Ep. 202: Cycle Syncing emotionally and creatively with client, Abby

For Woven client, Abby, the experience of cycle charting provided far more insight than simple family planning. It opened up a whole new world of discovery as she recognized the role her reproductive hormones played in her emotional state and creative potential. After charting her cycles with the Creighton Model System, she began working with these natural rhythms instead of against them and her creative and personal endeavors came alive. As a professional dancer and athlete, she used to berate herself for having needs and strengths that morphed throughout her cycle. Now, she changed her perspective to honor them. I'm excited for you to hear more from Abby herself in this episode. Enjoy!

NOTE: This episode is appropriate for all audiences.

GUEST BIO: Abby is a Jesus follower and professional dancer. She serves as the Artistic Director of a Christian ballet company in Kansas City, Dramatic Truth Ballet Theatre. 

OTHER HELPFUL EPISODES:

Ep. 28: When your body feels broken

Ep. 134: Realistic Cycle Syncing for Every Woman, with Megan Faller

Transcript

Caitlin (00:24)
Welcome back to the Woven Well podcast. If you're a long time listener, then you know that possibly my favorite episodes are those where I get to introduce you to clients that I've worked with. There is just something so powerful about hearing from women who are walking the same sort of road in one way or another as you are. You know, they're learning about their bodies, welcoming God into the process and going through all the ups and downs that happen along the way.

Well, today I'm welcoming Abby, who I've been blessed to work with over the past year. And I always love meeting with Abby because yeah, we discuss lots about hormones and cycles and all the rest, but she's always so open to exploring how God shows up within each. And that's just fun for me. So I think you're going to enjoy the episode. Abby, welcome to the show.

Abby Tyson (01:13)
Thank you, Caitlin. So great to be here.

Caitlin (01:15)
Like I said, I enjoy talking with people that I get to know outside of this sort of space. I get to know you really personally and it's always so fun. But maybe you'd like to share a little bit about yourself with our listeners, catch them up a bit.

Abby Tyson (01:29)
I am a ballet athlete and I'm an artist and I'm a missionary. So currently I serve as a artistic director of a Christian Ballet Company.

Caitlin (01:42)
That is amazing. I just think what you do for a living is so cool. And I also love even the phrasing ballet athlete. My nieces are in ballet and they love it. And they talk frequently about how dance is a sport and you have to be an athlete. And I'm like, you are right. So you're a great example of that.

Abby Tyson (01:54)
Yeah.

Caitlin (02:02)
So what got you interested in working with Woven and learning about the Creighton system?

Abby Tyson (02:08)
Yeah. Well, I had a little bit of information and education about how hormones really affect our whole health. But then getting closer to marriage, I decided, okay, it's time to, of course, get more education and understand what's going on in my body better. And also, fix and deal with any health issues that were going on before heading into marriage.

Caitlin (02:36)
Absolutely. So I love that motivation to want to learn more about what's going on both for the fertility side of things, but also for the health side of things. And of course, you know, well, I'll talk about this all day, but the Creighton system is a great fit for that because it does both. You can use it for the health side and not the fertility side. You can use it for the fertility side.

Abby Tyson (02:52)
Yes.

Caitlin (02:58)
But you're still gonna have the benefit of the health side. That's just sort of how it works. So, Well, I can't remember. Did somebody refer you to Woven specifically Oh, was it through the podcast? Okay.

Abby Tyson (03:09)
I think I I'm pretty sure I found your podcast; and then yeah, just found your website and got started.

Caitlin (03:15)
Okay, that's fun. I forgot that it was the podcast. Well, what a full circle moment here for you to actually be on the show. 

Abby Tyson
Yeah. Yes! I didn't even think of that. Yes.

Caitlin 
I know that's pretty cool. Well, along the way, you know, I was teaching you about all the basics of periods and hormones and all those sort of things, although you knew a lot coming in. But we always enjoy having conversations about some of the things that God's been teaching you along the way.

Abby Tyson (03:43)
Starting Creighton charting was at a really sweet time in my walk with the Lord as well. So he really wove those things together sweetly as I was learning Creighton. I feel like Creighton has given me a lot of grace for myself to understand where my body is at and my tendencies at different parts of my cycle and different phases has given me so much more kindness for myself and for others as I know, whether I know where they are or not, you know, the women around me that I work with, that I teach, things like that. When I am more aware of what I need and where I am in my own cycle, then I'm so much more aware of that for others too, which is really great.

