Menopause – Flip the Script

Menopause is not the end ladies! We may not have the rhythms of our cycle to anchor into but the rhythms haven’t ended, they have just changed somewhat. Flip the script on menopause and instead of trying to fight it ( because you can never win the natural laws!) learn to align with it and embrace it.

In Chinese medicine, menopause is known as The Second Spring. It represents the renewal of energy and opportunities as there is a shift from fertility and reproduction, to conserving and nourishing the self. In many Asian cultures there is a sense of looking forward to old age as ageing is widely celebrated and elders are revered. With age comes the gift of wisdom, innate confidence and life experience. 

Grandma Wisdom 

I have a fond childhood memory of observing my Nani (grandma) walk through her self care routine. She always started the day with a hair/ head “malish” – massage- then slowly with gentleness she would massage warm oils on her limbs, her hands and feet then she worked hard during the day,preparing the food and organising the home and all the family around her. Before we all sat together at night to eat she would take her warm bath and adorn herself with her intricate jewellry, beautiful silk shalwar kameez and pashmina shawl and sweep her hair up. I remember fiercely admiring her strong grounded feminine energy.  

Looking back at this scene, I now see that my Nani was gracefully walking into her Second Spring – a title that I think speaks wonderfully of the possibilities and space that opens up during this special stage of life.   A woman reaches menopause when menstruation ceases for one full year. Leading up to menopause and the one-year following is a period referred to as perimenopause. In Chinese Medicine, when our body ceases menstruation, the qi (energy) and blood is redirected to our Heart, where our ‘Shen’ or Spirit resides. It is this shift in qi and blood that allows us to access the vibrancy, courage and creativity that accompanies our Second Spring.  

Hormone Challenges

Of course, the accompanying hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause can indeed be challenging for many of us. Pre-existing imbalances may present with symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness, changes in libido, headaches, fatigue or fuzziness, thirst and dryness, bloating or digestive discomfort and emotional disturbance or irritability.  

The good news there are many things you can do at home to support the process. My key recommendations involve going back to basics with a nourishing self-care practice

Self-care tips to ease your transition into the Second Spring: 

• Give your body adequate rest. Burning the candle at both ends rapidly consumes blood and fluids.
• Eat nutritious balanced meals at the same time each day incorporating real food and removing all processed foods.
• Ensure that your meals are cooked and warm (broths, stews and leafy greens are great!)so that the digestion is well supported. This means less salads, raw and icy foods as they are cold in nature and take more energy to digest. The body will need to work harder to produce more heat to counterbalance the cold leading to less moisture circulating throughout the body.
• Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, greasy foods and hot pungent spices such as chillies, peppers and garlic. These can be very stimulating and can dry up the fluids in the body.
• Incorporate gentle to moderate movement every day.
• Give yourself time to nurture your emotions: Allow all feelings and emotions to be there as they are all expressions of Qi
• Notice your feelings and find outlets to express them. This might be through movement, breathwork, meditations, hobbies or community.
• Look at ways to do less of what you don’t want to do. Ask the question, ‘what can you let go of?’ Or explore what it is that you truly love doing and add more of this to your day.
• Listen to your body as it is always communicating with you.
• Herbs, acupuncture, hijama, massage can help. Ayurverdic and Eastern Asian practices help support this transition by naturally harmonising the hormones and addressing the underlying issues from the ground up.
• Reframe the current narritive around menopause
• Bio-Hug instead of Bio-Hack: instead of fighting the natural rhythms and trying to move backwards in time, move intentially through the seasons of womanhood, embracing the change and trying to bring the body into balance

Change the Narrative

The menopausal journey is an incredibly uplifting and beautiful time. It is a time of deep attunement to self and to the Source Creator who has installed the most perfect blueprint of life into our physical bodies and so aligning with it , accepting it and enhancing it will only bring more inner peace and gratitude. 

No matter what stage of life you are at, hormonal challenges can be incredibly impactful on our quality of life. But it is possible to live your best life through all phases, whether that be in your reproductive years, perimenopause or your Second Spring and I believe that it is always better going through this journey with a community who cares about it too.  

Join The Collective Bloom where we decolonise the body and set it free from the prison of harmful narratives through movement, educational workshops and retreats;

In warmth and health,

Afsha@Bloom