8 lessons from 8 years of charting
I started tracking my cycles with a fertility awareness method in 2019, nearly a decade ago! If you want just the one lesson from this message I’ll give it to you up front: don’t cut corners in the beginning - take daily tracking seriously - and you’ll benefit way faster than starting with a laissez faire approach.
Like with learning a new language, or anything new for that matter, there’s a learning curve. Starting with strong discipline means you get to progress to ‘unconscious competence’ faster. In my 8 years of charting I’ve taken lots of charting breaks, but have never lost the language of my body.
I have flowed from intensely tracking everything to tracking nothing, and everything in between. Here's what I’ve learnt. (Not an exhaustive list!)
It’s a language for life: once you learn to track your 3 basic biomarkers, you’ll never forget it
Stopping tracking entirely once in a while is a good idea (more on this next week)
You have to start noticing the good, not just focusing on that bad. E.g. you may note that PMS symptoms have a clear start and end, and there are parts of your cycle you actually really enjoy and love.
Every cycle is a blank slate and a chance to begin again, literally and metaphorically!
You can never gaslight yourself ever again, e.g. comments like “my PMS/period pain isn’t THAT bad” become backed up with evidence and you realise maybe it actually is that bad - and therefore its harder for others to gaslight you right? You have the proof, which means you have your own back. This is especially good for those who tend to fawn when triggered by medical authority figures (aka ME).
It teaches you how to dance between leading and following, (yang and yin, masculine and feminine, managing and flowing) and your own relationship with these energies will be revealed
Some things about fertility cannot be explained and that’s okay
Identifying ovulation with a temp rise and CM NEVER gets old - such a powerful feeling!
And these are just the lessons about charting itself… let alone the lessons gleaned from my cycle itself after all this time! Never fear, I’ll get into those another time.
There’s a waitlist open for my next round of work together. You can join it quietly, no pressure—just a way to stay close to what’s unfolding. Join here.
Love,