Ovulation! Everyone's favourite part of a woman's cycle! Why does it feel so great and different when you ovulate? What is going on in the internal world of organs and energy? And what is happening essentially within our essence, our natural being?
Ovulation...the time when a woman feels 'oh-very'!
Leading up to and during ovulation is such a fun time for a woman. It is the time when she feels 'oh-very' fun, beautiful, sexy, passionate, open, receptive, giving, alive and like Shania Twain famously said 'damn, I feel like a woman!' We've all had the ovulation experience where we feel like Marylin Monroe or any famous beauty with wind blowing through our luxurious hair, stars glistening in the eyes of those get the privilege to witness our stunning, effortless, natural beauty as we walk down the supermarket isle. It's the time in a woman's cycle where she feels like the fresh rose blossom. She is blossoming into the fruits of her fertility, blossoming into herself and the selfless sharing of her heart with the world.
If we look at the seasonal cycle, ovulation is a woman's Summer.
Ovulation is that summer-lovin time, where romance is in the air and it elates the heart and spirit of a woman. Working with the sun and day time cycle, ovulation is the middle of the day, hot and social like summer. When we find the mirror of a woman's cycle with the moon, her ovulation is the full moon, the brightest light in the darkness, the light that illuminates all.
Fun fact: before electricity was invented and the moon was the main source of light during the night time, all women in the village would ovulate around the full moon! We can use light in our bedrooms to recreate the effects of a full moon and help to encourage ovulation.
When we look at ovulation this way, its a pretty special time for a woman. It's not just the maturation of an egg, its the blossoming of a woman in her 'maternal' or 'mother' phase. Not because she becomes pregnant, but each month we cycle through the archetypes of a woman, maiden, mother, maga, and crone.
Ovulation is our 'mother' time in the cycle. Where we feel full of life and creation, where we want to share that beautiful creative lifeforce with all around and wish to use this pure force of life to uplift, support and help any one out there. It's where we become accommodating with the outside world as our hormones peak and all we wish to do is be accepted, feel and be seen as the beauties we are, and to help accommodate the world's needs with our mothering Yin essence.
In Chinese Medicine, Summer time is the season of the fire element.
The Fire element in Chinese medicine is the element that encompasses the heart, pericardium, triple heater and small intestine. It is the only element that holds 4 organs as it holds the most important one, the heart. So its no surprise that during ovulation a woman feels so closely connected to her heart and its desires, and wishes to share the softness of her radiant heart with her loved ones.
We remember that the womb and the heart have a very close connection in Chinese Medicine. The Heart releases the blood into the Bao Mai (uterus channel) for menstruation, and this occurs easefully when the heart-empress is happy. This blood let down from the heart to the uterus (including ovaries in TCM) not only moves through and out of the uterus for ovulation, but is also the blood that nourishes the womb, the growing oovums within the ovary, it nourishes ovulation and implantation of a fertilised egg.
It makes sense now that after we ovulate and don't have a fertilised egg, there is a drop in mood. The blood of the heart weeps through the womb, to go back to the earth to regenerate life. It's like the menstrual bleed is the tears of the heart's unfelt emotions.
For ovulation to occur in Chinese Medicine we need a big burst of Qi to secret the mature egg. Low levels of Qi (energy) or stagnated (stuck) Qi can cause issues with ovulation like lack of ovulation or pain during ovulation. Is the Qi is deficient or stagnant for a long time, issues like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can occur. (Well talk more about this in my next post). Like menstruation, ovulation is a key part of a woman's menstrual cycle and depends on proper functioning of the Spleen, Heart, Liver and Kidneys in Chinese medicine.
In Western medicine, ovulation is the time when a mature follicle releases its egg to the exterior. Once secreted, the mature egg travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus to be fertilised by sperm and then implanted into the endometrium (uterine wall). Ovulation is due to the slow increase of oestrogen, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). As I described earlier in my previous post these hormones play key roles in the maturation of an egg, ovulation and the production of progesterone and oestrogen to support a fertilised egg and pregnancy, or to induce menstruation.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinising Hormone are released from the anterior pituitary gland in response to the release of Gonadotrophin releasing hormone from the hypothalamus. LH stimulates the release of a hormone androstenedione, which is the basis of oestradiol. In the menstrual cycle FSH supports the conversion of androstenedione to oestradiol as well as the maturation of ovarian follicles. Once the dominant follicle has matured, it starts to secrete oestradiol which then begins to inhibit the secretion of FSH. This delicate communication of hormone levels create a surge in the secretion of FSH simultaneously with LH to create ovulation and the secretion of the mature egg into the fallopian tubes. Once ovulation has occurred we move into the 'luteal' phase of the menstrual cycle and FSH levels stay low in order to prevent maturation of more follicles before menstruation.
The follicle left empty after ovulation transforms into the corpus luteum, LH continues to stimulate the release of progesterone from the corpus luteum in the last phases of the menstrual cycle and in pregnancy. If a pregnancy does not occur, then the LH and progesterone levels drop and menstruation occurs.
During the time of ovulation these hormone surges create an increase in basal body temperature as well as a change in the vaginal discharge. The ovulation discharge is generally describe like 'raw egg white', it is stringy and sticky and usually clear.
When we can track our cycle, cervial discharge, and ovulation times we can have a greater sense of connection with our monthly cycle as women. For women who aren't bleeding, they can celebrate their ovulation time with the full moon. The fullness of the moon and its light mirrors the fullness of a woman's fertility during ovulation and the light of the full moon (and artificial light) can help to induce ovulation! When we are aware of our ovulation time we can have more empowerment in natural contraception or the conceiving of a child.
These hormones also have similar and important functions in men.
In males, FSH is responsible for the testicular volume and development in children and works alongside testosterone to maintain a normal sperm count and function. Testosterone release from the testes in men is stimulated by LH.
And that is the oh-very beautiful business of ovulation.
Ovulation doesn't always happen with every cycle. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help to regulate ovulation and the menstrual cycle. This regulation is critical for a healthy menstrual cycle free of pain or flooding, as well as a healthy ovulation if you are wanting to get pregnant.
Comments