Understanding the follicular phase through the lens of seasonal changes.
Welcome to spring. The season when the Earth wakes up, buds bloom, and possibilities return.
Across many cultures and traditions spring is the true new year. It marks the beginning of new life, vision, and movement. And inside our bodies, this same energy is mirrored in what we call inner spring—the pre-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle.
This is the time after menstruation and before ovulation, roughly days 6–13, depending on your cycle. The body begins again. Hormones shift. Creativity stirs. And you may notice: you're starting to feel like you again.
What Is Inner Spring?
The Science: This is your follicular phase, when estrogen begins to rise and follicles in the ovaries are maturing. Energy tends to increase, moods may lift, and your mind becomes more focused and clearer.
Energetic View: Like snow melting and seeds pushing through the soil, your inner spring may begin slowly and then gain momentum. You might feel light, playful, curious, or ready to take on something new.
Note: This phase is not about rushing. Like early spring weather, you may still need rest and warmth some days. Follow your unique rhythm.
When your inner spring aligns with the season of spring on the Earth, you may feel this energy more potently.
Inner Spring Practices
Ways to support your body, mind, and creative center in this phase
Breathwork: Gentle Breath of Joy
This is a light energizing practice that opens the heart, awakens the body, and brings a sense of joy and clarity.
Stand or sit comfortably.
Inhale in 3 quick sniffs through the nose (filling belly, ribs, then chest).
Exhale fully through the mouth with a gentle sigh.
Repeat for as many rounds as you like, try 3. If at any point you get lightheaded or dizzy, sit down and return to normal breathing.
This breath can help clear stagnation from the bleed phase and welcome fresh energy.
Yoga Style to Try: Slow Flow Vinyasa
This is a time for fluid, playful movement—a vinyasa flow with gentle strength-building and hip opening can help reawaken your body and prepare it for ovulation.
So, get creative and be playful with your sun salutations- add some poses as you flow, such as:
twisted lunges
twisted down dog
flip dog
side bending
twisted chair
or even a balance pose
Herbs for Inner Spring
Support your body’s rebuilding and liver support pathways as estrogen rises:
Nettle – Mineral-rich and deeply nourishing post-bleed
Oat straw-Mineral ric, calming, nourishing and balancing
Dandelion root- Liver support
Best way to take it is in delicious teas, either warm and cozy or iced and refreshing.
Seed Cycling for Follicular Phase
Start incorporating:
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp ground pumpkin seeds
These seeds support estrogen, metabolism and hormone balance. Add to smoothies, oatmeal, or sprinkle on salads.
You can continue this practice through the first half of your cycle (inner spring through ovulation).
Reflect & Begin Again
Your inner spring is a quiet invitation—not a demand—to begin again.
Some ideas to play with:
Setting intentions
Try something new
Opening to joy
Trusting the slow and sacred unfurling of your energy
Even if you don’t feel “ready,” this phase supports you in becoming ready—on your own terms.
Supportive Prompts to Explore
What does new beginning mean for me this cycle?
Where is my energy slowly returning?
What seeds—ideas, habits, dreams—am I planting now?
Inner spring is a gift: a fresh start built into every cycle.
By honoring this phase with curiosity and compassion, you don’t just support hormonal health—you deepen your connection to your body, your rhythm, and your creative self.
And most importantly is that intention of deepening our connection within and our interconnection.
As individuals, we vary greatly, more so than the phases within our own cycle. So, most of this is an invitation and suggestion of ideas to play with and try on, keep what fits and leave the rest behind, and make it your own.
Whether you’re sipping tea, flowing through gentle sun salutations, or journaling with mint in the breeze—remember: your cycle isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a rhythm to dance with.
