’s your cycle at work.
Your body moves through natural rhythms that shift your energy, flexibility, and endurance throughout the month. When you align your movement with these natural rhythms, you’re not just moving—you’re honoring your body’s changing needs. Movement isn’t meant to feel the same every day, and when you start flowing with your cycle instead of pushing against it, yoga becomes a powerful form of self-care. Moon Cycle Yoga is designed to do exactly that—offering an approach to movement that aligns with your energy, supports your body’s natural rhythms, and helps you feel more connected, balanced, and strong through every phase of your cycle. In this post, we’ll outline the best ways to move in each phase, so you can start flowing with your body instead of against it. And if you’re looking for guided classes designed specifically for each phase, keep reading until the end—we have a special invitation just for you. 🌙
Ready to flow with your cycle? Let’s dive in.
What is Yoga? If You’re New, Here’s What You Need to Know
Yoga is more than just movement—it’s a holistic practice of breath, body, and mind that has been around for thousands of years. Rooted in ancient teachings, yoga helps us cultivate awareness, reduce stress, and reconnect with ourselves on a deeper level. While many people think of yoga as just a series of poses, it’s actually a deeply healing system that transforms your energetic field from the inside out and is designed to support physical health, mental clarity, and emotional balance.
At its core, yoga helps us:
✔️ Strengthen & Stretch – Enhancing flexibility, balance, and endurance
✔️ Breathe & Reset – Calming the nervous system and regulating energy
✔️ Slow Down & Reflect – Cultivating mindfulness, focus, and inner peace
Whether you want to build strength, release tension, or simply find a moment of stillness, yoga adapts to your needs. But when you sync your practice with your body’s natural rhythms? That’s when it becomes truly transformative.
The Beauty of Yoga + Your Cycle
Women’s bodies aren’t built for a rigid, one-size-fits-all routine. Traditional fitness culture pushes consistency and intensity, even when our bodies are asking for something different. Yet, just like the moon, we shift through four distinct phases each month, each bringing its own strengths, challenges, and energetic needs.
When we honor these natural shifts, yoga becomes more than just a workout—it becomes a form of deep self-care. Some days, your body craves fiery strength. Other days, it’s all about softness and surrender. Whether you need power and confidence, grounding and stillness, or gentle release, this practice allows you to move in harmony with your cycle—transforming your yoga mat into a space of true alignment and empowerment.
How to Move With Your Cycle
By flowing with your cycle, you create a movement practice that supports and uplifts you, rather than one that pushes against your body’s natural rhythm. Embracing these shifts allows you to move with more ease, intention, and balance throughout the month.
🌱 Inner Spring (Follicular Phase) – Time to Bloom
As your energy rises, your mind feels sharp, and movement becomes more fluid. This is the perfect time to embrace strength-building and creative exploration on the mat.
💫 Best Practices:
✔️ Choose dynamic, uplifting flows that build momentum
✔️ Incorporate heart-opening postures to welcome fresh energy
✔️ Explore balancing poses—your brain is primed for learning new movement patterns
☀️ Inner Summer (Ovulation Phase) – Radiance & Empowerment
Your energy, confidence, and social magnetism are at their peak. Your body is primed for strong, expressive movement, so lean into flows that harness your power and radiance.
💫 Best Practices:
✔️ Focus on expansive, heart-centered postures that encourage openness
✔️ Use breathwork to activate clarity and confidence
✔️ Integrate backbends and strong standing poses to fully embrace your vitality
🍂 Inner Autumn (Luteal Phase) – Transform & Release
As energy begins to shift inward, emotions may feel heightened, and your body may ask for deeper release and grounding. This is the time for intentional movement that soothes and supports.
💫 Best Practices:
✔️ Transition to slower, grounding practices that help calm the nervous system
✔️ Incorporate deep stretching and longer holds for emotional and physical release
✔️ Use breathwork techniques to clear mental fog and ease tension
❄️ Inner Winter (Menstrual Phase) – Rest & Renewal
Your body needs deep rest and nourishment. This is the time to slow down, reflect, and honor stillness, allowing yourself to move gently and intuitively.
💫 Best Practices:
✔️ Opt for restorative practices that support relaxation and recovery
✔️ Explore gentle stretching or breath-focused movement to encourage circulation
✔️ Prioritize stillness, meditation, and reflection to recharge fully
Why This Works (Science + Ancient Wisdom)
This isn’t just a feel-good wellness trend (though feeling good is a great reason to start). Science is finally catching up with what yogis and ancient wisdom have known for centuries—our bodies thrive when we align with nature’s rhythms.
Research has shown that hormonal fluctuations impact metabolism, muscle recovery, and even cognitive function throughout the menstrual cycle. Your body isn’t designed to operate at the same intensity every day—and when you honor that, you stop pushing against exhaustion and start working with your natural strengths.