Caitlin (04:35)
Yeah, that's a really good perspective. I love how you are just automatically including grace for others as well, that kind of gets built into it because that can be, I don't know which one's harder actually giving grace to ourselves or to others, but they're both challenging. And, I get that completely because I'll have days
right before my period starts where I know that my hormones are really low. That is a natural occurrence. It is as it should be in preparation for a period. Let my body know it's time to start another period and yet I have maybe more sadness. I don't have as much energy. And knowing why I have that, knowing why they show up right before my period starts is so freeing to be able to explain it and understand it and not hold on to those feelings and thoughts like, this must be true.

Abby Tyson (05:36)
I agree, yes. Yeah, and the highs too, knowing that I can capitalize on feelings for a little while and enjoy that too.

Caitlin (05:38)
Yeah, you've had a lot of fun with that because as we've talked over the years, you know, and, or over the year, I guess, and we've talked about like the estrogen rise and, ⁓ you are an artist, as you mentioned, and art and creativity is so important to you. How does that affect you? Like knowing you're going into that higher estrogen stage of a cycle, do you do things differently or do you do more artistic things during that time? How does that shape your cycle?

Abby Tyson (06:19)
Yes, well, I'm having so much fun still figuring that out, of course, in the middle of that journey. But some of the things that I've discovered, of course, as a dancer, being much more strong ⁓ during the beginning of my cycle and then really being aware of ⁓ being prone to injury and having a lot more fatigue and weakness.

Caitlin (06:24)
Yeah.

Abby Tyson (06:46)
towards the end of my cycle, that has helped a lot. But then artistically, ⁓ there are certain times when words just come, wow, so easily. And I feel very able to put fun sentences together in communications or emails or just being outgoing

Caitlin (06:49)
Mm.

Mm-hmm.

Abby Tyson (07:07)
And I also find that near the beginning of my cycle, I have a lot of energy to put towards starting new projects. And towards the end, I'm much more in a refine, pull out the things that are issues and need refining need. Maybe to get cut out of whatever project I'm doing. Yeah, and also a lot of tenderness towards the end of my cycle too, a lot more compassion and just, I think that is a gift even though it can be challenging sometimes. I tap into the tender heart of God so much more when I'm vulnerable, you know, in that luteal phase. ⁓

Caitlin (07:33)
Yeah.

Hmm.

Abby Tyson (07:50)
So I try to capitalize on that too when I need to do things that are compassionate or to let myself go there knowing that it's natural and good to connect with him in that way.

Caitlin (07:59)
Hmm. Yes, that freedom, that safety, I think is the better word for you to know that you are in a vulnerable place. And instead of fighting against that and trying to prove that you are strong and capable and powerful, which, know, you have those characteristics, but those characteristics come from the Lord.

Abby Tyson (08:06)
Mm-hmm. Yeah

Caitlin (08:22)
So in those moments when you're feeling vulnerable and you're feeling tender and you're not feeling strong or capable or powerful, being honest about that and opening that up to the Lord and accepting God's strength, God's encouragement, God's provision, that is really powerful to reframe it like that. Because I think, you know, the world we live in is all about making something out of ourselves and proving to the world and the people around us and even proving to ourselves that we can do it. But a Christian perspective is no, we're saying from the beginning that we can't do this. We have to have the Lord. So I really love, think that's so beautiful that even your cycle is an invitation, a reminder, a cyclical reminder
that you can lean on the Lord, you can trust in him. That's beautiful. I know what you mean about the creative versus refining as well, times of the cycle, because ⁓ I worked on writing a book this year, it's gonna come out, ⁓ or it's coming out in 2026. And when I was in the writing process, I would spend three weeks of the cycle writing, writing, writing, being creative, all sorts of ideas, notes everywhere. And then I would spend a week like I had no ideas. couldn't, I just, the words weren't coming right. And so the first couple of months, it was like, man, I tried to push through that. And I was like, why am I fighting against this? I know exactly why this is happening. And so I switched over to doing editing in that last week before my period started. And it was just so great to be like, yeah, I'm working within my design. By the way, that's what I'm writing about also. But it was just really great to experience that too.

Caitlin (10:18)
That's awesome. Well, I think it's such a transformative experience to think about our design as women and allow that to be not a bad thing, not a negative thing, not a restrictive thing, but this, as you're describing it, beautiful, freeing, safe experience. Like it is okay, not just okay, it is good to be a woman and God is moving in that design of our bodies, our cycles. I love to hear how you've  experienced that in your own life.

Abby Tyson (10:58)
Thank you. Practically, very practically, starting to chart with Creighton, I found out when I was ovulating, which I never knew I could actually do. my whole growing up, I never had regular cycles, which of course doctors told me that's normal, which I think they should have said that's common.

So having Creighton, I was able to understand when I'm ovulating. And then I could also know when I was going to start my period, which is great information. And when you have irregular cycles and you're a dancer, that is a great thing to know. So very practically, I was super grateful to learn about his design
and be able to implement that. And then charting has revealed several different health issues that I just thought, or also indications and markers that I either never noticed or didn't think were things that could be addressed.

So I just lived with them. So now I'm, after having charted for a while, now I'm getting to work with a practitioner and get doctors that are Napro doctors and getting some of the issues worked out for health overall. That's just very practical but really helpful.

Caitlin (12:31)
Absolutely, and I think that goes back to, you know, the words that your doctor said to you when you were younger and the general mentality that we have around cycles and the female design. We think there's almost like there's something inherently wrong or broken about it. So, there's nothing we can do about it. You just have to live with these horrible symptoms and it's gonna be irregular and unpredictable. And it's just this bomb that goes off in your life over and over again when that's not actually how God designed it. And you're a beautiful example of that because you do have irregular cycles. We have pinpointed the possibility of several health issues.

And there's actually something that can be done about both of those situations. So like you said, now you know, yes, hallelujah, absolutely. Now you know when you're ovulating. Now you know when to anticipate your period. And that's through learning about God's design. You know, if you had not learned about God's design of the body, then you would have still been in that mentality of

Abby Tyson (13:22)
Yes, hallelujah. Yes.

Caitlin (13:44)
This is totally wild and unpredictable. I can't do anything about this. And I'm just gonna have to live with all these symptoms. This is just part of being a woman.

Abby Tyson (13:53)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, and even worse, going back to what you said earlier, that in the ballet world, especially, now, there's a lot of progress, but it's very common to just be expected to have the same performance, to perform at the same level all the time as women, and that's not safe. ⁓

it doesn't actually work. I, I as a leader am trying to give space and protect space for my dancers that I'm directing to know that if they need to power down and have a restart of their system, you know, one or two days every month, or to not expect them to be good at the same things all the time. I think we're going to see a lot of fruit from that and a lot of joy come out.

Caitlin (14:45)
I completely agree and what a powerful example giving them that space to explore that and learn and really listen to their body and honor it and nurture it instead of hating it and manipulating it and trying to force it to do something you know because that's setting us up for the rest of our lives you know our relationship with our body is so formed in those early years as children and teens and young women and so that's just a really powerful example. so glad you have the opportunity to do that.

Any piece of advice or encouragement that you'd like to share with other ladies out there?

Abby Tyson (15:27)
Well, I definitely recommend charting and Caitlin is a superb and kind person to do that with. So would recommend. ⁓ And just going with the ebbs and flows and just exactly what we've been talking about. There's, I have found so much joy in really embracing my femininity and the design that God has given us. I just see so much joy in that.

Caitlin (15:58)
Well, thank you so much for being on and just chatting a little bit about what God's been doing and what you've been learning over the past year. I appreciate it, Abby.

Abby Tyson (16:07)
Thank you, Caitlin. Thank you for all that you do.

Caitlin (16:10)
Personally listeners, like this is my favorite part of educating and empowering women. Like we teach you because you deserve to know, we empower you because you deserve dignified care, but the reason that you deserve those things in the first place is because God loves you and has formed you in his image and that is powerful, really powerful. Women are taught that our periods are a nuisance or our fertility is dangerous even to us.

But is that in line with what we know about our good creator? You know, those questions sometimes they're hard to ask, but having that freedom to ask them can be really impactful. So what I've found in my eight plus years of working with women is that as they explore these areas of their bodily design, God shows up every single time. And it is such a joy to get to go along for the ride.

So if you value natural fertility education that honors your faith along the way, I hope you'll subscribe to the podcast and maybe even leave a review so that other women who are looking for resources will see just what we're about. As always, thanks for listening as we continue to explore together what it means to be woven well.