🔬 The Science:
Studies published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine and Frontiers in Physiology confirm that adapting exercise to hormonal fluctuations optimizes energy, enhances recovery, and reduces stress. Our hormones play a direct role in muscle performance, stamina, and recovery time, which is why exercising in alignment with these shifts can improve overall well-being and prevent burnout.
Here’s how:
Follicular Phase (Inner Spring) – Rising estrogen = increased energy, strength, and endurance. Research shows that estrogen enhances muscle recovery and supports lean muscle gains, making this the best time for strength training, power-based yoga, and high-intensity movement (J Sports Sci Med., 2021). Your body thrives on dynamic movement and new challenges during this time.
Ovulatory Phase (Inner Summer) – Peak estrogen & testosterone = maximum energy and performance. Studies indicate that women perform best in endurance-based activities during ovulation, when reaction time, coordination, and cardiovascular efficiency are at their highest (Front. Physiol., 2019). This is the time for strong, expressive movement—think heart-opening flows, strength-based yoga, and breathwork that amplifies radiance.
Luteal Phase (Inner Autumn) – Higher progesterone = increased muscle fatigue & lower stamina. Research suggests that progesterone can decrease peak strength and reaction time while increasing core temperature, leading to faster exhaustion (J Endocrinol., 2020). This is why shifting toward moderate, grounding movement like Yin yoga, Pilates, or slow-flow vinyasa helps balance energy without overloading the system.
Menstrual Phase (Inner Winter) – Low hormone levels & increased inflammation = need for deep rest. Studies have found that during menstruation, the body experiences natural inflammation and a decrease in muscle efficiency (Front. Physiol., 2020). Gentle movement such as restorative yoga, breathwork, and stretching can aid circulation, relieve cramps, and support nervous system regulation without adding unnecessary stress.
By working with your body instead of against it, you create a sustainable fitness routine that enhances performance, reduces stress, and supports long-term well-being. This modern science validates what ancient wisdom has always known—our bodies thrive when we honor their natural rhythms.
🌿 The Ancient Wisdom:
Yoga has always embraced the idea that we are part of nature, not separate from it. This is reflected in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, one of the oldest and most authoritative texts on yoga, which describes how lunar energy (Ida Nadi) governs rest, intuition, and cooling energy, while solar energy (Pingala Nadi) fuels activity, vitality, and outward expression. These two forces mirror the shifts in a woman’s cycle, emphasizing the need for balance—knowing when to activate and when to restore.
Swami Sivananda, one of the most influential yogic teachers of the 20th century, echoed this wisdom in his teachings on proper exercise and relaxation. He believed that yoga should be practiced in harmony with the body’s natural state rather than through force or strain. His principles align beautifully with cyclical living—where we move dynamically when energy is high and rest deeply when the body calls for stillness. Sivananda emphasized that true health is achieved not through constant exertion but through the balance of effort and ease, activity and surrender.
Anandamayi Ma, a revered spiritual teacher, also spoke to the importance of living in alignment with one’s inner rhythm and divine flow. She taught that “when life is lived in harmony with its natural design, peace and vitality arise effortlessly.” Rather than resisting our body’s signals, she encouraged deep listening, self-inquiry, and trusting the wisdom of the body as a sacred guide. Just as the moon moves through phases without struggle, so too should we embrace the natural ebb and flow of energy in our lives—knowing that both movement and stillness serve a higher purpose.
By integrating these ancient teachings with modern science, we unlock a more sustainable, empowering way to move through life. When we stop resisting our body’s natural rhythm and start flowing with it, we experience deeper alignment, strength, and inner harmony—both on and off the mat.
Join Moon Cycle Yoga & Move With Your Body’s Flow
Imagine a yoga practice that flows with you—one that adapts to your shifting energy rather than forcing you into a rigid routine. That’s exactly what Moon Cycle Yoga is all about. Designed for women, by women, it offers flows that align with each phase of your cycle. Build strength when your body feels powerful, embrace rest when it needs renewal, and move in a way that fully supports your natural rhythm.
If you’re ready to be guided through practices tailored to your energy in each phase, join Moon Cycle Yoga and experience the power of flowing with your body—not against it.
🌙 What You Get:
✔️ Quick, easy-to-follow flows for every phase of your cycle
✔️ Power classes to energize & strengthen
✔️ Restorative classes to renew & reset
✔️ Gentle classes to unwind & release
✔️ Breathwork designed to align with your hormonal shifts
Your body is already wise. Your cycle is already guiding you.
Are you ready to listen? ✨ Sign up for Moon Cycle Yoga today and start flowing with your body—not against it. We can't wait to practice with you!
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